Further Updates on Wrenville

 As some of you know, I am releasing a suspense novel in January of 2023 - that's this month! I am ecstatic to inform you that I have created a website that links directly to my blog and social media accounts. 

Above you see the synopsis (with no spoilers) of the novel I'm releasing this month. It is titled Wrenville and takes place in a small town in Illinois. A private investigator named Jack Thomas is running from a previous case, only to have it catch up to him. Want more information? You'll have to buy the book when it comes out (or get it from the library if I can get it into the Stark county or Carroll county library system). 

The news this week isn't the actual release, since I am clearly teasing you with the vague plot line, but rather the creation of my website. I have it prepared for the release of my novel, Wrenville, and I will keep it updated on any projects I'm currently working on, including the editing of the next novel or novella I will be releasing, which will happen when it happens. I believe in editing thoroughly and making it look good. I will keep you all updated on the website. 

The website itself is this: cathybakerauthor.zyrosite.com   

If you would like to go see it now, click right here. I am going to say in honesty that it is nothing fancy. After the release of Wrenville the link to buy the Kindle version and physical book will be on the website. This is basically a place where I will have information on current projects, as well as a place you can easily find my social media links. Feel free to share it with others around you and on social media. I have a contact me page included.  

Without further adieu, I will let you explore the website. I made it super easy to navigate, so much so that it is hard to miss what you are looking for. 

Data most apps collect

 I was recently told that TikTok collects invasive data, but can we talk about how much data other apps also take? Truthfully every social media takes data from your devices and your own devices learn what you like and don't like. Let's talk about what data gets sent out from your device every time you log in. 

Courtesy of versedtech.org

So, I did in fact join TikTok to promote my future book, but one comment that sounded unlikely had me looking up if the Chinese stole TikTok data. There were articles about it, yet we all still sit on our social media platforms that also take our data. Really, we should be wary of all social media by that standard. The cold, hard reality is that we were made more for face-to-face contact than for online communication (although some of us prefer written messaging). 

Why am I on social media after knowing it isn't entirely healthy? You're reading the reason. I couldn't do this without my social media. I couldn't promote my future book without my social media. It is the way of the future, whether we like it or not. It has good qualities that allow me to communicate with friends and simultaneously can waste my time if I sit and scroll (which is not good for your brain in the long run). It is a balancing act. There are good and bad qualities about this technology and media, but it just is without human involvement, which is to say it is good or bad based on what is done with it. Keep that in mind. 

Apps taking data

What? Apps take data? Shocker! We should all know this by now. They ask our permission to get into our contact lists, sync our data, get our pictures, use our names, and use our emails. I hate to tell you that we've been tracked since we started using our social media a while ago, but it is absolutely true. TikTok is not the only one giving information to others. Sadly, our favorite webpage Google is tracking even more data. 

To put this in perspective, quite a few apps take down a few facts to function, including where you are (GPS on phones), your face and name, your activity on the app, your IP address, and your email. Your apps also track what you like and don't like, which helps them reel you into scrolling on various social media forms. We like when Youtube gives us videos we want and streaming services suggest shows we might want to see. In the process, they learn our habits to get that data. It is a trade-off in the end. 

Worried? Some of you might be. Most of us should be. Sadly the apps taking more data than they need are commonly used and used by all ages at that. Do they legally have to ask? Yes, they do. Regardless, some have not at times. Internet safety says don't give out personal information on the internet and especially if it looks a bit suspect. This is why all my blog readers didn't hear about my wedding until after and we were back from honeymoon by that time. This is why I don't go bragging about my address on the blog and have blocked some of the people who have messaged me inappropriately. Think before you give out personal info. Pushy people are often scam artists. If you are afraid to use the internet, go get a VPN to scramble your data and you'll be fine. It can even give you media from other countries, which is insanely cool.

Courtesy of cybersecurity.att.com

Why Apps Take Data

There are three main reasons that apps need the data, starting with identification. Why can your face or your fingerprint scan open your phone? It has the data to identify you, of course. If you want that you get some added security in case someone steals your device, while also trading some data in return with your permission. 

Reason two is simply that it requires something to work at all, like access to your pictures and camera to post TikToks and Instagram photos, or access to contact lists to send a message through a chat app. It'd be rather hard to call mom if the connection wasn't there. Uber can't get to your house without an address, much like pizza can't get to you without an address. You've got the point by now. 

The third is where you might want to be a bit more careful. They do track you and third parties get information from these apps. Those pop-ups from a website you just visited are not coincidences. This is called ad targeting. It doesn't need much explanation. Apple is famous for tracking data that it didn't need to track. Apparently, so it TikTok. Scarily enough, a lot of them do this. Count how many times ads from websites you visited pop up on your social media and Google homepage. Go ahead. You'll be slightly scared by Google's reach. 

There is a fourth reason, which includes marketing research, public relations research, and generally seeing if the app works correctly. So, general function is a factor and gets tracked. This is why they can fix the app and website when it goes down. They can also improve the app or website with this data, which is good. 

There Are Laws

You know what's great? Communication and transparency, which people want more of as the world starts to show its true colors. This is why you have to be entirely transparent about data use to get your app in an app store. That doesn't mean people don't track data on the sly (some do). It does mean that you can avoid data being stolen from you if you read the fine print. Most of us don't have the patience if we're truly honest. 

What isn't great is that selling to third parties makes money, which means the transparency we cry out for is not what the businesses want to do. Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Snap.......They all lost money due to transparency. Those transparency rules lead to a better internet and fewer invasions of privacy for us, though, so I'm all for it. Hackers can skirt this law, obviously, but hacking is a whole new issue. 

Courtesy of memegenerator.net

Is this data dangerous? Maybe if you don't have a backbone. People are out to influence other people, surprising no one who has ever encountered the human race. Fake news and personalized ads are out there. Some of us can identify it some of the time. Some of us just can't and look like total idiots after we find out we've been duped. Some don't even acknowledge that they were duped, which is far worse than admitting your imperfection. Do your research before believing any headline you come across online or anything that shows up online. Don't rush to believe what you've been told. Con artists want you to rush into things headlong. Slow down and check the facts before you react. Think, breathe, and then make decisions. 

               Some Data To Prove You Are Being Tracked

When you look at the data out there on who is tracking whom you might be forced to admit that you've been tracked since you started using social media, or since you went onto google or shopped online. The internet is tracking you. I'm sorry. TikTok could be taking data to another country, but they are not the first to sell your data and will not be the last. Facebook is actually worse than TikTok on this count. 

According to Artem Risukhin, who collected research on personal data on December 12, 2022, Google has eyes everywhere, as in 85.6 percent of the websites. There are google trackers on 85.6 percent of websites. Facebook has trackers on 33 percent of websites. Ad tracking is real. Also, google wants to show you personalized content. All analyzed social media forms also store and sell your information to advertisers, vendors, and business partners. Wechat and Facebook messenger are the biggest offenders of taking data in the messaging category. Wechat gathers content and media on your device.

The general things social media tracks include name, age, site interaction, transaction info, device info, location, search history, camera data, third party related trackers, and ad interaction. Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok track all that. Youtube tracks all except camera data. Twitter tracks all except the device, third party trackers, and camera data.  Messengers take less data, but still take impressive amounts of data. If you need a chat app avoid Wechat, as it takes chat content, while other messenger apps don't. Stick to texting if you are legitimately nervous about chat apps. 

Third parties can include advertisers, ad-affiliated sites, law authorities, research/academics, data measurement companies, and vendors/service providers. Facebook and Instagram give to all these third parties. Youtube only gives to advertisers, ad-affiliated sites, and law authorities. TikTok gives to advertisers, law authorities, and vendors/service providers. Twitter gives to advertisers and law authorities. So far, Twitter gives the least to third parties and TikTok is not the worst social media when it comes to selling to third parties. It turns out that anyone on the internet using Google has probably been tracked. Now you know how they know you bought (insert object here) off of (insert website here). Mystery solved!

Sources:

App Tracking Transparency: what Data do Apps Collect and why? (apiko.com)

Your Personal Information: How and Why Social Media and Messengers Collect It (macpaw.com)

How your personal data is being scraped from social media - BBC News

dealing with DMs

 I started this blog to get attention drawn to my writing career, not my love life. I seem to be getting a few more random DMs these days from people who didn't read my bio. Word to the wise, I am married. Today we're going to talk about how all of us should respond to the people who randomly DM us online.

Courtesy of YouTube

People with a blog or any consistent online presence may get random direct messages (DMs) from strangers. Celebrities (of which I am not one) and other people with larger names get the odd letter or odd message at times. I didn't think having a blog, with a bio clearly stating I have a significant other,  would lead to unwanted flirtation DMs, but here we are. I am not going to post pictures of these DMs for the sake of privacy and my unwillingness to humiliate others. I will leave the roasting to those YouTubers who do it for comedy.

Unwanted DMs

What are unwanted DMs? Any strange human who contacts you in a creepy, flirtatious, or unsolicited way. In other words, you didn't ask for their contact and they made contact with you. The unsolicited messages that help my writing career, or are related to posts where I asked for someone's help, don't count for my definition. Those were prompted by other posts, as opposed to Mr. X over here who says "your profile picture is cute" and he wants to get to know you. 

I have found multiple other women, almost exclusively, who get these messages from their social media. Yep, it may be because I'm female. Both genders surely get these, but it seems that women get more of them. I have had only one female contact me like this, only one, and they respectfully left me alone. Some people did stop after the courtesy message I used to put up. This message basically said I am on social media for my writing career, I stated my current relationship status (married), and said I wasn't interested. The majority of the six or so decided to leave me alone. Only three tried to keep messaging and got blocked immediately. 

I put myself on TikTok for future book promotion purposes and I have gotten four unwanted DMs as of the last time I looked, all from Facebook and not TikTok. So many guys I don't know have friend requested me. That is why this blog post is going out with my project update post. Click here for my update on my novel.

What you could do

You see all these online personalities roasting these DMs. I could literally take a picture and post it all over my blogs, but I refuse. That is an invasion of privacy. You'll notice that the YouTubers generally edit the names so they are not viewable. This is why.  While it would feel good to really expose the creepy men on the internet I doubt it'd do that much good. I'd just be dropping to a new low. Experts say this only fuels unbalanced individuals. Don't do it. The fire doesn't need to be fueled by a response.

Chat them back? I could, but no thank you. Just because one person chatted with you doesn't mean you have to return the favor. The internet allows you to ignore them, a blessing I take advantage of. The silence they get in return douses the fire. 

Send them the rejection hotline or any other false phone number? I have been tempted to. Yet, that would require chatting them back. So no, I won't be doing that. 

The best option 

Some feel that messages must be returned, but do they really have to be? No, not when it comes to unsolicited, unwanted flirtations. The best option is to leave the chat alone and/or block them. I have decided I am no longer sending courtesy messages. Crickets and ghosting seem to work just as well. Don't waste your time when you get these DMs. I certainly don't have time to waste, and neither do you. 

 

The truth is that they want a reaction, much like gossipers do. Ignoring it is the advice experts give. In the case of harassment, you can directly message them to leave you alone, which is probably what my courtesy message served as. Again, the block button always works. Instagram will even let you delete a message before you open it. In the case of someone legally stalking you, call law enforcement to report it and go from there. I have never been stalked by any of the random DM senders I've encountered, but I also don't put all that much personal info out on my blog or my social media. Internet safety is not just for kids. 

Examples of unwanted texts

Should you not understand why this is distressing, let me give you a rundown of what some women have received in the past and present. I have not seen the worst of these, but I did for sure get asked if I needed a sugar daddy. He got blocked. The block button is my best friend in this scenario before they get even one message past that. I'm not posting my own DMs. I don't let them get past "you're cute" or "hi" before I block them in most cases. 

One scenario that women get is a "hi" message and then dick picks or unwanted selfies. Another is the "you're so pretty", "your name is so beautiful", and "Can I get to know you?" line. Nothing good comes of responding in all scenarios, as even a polite rejection can get a violent, cussing response. Distressing? Yes, especially if you respond. Don't give them the fuel for the fire. 

A Courtesy Message 

I suspect my blog may or may not have attracted some of those DMs and for that reason, I am putting out a courtesy message. If you have questions about my current novel and want to DM me, state your business in the first message and I will respond. Family and friends are also free to DM me anytime. I am leaving this warning here for anyone who intends to DM me with anything flirtatious. The recent four messages I received and the friend requests from strange men seem to make this message necessary. 

I will be straight with you. Do not direct message me if you don't have a writing career-related purpose or you intend to slide into my DMs.  I have to be friends with you outside the internet or you have to clearly state your intentions for me to respond, especially if I don't know you in person. I will no longer be putting out courtesy messages individually. You should read my bio before you hit send because I am married. Consider this your courtesy message. Expect crickets and silence when you do hit send, and expect to be blocked if you start with any type of flirtation. Thank you for understanding. 

Sources:

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/creepy-slide-into-dms-advice

https://www.shethepeople.tv/home-top-video/direct-messages-men-send-women-social-media/

https://www.bolde.com/dont-respond-guys-slide-dms-neither-you/

What To Do When You Receive Unwanted Sexual or Provocative Messages from Admirers – Phil Cooke

An Update On My Current Project

 Hello! I don't know if you know, but I am completely finished with the editing process of my current project. I have been working on a suspense novel titled Wrenville for a year or more. Today you're going to hear an update on the entire project and what comes next. 

Courtesy of shiq4.wordpress.com

I went through the editing process and finally finished it at the end of this year. I intend to release Wrenville in January of 2023. Right now I am working on a marketing plan. 

I intend to wait to release Wrenville in 2023 because I would one, like to enjoy my holiday season before jumping in with both feet, and two, need a plan set in place for the sake of my sanity. I would like to have some clear steps set before me prior to the novel's release. I will be creating a website and announcing the name of that website on a future blog post. Keep your eyes open for further updates amongst the rest of the blog posts.

Courtesy of coolpun.com

There are a few ways you can help me promote my future published book and one of them is to subscribe to the blog, as well as find me on social media. After you do that, I would greatly appreciate sharing any and all social media posts I put out there. I need to get as many people to see my posts as possible. I am on TikTok as "theintroverteddetective" and I am on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as Cathy Baker or Catherine Baker. Click here for a blog on dealing with DMs.

*I have gotten several direct messages that seem to be flirtations. Anyone reading this should know that I do not blog to get that attention, and furthermore, am married. I will respond to for-sure flirtations by hitting the block button. If you do direct message me about my current writing project please announce your intentions clearly. I do not have time to deal with flirtations and may not respond to you at all otherwise. Thank you for understanding.*

Aside from that warning, I  promise that I am approachable as a human being. I am just tired of flirtatious direct messages that prove people didn't read my bio. I appreciate all of you that read my blog. 

 I will be announcing the coming of Wrenville on Amazon with a blog post, much like the future website blog post that will come before it. Today's update isn't long. I simply want to be clear and open with all of you who look forward to the coming of Wrenville. Some of you know how long I've waited to get this far on the project.

If you've read this far down, you deserve a sneak peek of the ebook cover and the synopsis. 

The ebook cover of Wrenville
Created by Cathy Baker using Canva

Jack Thomas, a private investigator on the run from one of his past cases, found Wrenville in an effort to hide. Is he safe here, or has his past caught up with him? 

Classic Christmas Movies

 I know a lot of us have different ideas about what are classics. We love our Christmas movies in December. Let's look at the long list of good Christmas movies that all of us love. 

Courtesy of Alpha Coders

There are three categories that I'm putting them into. The first is directly Christmas related, which means it takes place on Christmas day or directly involves Santa Claus. The second is mostly Christmas related, which involves many Christmas-related themes most of the time. The third category is when Christmas is clearly just a background aspect that isn't a part of the main plot at all. 

Directly Christmas Related

These directly involve Santa Claus or Christmas day. I'll describe the plot of each unless it is a broader category. I'll note the ones that I personally love. 

Miracle On 34th Street is about a Santa Claus that works for Macy's store. He causes a stir when he claims to be the real Santa Claus and a trial is held. Kris Kringle connects with a woman and her daughter in the process, inspiring them both to believe he is who he claims to be. 

Christmas Carol has several versions and my family and I often go to the local theatre to see it live. It is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a man who is rich and miserable. He learns the true meaning of Christmas and paying attention to the poor on the streets through three spirits his dead partner Marley sends to him. 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is about exactly what the title suggests. Rudolph meets up with an elf who wants to be a dentist, a yeti monster, the island of misfit toys, and a lot of reindeer that bully him - that is until he leads the way with his bright red nose. 

A Christmas Story follows a family that is celebrating Christmas, with all the comedy you could ever need in a Christmas family film. The actual houses are in Cleveland, Ohio. The family comes up against the neighbors' hound dogs stealing the turkey, little Ralphie asking for a bb gun and being told he'd shoot his eye out, and a kid sticking his tongue to a pole on a dare. That isn't even all the fun. Go watch it. I love it and watch it every single year. 

The Santa Clause series (starring Tim Allen) includes more than one film. There are two sequels labeled helpfully with the film number in the title. The first is when Scott (Tim Allen) accidentally kills Santa and is forced by the magic of Christmas to take his place. He then embraces his new life as Santa. The second takes place eight years after, where he discovers he must marry or lose his role, and his son is on the naughty list. The third and final one is when Scott's inlaws come over while Jack Frost is scheming to control the North Pole. It sounds strange, but I've seen stranger plots in movies. 

Polar Express is a classic some people adore. It is about a young boy who is allowed to board a train to the North Pole, where he learns the magic never fades if you truly believe. It is cute. I can't say it is my favorite, but it's cute. My one coworker can say it's her favorite, though. This one is aimed at kids in my experience. You can actually find trains doing Polar Express-themed rides. 

Nightmare Before Christmas is a hard one to place in a category due to the Halloween theme that is most of the movie. It is here because Jack Skellington takes over Christmas when he tires of being the pumpkin king. He swiftly finds out this was a mistake. In the process, he kidnaps Santa Claus and Oogie Boogie decides to attempt to kill Santa. Santa fixes everything Jack did wrong in the end. It is based on a poem and made by Tim Burton in impressive claymation. I love this one for both Halloween and Christmas. 

A Charlie Brown Christmas is beloved among so many people I know. Charlie Brown, as usual, is depressed. He is depressed by the commercialism of Christmas and attempts to put on a Christmas play. This play goes rather badly when everyone has forgotten the true meaning of Christmas - except Linus. Linus then tells Charlie Brown the story of Jesus' birth. Charlie grabs a little tree, which is then saved by Linus when he walks away in depression. Then everyone sings a carol as they come around to the true spirit of Christmas. Yay! It's adorable. Go watch it. 

How The Grinch Stole Christmas is my absolute, drop-everything favorite all year long. I kid you not. I have memorized most of it. The green, furry Grinch doesn't like Christmas noise and steals all the presents in revolt. He then goes to drop it all off a mountain, but stops when the Whos in Whoville celebrate despite no gifts under the tree and no feast to eat. He learns that Christmas doesn't come from a store and returns it all, even carving the roast beast at the end. I love, adore, and even cherish this Dr. Seuss classic. Drop everything and go listen to Boris Karloff (the best version in my opinion) read it to you. It's free on Youtube. I'll just put it here for your convenience. 

Mostly Christmas Related

Here we have Christmas themes throughout the plot, but not a direct reference to Christmas Day, Santa Claus, or Christmas itself. It is obviously Christmas, yet not the focus of our plot. Let's get into it. 

It's A Wonderful Life is a Jimmy Stewart classic that is purely a Christmas movie and nothing else to me. I love it and save it for Christmas week. I am an old soul. I love the old black and white films. This one has a story to it, one that breaks my heart a little. Jimmy Stewart filmed this movie after the war and dealt with PTSD episodes as a result of the war. There are two or three scenes that look like episodes of PTSD, including the one I'll put below this paragraph. The plot is about George Bailey, who owns the building and loan that helps so many people get out of the slums. He loses money that he owes and thinks he's worth more dead than alive. The man is unraveling and people send up so many prayers that an angel is sent to save him. He gets to see what life looks like without him and realizes that he had a wonderful life. He is brought back to this life to find that everyone pitched in to pay off his debt while he was running around town with the intent to commit suicide. It's beautiful. It also happens at Christmas time with strong Christmas vibes. 

Elf is the next one with all of the Christmas vibes, yet most of the focus is on our main character. Buddy the elf accidentally crawled into Santa's bag as an infant, was raised in the North Pole, and now gets sent to his father in New York. His father didn't know he existed. Most of the movie is Buddy trying to deal with his new reality and generally being a man-child. Will Ferrel does an excellent job of acting like a child. He's a talented man that can do more than comedy but is mostly known for comedy. This one gets lots of attention. Will Ferrel made himself sick on the food he ate and the 2 liter soda he chugged (for real!) while filming. 

Frosty the Snowman is about Frosty the Snowman, a snowman who comes to life and plays with children. Simple, aimed at kids, and family-friendly. I can't say too much about the plot other than it is what the song describes, just like Rudolph. He promises to come back on Christmas day when the children get all sad about him leaving. Santa transports him to the North Pole. There are more than one, if you look up Frosty the Snowman. It's adorable and cute. 

Jingle All The Way is one I was kind of annoyed by, but if it's your jam you can freely watch it to your heart's content. A man is trying to make up for missing parts of his son's life by getting him Turbo Man at a parade featuring Turbo Man. Every store sold out of this toy and his one shot is at the parade. Every human who wants this toy is going far and wide to find it. It doesn't really embody the true meaning of Christmas and a toy won't fix a relationship that has broken. If you like Arnold Schwarzenegger, though, he's the main character and you might love it. 

Home Alone is all about a kid who got left at home during Christmas vacation and has to protect his home from burglars. Christmas vibes are everywhere. Most of the plot is the kid laying traps and destroying the house and the burglars. I know it has sequels that are mostly the same concept. They are universally known as Christmas movies. 

White Christmas is mostly dancing and lots of Fred Astaire. It takes place at a Christmas show in a Vermont lodge. There are romantic mix-ups and comedy. The two main brothers find out that their former general (during the war) owns the lodge. If you love dancing like my bestie does you'll love this movie. It might be close to the style of Singing in the Rain, so if you like that movie this might be a fast favorite. 

Gremlins is a Christmas movie. Why? It takes places during Christmas and allegedly talks about commercialism. Christmas music is everywhere in it. "Do you hear what I hear" will never be the same. Gremlins can represent when commercialism takes over Christmas, which means it becomes chaos. The plot is about a boy who gets Gizmo the mogwai and breaks the rules that come with him. He gets him wet and then Gizmo spawns more, which then trick someone into feeding them after midnight. The last rule is what destroys the evil duplicates; they are all exposed to light. The Chinese man that gave the boy the mogwai takes him back at the end of the movie, as he rightfully should. Poor Gizmo had gone through too much.

Christmas is the background only

Now we talk about the movies that give the vibes of Christmas and don't put Christmas at the heart of their plot at all. Maybe they just include winter. Maybe they put Christmas in one scene and the rest of it has nothing to do with Christmas. Yet, we still consider them Christmas-y films. There is nothing wrong with that. 

Little Women is a story written by Louisa May Alcott. It stars four young women growing up in the years after the civil war. One scene is all about their father coming home for Christmas. It is a beautiful tale of sisterly love and family that won't bore you to tears. I even read the book, which is just as amazing. Pick up the book or pull out the movie (2019 is the best one in my opinion). Grab some popcorn for the tree and start stringing cranberries. 

We have to talk about those Hallmark movies. Some will watch them all year. Christmas and winter may be the background, but well all know the focus is the romantic tension and cute vibes between the couple featured. There are hundreds of these fluffy Christmas tales out there. One could watch them all year long and never run out. I don't, but you can. I don't find much depth in these stories. You can only see a series of movies with a clear formula so many times before you tire of it. 

Jack Frost is heartwarming. It is the tale of a man who dies in a car crash and is given one last chance to put everything right with his son as a snowman. It stars Michael Keaton as Jack Frost. It is amazing. You should watch it at least once. It is mostly just winter themed with sprinkles of Christmas vibe. You'll find this one charming and emotional. You might cry and that is okay. 

While You Were Sleeping is a movie that my mom watched so many times in my childhood that I was thoroughly tired of it by age seven. Nevertheless, it is a cute movie, just not after the twentieth time of watching it. Sandra Bulloch (Lucy) and Lonestar - sorry, I mean Bill Pullman (Jack) have a romance as a result of a misunderstanding. Lucy saves Peter (Jack's brother) from falling onto the train tracks and the family welcomes her under the misunderstanding that she is his fiancee while he is in a coma. It all gets comedic and complicated from there. It's cute and funny. I do like it.

Die Hard seems to be a Christmas movie and I don't understand. I don't have to understand. I just have to put it on the list. A Christmas party is held hostage by terrorists and a New York policeman (played by Bruce Willis) visiting his estranged wife is the only hope of saving everyone. Fun times. There are also sequels. This movie is lots of action and only one connection to Christmas. You may love this and you can feel free to. Everyone has their own classics in their head and this could be one of yours. 

Lastly, we have Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It is Christmas in only one scene. This is the first Harry Potter film. Ron decides to stay over Christmas break to be with Harry at Hogwarts, so he isn't alone. Harry also gets a sweater from Mrs. Weasley. Harry Potter plots get complicated. You can watch the movie for yourself. The basic rundown is this; Harry discovers he's a wizard and chaos ensues at Hogwarts. Although, the chaos ensuing at Hogwarts could describe the entire series minus one book. 

I hope you liked my list of Christmas classics and Merry Christmas! God bless us, every one!

 

Sources:

The Santa Clause (franchise) - Wikipedia

A Charlie Brown Christmas | Peanuts Wiki | Fandom

Why Gremlins is One of the Most Important Christmas Movies Ever Made | by Jamie Logie | Medium

Jack Frost (1998) - IMDb

While You Were Sleeping (1995) - Plot Summary - IMDb

Die Hard (1988) - Plot Summary - IMDb

40 Classic Christmas Movies - Best Holiday Films of All Time (townandcountrymag.com)

Charles Dickens and the poor

We all know Christmas Carol had the not-so-subtle message of caring for the poor, but did anything else in Dicken's collection share that theme? You bet. He made it a point to talk about the poor. 

Courtesy of Evening Standard

Today I'm diving into how Charles Dickens connects to the poor on the streets. We'll start by introducing the man himself and transition into his literary works and novels. 

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was born in 1812. The industrial world of Britain was struggling to make laws for a changing population. In 1831 and 1832 he was a reporter for the Mirror of Parliament. Soon after he began writing books. His way of making the public aware of the situation was to bring it straight into the public's eyes on the pages of a book. He was a philanthropist spending more than a decade helping destitute women in mid-19th century London. He was doing something similar to Rahab ministry: giving women and girls in prostitution a safe house and teaching them ways to work that don't involve sex. He was all about education so that crime could be prevented (in his mind education was one of the answers to prevention).

What you may not know about him is that his family's fall from grace left him in a bad place around the age of 12. He was taken out of school and made to work in a London shoe dyeing factory. He had felt the liberty of having money and then being denied it. He understood what it was like to be poor. He knew the steep difference between doing well and working in squalor. His father was in prison for debt in 1824. Eventually, he worked his way back to success and was a highly successful author. He is known most for Oliver Twist, Pickwick Papers, Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, and several other works. He only completed half of  The Mystery of Edwin Drood before his death in 1870. The performance you now see of the play version has the audience vote on the culprit because they couldn't figure out who the intended culprit was. 

The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Courtesy of Metro Times 

The Poor On The Streets

This is where we go through the book plots and point out what he says about the poor on the streets. We'll start with Christmas Carol and move forward from there. 

Christmas Carol is shockingly obvious. Look at the Crachits for a second. They depend on the wages from Scrooge to even have a tiny house, just like Dickens did as a child. All the same, they can't afford to treat Tiny Tim for whatever ails him. Are they struggling? Yes, but they can still praise God for what they have. Scrooge has all the money in the world and is miserable. The contrast is striking. Not only do the Crachits speak volumes, but the ghosts do, too. They all mock Scrooge with his own words (if they speak at all). George C. Scott's film version of the Christmas Carol is the only one I've found that says that Scrooge may be less fit to live than Tiny Tim and the ones on the street. Christmas Present is brutal on Scrooge because the ghost sees all that Scrooge doesn't do for his fellow men and women. He knows Scrooge is part of the problem and the reason why so many are on the streets and in horrible workhouses, prisons, and streets without food. Christmas Present was supposed to shake him mentally and should shake us a bit, too. He is a reminder that we all need to help each other and reach out to help our fellow men and women, and that we are responsible for giving aid to those around us all year long. 

Victorian-era poverty had little help to give if any at all.

And we aren't even done with Christmas Carol, yet. Fred and Fezziwig are both joyful characters who treat workers well, with good pay and time off to celebrate festivities. These are shining examples of people who care and do their part in creating good work situations and providing for the people around them in more ways than one. Their spirit of love is contagious. They contrast with Scrooge as Christmas Present and Past lead Scrooge around through time. As for the workhouses and prisons, we know Dickens knew what those looked like. He knew what those institutions were like and had even visited Blackwell Island (see here for information on Blackwell Island). There were indeed areas that the rich never walked, which is reflected by how little Scrooge knew of the poorer dwellings. The industrial revolution had made some parts of town more dangerous than others. That is even true of today. I'll end this commentary on Christmas Carol with the challenge to remember the people who live where you don't. Not everyone lives in a prosperous neighborhood. 

Oliver Twist is another one that hits the poverty theme hard. It takes place in a workhouse with little Oliver Twist as our main character. He was born into poverty and finds that he was an illegitimate son later on. I can't sum up this plot easily, so click here for a more detailed book plot. This one hits on how being illegitimate makes you hated already (as his half-brother doesn't want him to inherit anything). Not only that but he was given up to an orphanage to hide him - the result of his mother's affair. This is as much of a commentary on being an orphan as it is being illegitimate (which is what bastard means and continues to be an insult today). Not only that, but the poor laws offered four options to innocent orphans who weren't adopted, which included early death, the workhouse, a life of crime, or prison. The children in this book are taught to steal. This book also includes a murder of a young woman who was involved in crime but tried to save Oliver from the streets. The streets of poverty created career criminals who often rotted in prison. It is noted, though, that Oliver gets all the lucky breaks and that isn't normal. 

Some of the themes in all his other stuff include debt and imprisonment, guilty feelings for being poor, and the idea that poverty breeds crime. His books don't have easy plots to explain, either, so I think I'll let you read his works from this point on for yourself. 

Conclusions

Charles Dickens has a lot of social commentary in his stuff. He fights for the poor because he was one. He knew what it all felt like. He was also right about the fact that poverty breeds crime, which makes everything worse. He knew how hard life was when the poor were given next to no aid, depending on wages that barely fed them and pay their rent. This is precisely why Victorian servanthood was better than the streets; at least you are automatically fed and housed, even if you can't have much personal life at all. Dickens spoke up. 

I know not all of you are Christian. All the same, I'll say it. Jesus also fought for the poor and went to them first. Let's do the same. 

Sources:

Did Charles Dickens really save poor children and clean up the slums? - BBC News

Charles Dickens and the Plight of the Poor - Free Paper Sample (mypaperwriter.com)

Life of Charles Dickens (1812-1870) (dickensfellowship.org)

How Does Dickens Present The Poor And Poverty In A Christmas Carol? Analysis And Satire Essay Example - PHDessay.com

Oliver Twist Themes: What's It All About? ✔️ (nosweatshakespeare.com)

Origin of Caroling

You see caroling in every Christmas Carol movie, youth groups go caroling, and you hear Christmas carols all over your radio stations the minute November pops up (which annoys some to no end because it suggests Thanksgiving is worth skipping over). Do we truly know what caroling is? Let's find out. 

1847 by Granger - courtesy of Fine Arts America

Today I am researching where caroling started and how it became what it is now. I'll start with what it began as and go chronologically into what it currently is. Ready to go? All bundled up? Great!

Wassailing

Do you know what wassail is? It is a drink akin to what became today's eggnog. It was traditionally given to travelers in the spirit of hospitality since winter weather was not kind. It seems to me that our society has lost some of that spirit of hospitality (though in many cases it might not be a good time to bring it back, given our current worldly state).  Wassailing was not even singing but in fact well-wishing door-to-door. Which might involve the wassail being given in return. You brought a bowl with you often to share with those you visited.

Wassail at Amber Valley Vineyard 
Courtesy of greatfoodclub.co.uk

Wassailing can also be visiting orchards and drinking. What? Yes, you sing to trees in hopes of a good harvest. Fruit trees were to be blessed. Cider-producing England still does this. According to Historic UK this is what happens. 

"The celebrations vary from region to region, but generally involve a wassail King and Queen leading the assembled group of revellers, comprising the farmers, farm workers and general villagers, in a noisy procession from one orchard to the next. In each orchard the wassailers gather round the biggest and best tree, and as a gift to the tree spirits, the Queen places a piece of wassail soaked toast into its branches, accompanied by songs such as;

“Apple tree, apple tree we all come to wassail thee,

Bear this year and next year to bloom and blow,

Hat fulls, cap fulls, three cornered sacks fills…”

The wassailers then move on to the next orchard; singing, shouting, banging pots and pans, and even firing shotguns, generally making as much noise as possible in order to both waken the sleeping tree spirits, and also to frighten off any evil demons that may be lurking in the branches."

Wassailing  courtesy of Historic UK

The singing was encouraged by Saint Francis of Assisi, who wanted the church to embrace music. He started this trend. It hit like wildfire and hasn't ended since it began in the 13th century. Songs that were passed down from generation to generation were finally written down and published in 1582. Those songs have gone from medieval tunes to modern spins on those tunes, but remain even today. 

Some claim that the poor sang for food, that they weren't allowed to sing these in the church originally, or that English pagan society started this.  There is a story that Carol Poles went missing in London and caroling began there because they sang to make clear good intentions while searching. It's sweet, but no factual basis has been found. 

I do believe that the poor would sing for money and food, as illustrated by various versions of Christmas Carol. Feudal peasants would go to their Lord (English title, not Jesus) and sing for food. It was a way to get some money for food or food itself in return. On occasion, bands of drunken men would make this tradition less charming. This band of men with no inhibition left would bang on the doors of the wealthy demanding food. Bring us figgy pudding indeed! It was considered bad luck to not give carolers anything, however, so either way, they probably got their figgy pudding. 

I'm going to return to the idea that pagan society started this. It began not with Christmas Carols, but with songs to celebrate winter solstice while dancing around stone circles. They used to sing for all seasons it seems, but Christmas is the only survivor left. When Christmas was celebrated at the same time as winter solstice this began the caroling, and from here Saint Francis Assisi revived Christan Christmas celebrations with his new carols that weren't in Latin. Puritans nearly killed carols, but they were sung in secret around that time, mostly in homes and not churches.

The biggest carols were Silent Night (written allegedly by Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber on a broken organ), The Twelve Days of Christmas (a memory game children played in 18th Century England), and Joy to the World. I Saw Three Ships was sung by minstrels and the words changed based on location. 

A bit of trivia is in order. In some places, Christmas music before December or after Christmas day is considered unlucky. In this case, I have already broken that rule and I am listening to carols right now, on Nov. 22nd. Oops.

 Jingle bells was a thanksgiving song originally. So Thanksgiving did have music, believe it or not. It was written by James Lord Pierpoint in 1850. 

Today

People still brave the cold to sing door-to-door. We still sing those well-known carols, except for perhaps "here we go a wassailing", which has lost some meaning after generations of time have passed. The point is to bring Christmas cheer to friends and family, as well as anyone else in your neighborhood who cares to open their door. 

I will caution you on doing this in modern times, however, as some neighborhoods might not be open to this practice and may not be safe to walk around at any time of day. You must remember that a closed, gated community might be okay to do this in, but other places may be particularly unsafe to walk in, let alone sing in. Be safe this Christmas. I love you all and would like to make sure you exercise caution going door-to-door. 

Don't trespass on peoples' property just to sing them carols, especially in rural areas. Maybe call ahead and have a route of people who want to hear you sing. Prearranged visiting is just as good as a surprise. The prearranging may even get you hot cocoa, so consider that when planning the route. The elderly may want to hear you sing. Nursing homes, assisted living homes, and any elderly on your street may be a good places to "wassail" and sing. Church groups are good places to plan a caroling outing. People can sign up to be on the route in this situation, guaranteeing that you won't be chased away by anyone resembling Scrooge. 

And for anyone who wants to see a wassail in an orchard from the year...hold onto your hat....2020 in Somerset UK here it is. 

Sources:

 https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Navigation/Community/Arcadia-and-THP-Blog/November-2018/The-Little-Known-History-of-the-Caroling-Tradition#:~:text=An%20early%20version%20of%20caroling,wishes%20during%20the%20colder%20months.

https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/christmas-caroler1.htm

https://www.thedailymeal.com/holidays/christmas-caroling-origins

https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/carols_history.shtml

https://blogs.jwpepper.com/caroling-caroling-the-history-of-caroling/

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Wassailing (historic-uk.com)