Manscaping. It’s been a thing for quite a while, but as is often the case with trends, the idea of smooth, hairless male bodies may be going the way of the wholly mammoth.

Now, for clarification, note that the definition of manscaping has morphed a bit. While the term originally applied to, um…pruning one’s nether regions, today it’s a catchall word for caring for hair wherever it happens to appear on one’s body.

And this idea is far from new. It seems our ancient ancestors, hirsute men who lived around 30,000 BC, scraped themselves with clamshells and flint blades, maybe in an effort to appeal to those comely ladies on the other side of the cave. In ancient Greek and Roman times, both men and women felt the need to remove their hair, so much so they sometimes utilized fire to singe it away.

This obsession in olden times may have had something to do with lice and other crawly creatures, though I have no scientific proof here. It just seems rational, because removing one’s hair would give the little buggers fewer places to hide, which would make our ancient ancestors less likely to be itchy and cranky.

But probably starting around ancient Egyptian times, scalping oneself became all about class and beauty. The upper crust men would scrape or pluck themselves bald, to show they were of high station. Maybe they gleaned the look from those hairless cats they so fancied. In any case, it was all about fashion. Note here that the Egyptians sometimes donned wigs and grew long, thin beards, so clearly their notions about hair are rather perplexing.

Now, if you’re old like me, you realize that the smooth-versus-fuzzy male styles keep changing. Think back to the hirsute Burt Reynolds posing rakishly in Cosmo Magazine in 1972. The layout was considered quite scandalous, at the time, but it had women everywhere searching for a similarly bushy mate. Sean Connery’s James Bond and Tom Selleck as the beach-combing private investigator in the TV series Magnum P.I., both displayed what was considered sexy shagginess.

But then something changed in our tonsorial tastes. By the 90s and early 2000s, male body hair vanished. Hence, we were greeted by the ultra-smooth Daniel Craig emerging from the ocean in Casino Royale and sports stars like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, who appear to have plucked every single hair below their necks making them smooth and shiny like pre-pubescent boys.

But now, the pendulum has swung back. Beards, that were previously the purview of bikers and backwoodsmen, have in recent years sprang up everywhere. And I don’t mean that five o’clock shadow-look or those carefully sculpted goatees. I’m talking about full-on James Harden beards. Watch just about any sporting event, and you’ll see unshorn athletes rocking massive Viking whiskers. Even movie stars and the guys on the TV news are now flaunting facial hair.

Clearly, shaggy is currently all the rage. Just ask former NFL player Eric Weddle, Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden, and actor Jason Mamoa.

My question is, to whom are they trying to appeal? I’m guessing women don’t necessarily favor giant, food-catching beards. However, it is true that many ladies fancy facial hair and there seems to a valid, evolutionary reason. Studies show that bearded and mustachioed men are considered more masculine, confident, and generous than those who are clean shaven.  Scientists also say that, when given a choice, women believe a man with a beard is more marriageable and that they make better dads.

So, where do we go from here? I’m pretty sure the pendulum will keep on swinging, so if you don’t like today’s styles, hold on. They’ll probably be changing again soon.

The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.

WOLF CATCHER

Anne Montgomery

Historical Fiction/Suspense

TouchPoint Press

February 2, 2022

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

REVIEW COPIES OF WOLF CATCHER AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Review/interview requests: media@touchpointpress.com

Available where you buy books

Fifty years ago, Title IX was signed into law, legislation that prohibits sex discrimination in any educational program or activity receiving any type of federal financial aid. The idea being that girls should have all the same opportunities as boys. While Title IX is not exclusively about sports, equality in that realm is what most people think about when considering the law.

You may be wondering why Title IX was so important. Up until the law was established, only 300,000 girls participated in high school sports. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations that number jumped to about 3.5 million during the 2018-19 school year, 43% of all high school athletes.

And the reason that leap is so exciting? Young people who participate in sports learn valuable skills that shine in the business world. Ninety-four percent of women in C suite positions—that means executives—played sports, 52% participated in college athletics, so there’s a serious correlation between athletic and business success. And it’s easy to see why. Athletes learn teamwork, punctuality, leadership skills, and the ability to get back up when they’ve been knocked down. Who wouldn’t want to hire them? Until Title IX, only male athletes reaped this benefit.

But before you rejoice over the wonderful success of Title IX, it’s important to take a closer look, especially at the college level, where the law is being manipulated in a rather appalling way. If a school has an equal number of male and female students and there are 600 male athletes, by law there should also be 600 female athletes. But, according to a 2018-19 analysis by USA TODAY, some of the nation’s biggest and most well-known schools—107 institutions in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, to be exact—are rigging the count.

For example, twenty-seven schools dumped extra athletes onto women’s teams, players who sometimes had never participated in the sport before and who never competed at the varsity level, all so they wouldn’t have to field women’s teams in other sports. At the same time, ten schools decided not to count 170 male athletes by saying they didn’t “sponsor” men’s indoor track, only because the men didn’t compete in conference or NCAA championships. Hence, they were not required to provide an additional 170 slots to women. Even worse, one-quarter of all women’s basketball players reported to the federal government were…wait for it…men. Yep, it seems it’s quite legal to call some guys in to scrimmage with a women’s team and then declare that those men are actually women. Fifty-two schools reported 601 male practice players as women, so they could comply with Title IX guidelines.

Not surprisingly, when the schools were contacted by USA TODAY reporters and asked about the proper counting of male and female athletes the response was terse. “We follow the guidelines as issued.” Which is true, but completely unfair and not in the spirit of Title IX.

So, 50 years later, have things improved for women in amateur sports? Yes, they have! But have we reached the goal of full Title IX compliance? Nope. The numbers are being fudged and our schools can and should do better.

The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.

WOLF CATCHER

Anne Montgomery

Historical Fiction/Suspense

TouchPoint Press

February 2, 2022

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

REVIEW COPIES OF WOLF CATCHER AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Review/interview requests: media@touchpointpress.com

Available where you buy books.

Generally, for those of us lucky enough to live in first-world countries, life generally plods along in a rather routine way. We get up, do the stuff we have to, then go to bed. The excitement usually comes from whatever TV show/movie/video game we’re watching.

However, on occasion, life takes a hard turn, slaps us in the face and says, “What are you gonna do now?” One year ago, I had such a moment when I got Covid, passed out, and woke up with a severely broken leg that would require surgery, but which left me untouchable until the virus passed. It would be three weeks before a surgeon would re-break my leg and attach a titanium plate along with eleven screws, which sometimes makes me feel like I might be related to Oz’s Tin Man. Clearly, nothing was the least bit normal. I was in bed for months. I was completely helpless. I couldn’t prepare food or bathe myself. I had to learn to walk again.

When you’re staring at four walls, you tend to think a lot. I kept recalling that old commercial saying: Life comes at you fast! I learned that seemingly insignificant decisions can have a huge impact. Had I not gotten out of bed that night, I would have recovered from Covid and been bouncing around as usual after a few weeks. Instead, I would not feel like myself for almost nine months and I will carry my metal bits as a reminder for the rest of my life.

During my convalescence, I reflected on other moments when a snap decision put me in eminent danger. One time that sticks out happened in my early twenties, when I went skiing in Switzerland. I’d grown up on the slopes in New Jersey and New York, but skiing in the Alps was a whole different sport.

The lift dropped me above the tree line, and I faced a vast, mountaintop field of fresh snow. It was delightful until I saw the trees below. Other skiers funneled into what appeared to be small trails, disappearing into the pines. I followed them, but the tracks were only about ten-feet wide, which might be okay for a leisurely walk in the woods, but not so much for an average skier heading rapidly downhill.

The snow was deep and fresh, powder flying. But then the trail split in two ahead and I had to pick one. I skied to the right and the narrow track quickly disappeared. I hurtled into the woods. Suddenly, I came to a dead stop, up to my chest in snow. I blinked and tried to get out, but couldn’t move. Muted quiet assaulted me. I guessed the rest of the skiers had taken the other route. Irrationally, I attempted to lift my skis, but the snow held them down. I couldn’t turn around. Surrounded by trees and silence and snow, I started to panic. Would someone come my way soon or would they find me the next spring as I thawed from an icy tomb?

Then, I felt one foot slip backwards slightly. It was only an inch or two, but my ski had clearly moved. I took a breath to calm myself, then tried moving my other foot. Again, the ski slid back, but only a little. I found that I could move in only one direction—backward—and only in tiny increments.

I don’t recollect how long it took me to get out or how I made my way back to the correct trail. I do recall not being the least bit cold. No doubt the panic and exertion kept me warm. And, I can still vividly remember the euphoria I felt when the snow finally released me from its grip and I knew I would live.

I have had other close calls over the years. A narrow, underwater lava tube one-hundred feet below the sea’s surface where I found myself scuba diving without a light or the ability to turn around comes to mind, as does a ride over an equestrian show-jumping course—a place I was completely unqualified to be—where the horse magically sprung over rails and water obstacles, while I clung to the poor creature’s mane using a death grip.

Yes, I’ve been a dope a few times in the past, and I realize how fortunate I was not to end up, well…dead. Still, I must confess, I might be apt to do more dumb things in the future.

That which does not kill me and all.

The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.

WOLF CATCHER

Anne Montgomery

Historical Fiction/Suspense

TouchPoint Press

February 2, 2022

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

REVIEW COPIES OF WOLF CATCHER AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Review/interview requests: media@touchpointpress.com

Available where you buy books.

I’m worried!

There are a lot of things that have me concerned, like the usual ho-hum topics: climate change and politics, pandemics and inflation and war. But what worries me most are young people.

Why, you ask? The vast majority of them seem unable to fully communicate. And yet, studies show strangely different results on this issue.

As I usually do when confronted with a problem, I popped on my reporter’s hat to do some research. The first article that came up was from Psychology Today, a 2020 story by Dr. Marilyn Price Ph.D. who thinks young people are doing just fine, thank you very much. According to her article, a study by Douglas Downey of Ohio State University involving more than 60,000 K-8 kids between 1998 and 2010 showed that “no decline in social skills was noted by teachers or parents during this period of increased internet activity.”

As an educator of over 20 years, all I can say is color me surprised.

A short time later, I came upon a 2021 story by SWNS Media Group: Young Americans lack key social skills, avoid the phone, and fear small talk. The article was based on a survey of millennials by OnePoll, a marketing research company that specializes in online and mobile polling. The survey produced the following results:

• 68 % of millennials admit they actively avoid talking face to face if they can
• 40% confess that they often find themselves awkward or uncomfortable if having to make small talk.
• 62% feel a sense of dread while speaking on the phone to clients and customers at work.
• 80% feel they are often more vocal or able to express themselves in text or online than when they are in person.

Only 7% of millennials say they generally keep in touch with friends by talking on the phone, while just 9% communicate in person. And the vast majority claim their main form of contact with friends is on social media or via text.

While these stats are sad, they sound more realistic. But I know what you’re thinking. Why the disparity between the studies? I mulled this over for a while and then the proverbial light bulb went on. The first study was talking about children. The later discussed the grown-ups they’d become.

Clearly, then, we have a problem. In the interest of full disclosure note that I taught communication skills in high school. Then, along with a host of other classes, my program was cut to make way for all those STEM courses. Don’t get me wrong, science, technology, engineering, and math are fine subjects, but not all children are wired to succeed in STEM. And, even if they were, don’t scientists and engineers and IT people need the ability to work with others? Without solid communications skills, misunderstandings and errors are bound to occur.

Good communication skills can also improve one’s personal life. Being able to listen and respond clearly to another human being builds trust, nurtures mutual respect, and goes a long way toward avoiding confusion that might lead to arguments and stress.

The question is, what do we do now? An entire generation of young people has grown up communicating primarily by screen. And, if that’s not bad enough, consider that they are now raising children. What will become of the offspring of those who have eschewed social skills?

Did I mention I’m worried?

The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.

WOLF CATCHER

Anne Montgomery

Historical Fiction/Suspense

TouchPoint Press

February 2, 2022

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

REVIEW COPIES OF WOLF CATCHER AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Review/interview requests: media@touchpointpress.com

Available where you buy books