News of the Week: Advice for Graduates, Free Doughnuts, and Did You Know You Can Still Send a Telegram?

In the news for the week ending June 3, 2022, are big stuff and small stuff, telegrams and snail mail, HoJo and NoRo (that is, Norman Rockwell), and more!

Graduation
(Shutterstock)

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Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

It’s that time of year when college graduates are throwing their caps in the air and high school graduates are driving around my hometown early in the morning and beeping their horns.

It’s also the time of year of commencement speeches and other words of wisdom for graduates. I’ve done my own list, and here are some more nuggets of wisdom you might want to take to heart:

Business Insider has a rundown of the best career advice from various commencement speeches, while CNBC has their own advice about money and jobs. Jake Tapper has a lot of terrific advice, including “always write thank you notes,” “be a big tipper,” and “never pay $200 for a pair of jeans.” And the late Richard Carlson wrote a whole book (several, actually) on how you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff, and his advice is rock solid.

President Biden told the graduating class at his alma mater, the University of Delaware, that this is “no time to be on the sidelines.” Dwayne Wade told the class at Marquette to “become more self-aware.” Adam Sandler told the graduates at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts to “give our fellow humans an escape from this increasingly psychotic world we live in,” and Taylor Swift told the kids at NYU to “embrace cringe.”

And I’m sure Swift would also tell you that if you have a bad breakup with someone, write a hit song about it.

Where to Score Free Doughnuts Today

Today is National Doughnut Day — or National Donut Day, if you prefer. Delish has a list of the places you can get free doughnuts and other doughnut-related treats, including Krispy Kreme, Dunkin’ Donuts, Duck Donuts, 7-Eleven, and Tim Horton’s.

You Can Still Send a Telegram!

And not via Western Union.

They’re still around, but they no longer do telegrams (they’re now a way to send money electronically to people). They sold their equipment to iTelegram, a company that lets you send a telegram anywhere in the world two different ways. You can send one via mail, called a Mailgram, that will show up in 3 to 5 days, or you can send a traditional telegram that will arrive in 24 hours, delivered by a real person.

The first option just sounds like … mail? It may look like a telegram, but if it’s sent by the USPS and takes 3 to 5 days, then it’s really like sending a regular letter.

Now, you may be thinking that in this age of texts and email and social media posts that there wouldn’t be a need for telegrams. But they’re still a quick, classy way to send congrats on a wedding or a graduation, condolences for a death, or contracts and other important papers. In fact, according to the iTelegram site, 17 million are sent every year, not just by individuals but also companies like Google, Tesla, and Bank of America.

I’m going to try this and I’ll let you know how it goes. If the person I send it to is surprised I still send handwritten letters and Christmas cards, they’re probably going to need a fainting couch when a telegram arrives at their front door.

(And now I have to go see if they still make fainting couches.)

But You Can’t Eat at Howard Johnson’s

Not all of the things we remember stick around. The last Howard Johnson’s restaurant, located in Lake George, New York, has closed after 70 years (the hotel chain with the same name is still in business).

We had one about a 10-minute drive from my house when I was a kid. Ate there a lot.

The Covers of Norman Rockwell

Rockwell created 323 covers for the Post, and you can see all of them on display at an exhibition at the Mystic Museum of Art in Mystic, Connecticut, from June 18 to September 18. It’s organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum.

RIP Bo Hopkins, Ronnie Hawkins, George Shapiro, Charles Siebert, Alan White, Jeff Gladney, Morton Janklow, Marvin Josephson, and Lee Lawson

Bo Hopkins appeared in such movies as The Wild Bunch, American Graffiti, Midnight Express, and The Getaway, as well as TV shows like The Andy Griffith Show, Gunsmoke, The Rat Patrol, Doc Elliot, Dynasty, and Wild, Wild West. He died Saturday at the age of 84.

Ronnie Hawkins was a rockabilly star who had a couple of hit songs in the 1950s and then went on to hire the musicians who later formed the rock group The Band. He died Sunday at the age of 87.

George Shapiro was the personal manager for Jerry Seinfeld and an executive producer of his sitcom. He also represented people like Carl Reiner, Andy Kaufman, and many classic TV writers and directors. He died last week at the age of 91.

Charles Siebert starred on Trapper John, M.D. and had recurring roles on One Day at a Time and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. In addition to appearances on dozens of other shows, and directing many, he appeared on stage and in films like The Other Side of Midnight, And Justice for All, and Eight Men Out. He died earlier this month at the age of 84.

Alan White was the drummer for the progressive rock group Yes. He died last week at the age of 72.

Jeff Gladney was a cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals. He died Monday at the age of 25.

Morton Janklow was a literary agent to many stars, including three presidents, Pope John Paul II, Danielle Steel, and Judith Krantz. He died last week at the age of 91.

Marvin Josephson was a talent agent whose first client in the 1950s was Bob Keeshan, a.k.a. Captain Kangaroo. He also represented people like Steve McQueen, Margaret Thatcher, and Steven Spielberg during the time of Jaws. He died earlier this month at the age of 95.

Lee Lawson played Bea Reardon for many years on Guiding Light. She also appeared on One Life to Live, Love of Life, Maude, Kojak, and in many stage productions. She died last week at the age of 80.

This Week in History

Johnstown Flood (May 31, 1889)

Approximately 2,200 people died after the failure of the South Fork Dam, on the Little Conemaugh River in Pennsylvania.

Marilyn Monroe Born (June 1, 1926)

In 1956, Post writer Pete Martin wrote a revealing profile of “the new Marilyn Monroe.”

This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Speeder on the Median (June 2, 1962)

Post cover

My favorite detail in this Richard Sargent cover is that even the inflatable giraffe is looking at the man on the mower.

Doughnut Go Gentle into That Good Night

If you’d rather not get doughnuts from someplace else today, then it’s time to make the doughnuts, as a famous series of commercials once told us.

Sally’s Baking Recipes has a recipe for Homemade Glazed Doughnuts. King Arthur Baking has a recipe for Chocolate Fudge Cake Doughnuts, while Amiable Foods has one for Fresh Strawberry Doughnuts, which look like little strawberry doughnut sandwiches. Ina Garten has a recipe for Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts, and if you’re looking for something more savory, Bigger Bolder Baking has these Cheddar & Jalapeño Donuts.

Oh, one final piece of advice for graduates this week: Don’t eat too many doughnuts or you’ll end up looking like one.

Next Week’s Holidays and Events

National Yo-Yo Day (June 7)

This is the birthday of Donald Duncan, the founder of Duncan Toys.

Donald Duck Day (June 9)

We go from Duck Donuts and Donald Duncan to Donald Duck. This day is so named because that’s the day in 1934 when Donald (Duck) made his first screen appearance in The Wise Little Hen.

Featured image: Shutterstock

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Comments

  1. Mr. Sassone, Bob Jr.’s remark about President Biden seems like a slap in the face that makes me uncomfortable. I want you to demand he apologize in this very column for this disrespect even if it was non specific. That you won’t allow it.

  2. Nothing about the weather at all? It must still be good enough. Once it starts getting terrible though, just know you can always unload the awful, uncomfortable details here! It’s been humid out my way, but at least there’s a breeze, and the heat itself hasn’t been too bad–yet.

    I’m not sure what you’re paying for gas, but have to laugh at hearing it’s gone up to $4.76 a gallon. While of course that’s too high, it’s well below what I’m paying in L.A., and would be a vast improvement at this point. The advice to graduates is generally good, but your (other column’s) advice is still the best. The worst? ANY words spoken by the current President!!!

    Interesting about telegrams/Western Union. I’ll stick with handwritten letters on the occasions I send them. Had a job interview Friday (for a/r, collections) and am sending the woman a thank you note. She told me there were 200 applications, and she narrowed it down to 20 which felt good. I may have an AA in communications but am never asked about my level of education. Whatever talent I have in that area, I’ve had since age 2, 3?

    Bo Hopkins was a favorite actor of mine, kind of an ‘acquired taste’ I suppose. You either liked him or you didn’t. Charles Siebert was a good working actor appearing on a lot of shows I watched. I’m sorry about Alan White of ‘Yes’. They’re still one of my favorites. Also Andrew Fletcher of Depeche Mode. Amazing talent, gone far too soon.

    Thanks for remembering Marilyn’s birthday. Also gone far too soon. This August it’ll be 60 years since she was murdered.

    Great POST cover! I love the inflatable giraffe too, but also the people’s reactions in the red convertible. I like how he drew the cars. The one in front has a ’59-’60 GM windshield, the red car ’55 GM-ish, and the blue wagon a ‘new’ ’62 Chevy. The article on college in this issue is still timely today, by the way.

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