My 2026 Wish List

 
Last year I posted my personal wish list for 2025.  I promised to let you know which of my wishes came true and to write another wish list for 2026.  

To be perfectly honest, very few of my 2025 wishes came true.   Donald Trump holds on to power, although he is neither mentally nor physically fit to be president of the United States.  He represents almost everything I find repugnant. However, I will not lose hope and I will continue to support democracy.  Unfortunately, I believe that the whole world is in for a rough ride. Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump's buddy, is still the Israeli prime minister.  He is facing corruption charges, but will fight tooth and nail to hang on to power.  As for Vladimir Putin, he is a murderous dictator who will never willingly give up power.  

In sports, I wished all the Toronto teams the best of fortune in 2024.  Only the Toronto Blue Jays delivered.  The Toronto Raptors didn't even make the NBA playoffs.  After winning the Grey Cup in 2024, the Toronto Argonauts had a lacklustre 2025 season.  The Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs by the Florida Panthers.  The Panthers went on to win the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in the final.  The Toronto Jays, however, did the unexpected.  They delighted their fans in Toronto and the rest of Canada by going all the way to the World Series.  They gave us a thrill, despite their heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  They brought some excitement and fun to Canadians during a grim 2025.

My wishes for 2026

I refer to Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu as the Unholy Trinity.  They are all Alpha males in their 70s and they have caused an enormous amount suffering, death and destruction.  All three pose a threat to world peace. 

Israel's national election is officially set for October 27, 2027.  However, there is a report that Netanyahu has asked his aides to prepare contingency plans for elections as early as June, about four months sooner than expected.  If that happens, I hope the Netanyahu government is soundly defeated.

The U.S. midterm elections will be held on November 3, 2026, unless Trump stops them from being held freely.  I hope that the Democrats win control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.  

I am not a fan of Premier Danielle Smith of Alberta.  However, the next provincial election is to be held on October 18, 2027.  It may be called earlier.  If that happens, I hope Smith's United Conservative Party government is defeated by the New Democratic Party (NDP) of Alberta, led by Naheed Nenshi, the former mayor of Calgary.

In sports, I hope the Toronto Blue Jays can finish the job and win the World Series in 2026.  I'm a homer and I want all the Toronto teams to do well.  Unfortunately, the Leafs seem to be just an average team this year.  They may have to struggle to even make the playoffs.  As for the Raptors, they have improved.  The Argos need to have a better season than the last one.

The Winter Olympics will take place in Milano Cortina, Italy from February 6-22, 2026.  I hope Canada does well, especially in hockey.

The FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19 in North America.  It will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.  I wish the Canadian team well.  I fear that Trump's horrible immigration policies will turn the event into a fiasco.

The World Baseball Classic will take place from March 5-17, 2026 in Miami, Florida, Houston, Texas, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Tokyo, Japan.  Of course, I'll be cheering for Team Canada.

Finally, I wish for a just peace in the Middle East and in Ukraine.  In the Middle East, there must be a two state solution.  There must be a Palestinian state and the Palestinians must recognize Israel's right to exist.

Russia must never gain control of Ukraine.  Putin will never stop at Ukraine.  He will attack other countries.  Everything possible must be done by the liberal democracies to bring about a just peace to these troubled regions.  It is unfortunate that the United States, under Trump, does not support its longtime European allies and threatens the sovereignty of Canada, its northern neighbour.

- Joanne

Reflections on the death of Brigitte Bardot, a pop icon with some vile views

Last Saturday morning, I read about the death of Brigitte Bardot, the sultry French film siren of the 1950s and 1960s.  Bardot was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress for her performance in Louis Malle's 1965 film Viva Maria!  She was so popular that in 1969, her features were selected to be the model for Marianne, the national emblem of France and the the official Gallic seal.  Her visage appeared on statues, postage stamps and coins.  French President Charles described Bardot as "the French export as important as Renault cars."  Although a cultural icon, she was a complex women who held some hateful views.  She was xenophobic racist.

Bardot withdrew form the entertainment industry in 1973 and became s staunch animal-rights activist. 

In 1977, she formed the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, during a mission to condemn the killing of seal pups and seal hunting on the Canadian ice floe. She was photographed lying down beside the seal pups.  She also condemned the use of animals in labratory experiments.

In 1985, Bardot was awarded France's highest recognition, the Legion of Honour.  In 1986, she founded the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals.  She became a vegetarian and auctioned off jewellery and personal possessions to fund the foundation.  After appearing in more than 40 films and recording several music albums, the actress and singer used her stardom to promote the cause of animal rights.  

In 2007, on her 70th birthday, Bardot made the following comments to The Associated Press: "Man is an insatiable predator.  I don't care about my past glory.  That means nothing in the face of an animal that suffers, since it has no power, no words to defend itself."

 

Brigitte Bardot passed away on December 28, 2025 in Saint-Tropez at the age of 91.  When I learned of her passing, some thoughts passed through my mind.  Bardot was a controversial figure, not only for her sexual openness and her militant animal-rights activism.  She was also controversial because of her extreme right wing political views.  

In 1992, Bardot married for the fourth time, to Bernard d'Ormale, a onetime advisor to Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the far-right National Front party.  In 2011, when Le Pen stepped down as party leader, his daughter Marine, took over until 2021.  In 2018, the National Front changed its name to the National Rally.  Its founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen died last January.  In her later years, Bardot publicly supported the National Rally Party,  She referred to Marine Le Pen as the "Joan of Arc" of the 21st century.

Bardot was convicted and fined in French courts for inciting racial hatred for her criticism of Muslims.  She referred to residents of Réunion as "savages" (Réunion is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France within the African region).  Sadly, her animal rights diatribes took on a more extremist complexion.  She often denounced the influx of immigrants into France, especially Muslims, for their slaughtering of sheep during religious holidays.  She claimed that she "never knowingly wanted to hurt anybody."  She added that with regard to Muslims, "I think there are some who are very good and some hoodlums, like everywhere."

I find Bardot's impassioned support of animal rights difficult to square with her extreme right-wing views.  Someone who is kind to animals is usually considered to be a benign person.  One thinks of Saint Francis of Assisi.  However, those who torture animals often turn out to be serial killers.  The paradox of Brigitte Bardot is that she cared so much for the welfare of animals, but had such little regard for some of her fellow human beings.

When Brigitte Bardot died, French President Emmanuel Marcron stated, "We are mourning a legend."  She was a legend with feet of clay, 

SOURCES: CBS News, "Brigitte Bardot, French 1960s cinema icon and animal rights activist," December 28, 2025, Wikipedia

- Joanne

Reflections at Christmas 2025

 "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and goodwill toward men."

   - Luke 2:14

"We hear the beating of wings over Bethlehem and a light that is not of the sun or of the stars shines in the midnight sky.  Let the beauty of the story take away all narrowness, all thought of formal creeds.  Let it be remembered as as story that has happened again and again, to men of many different races, that has been expressed through many religions, that has been called many different names.  Time and space and language lay no limitations upon human brotherhood."

The New York Times, December 25, 1937

Today is Christmas Day.  The year 2025 has been a difficult year for humanity and we desperately need a large dose of the spirit of Christmas.  We are in dire need of the hope that Christmas bestows upon us.  There are numerous trouble spots in the world, from the Middle East and Ukraine to civil war in Sudan.  There is also an Unholy Trinity at work - Vladimir Putin, of Russia, Donald Trump of the United States and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel - inflicting untold suffering and death, especially among the most vulnerable - poverty-stricken women and children.  These are cruel men and they cast dark clouds everywhere.  They are destroyers, not builders.  

People of all faiths and all beliefs should focus on what we have in common as human beings, not on dogmatic and political differences.  Christians, Jews and Muslims are all children of Abraham.  They are all children of God.  Those of other faiths, and those of no faith at all, are also children of God.  We are all members of one race, the human race.  

Political extremism and religious nationalism are dangerous forces.  Beware of those who claim to be true believers, those who think that everyone who doesn't agree with them is a heretic or an evildoer..  Be wary of religious nationalism, be it Christian, Jewish, Islamic or any other.

It was a right-wing Hindu nationalist who assassinated fellow Hindu Mahatma Gandhi in January 30, 1948.  Gandhi,was killed by Nathuram Godse, a fanatic who believed that Gandhi, a man of peace, was too conciliatory to India's large Muslim minority.

Gandhi was nominated five times for a Nobel Peace Prize, but never received the honour.  In 1948, the Norwegian committee considered awarding it to him posthumously but the idea never came to fruition.  

Yitzhak Rabin, another peacemaker, was also assassinated.  As prime minister of Israel, Rabin negotiated a peace deal with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).  In October 1994, Rabin and King Hussein of Jordan, signed a full peace treaty between their two countries.  That same year. the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat "for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East."

On November 4, 1995, Rabin attended a peace rally in the city of Tel Aviv.  The rally was held to raise support for the Israeli-PLO accords.  It ended with the assassination of Rabin by a fellow Jew.  He was killed by an extremist named Yigal Amir, a 25-year-old far-right student at Tel Aviv's Bar-Ilian University.  Peace in the Middle East has not progressed since that time.

Rabin

I was struck by the comments made by the late Rob Reiner after the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.  Reiner, a liberal. stated per the HuffPost, "I don't care what your political beliefs are. That's not acceptable.  That's not a solution, to solving problems."  He also had something to say about how Charlie's wife, Erika. during his memorial service announced her decision to forgive her husband's killer: "And I felt like what his wife said at the service at the memorial they had was exactly right.  I'm Jewish but I believe in the teachings of Jesus, and I believe in 'do unto others,' and I believe in forgiveness, and what she said to me was beautiful.  She forgave his assassin.  And I think that is admirable."

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate.  Holiday greetings to everyone.

- Joanne

Goodbye to the U.S. penny

Farewell to the Lincoln penny.  The U.S. Treasury Department stopped production of the penny on November 12 after more than 230 years of minting America's smallest denomination.  However, t     he United States has kept its lowest denomination longer than many other countries.

Every U.S. penny costs 4 cents to produce, quite a bit more than its face value of one cent.  The decision to phase out the penny is expected to save the U.S. government millions in minting costs.

I am Canadian and I am used to doing without the penny.  Canada stopped producing pennies in May of 2012.  The distribution of them ended on February 4, 2013 due to rising production costs.

The Canadian penny

As we move closer to a cashless society, coins have been abandoned around the world,, Here are some facts provided by the Department of Finance, Canada

* Australia removed the one-cent and two-cent coins from circulation in 1992.

* Brazil halted the production of one-centavo coins in 2005.

* Finland has not issued one-cent or two-cent euro coins since the Euro was introduced in 2002.

* Israel has not issued the one-agora coin since 1991.  It ended production of the five-agora coin in 2008.

* Netherlands ceased issuing one-cent and two-cent euro coins in 2004.

* New Zealand removed its one-cent and two-cent coins from circulation in 1989 and its five-cent coin in 2006.

* Norway removed its one-ore and two-ore coins back in 1972.  By 1991, it had also removed its five-, 10- and 25- ore coins.

* Sweden removed its one-ore and two-ore coins in 1971.  By 1992, it had also removed its five-, 10- and 25- ore coins.  In 2009, it removed the 50- ore coins from circulation.

* In 2006, Switzerland officially withdrew its one-centime coin from circulation in 2006.  The two centime coin lost its legal tender in 1978.

* Britain removed the legal tender of the half-penny in 1984.

The lowly penny will always be remembered in word,     sayings, song and folklore.

Pennies from heaven, song by Bing Crosby about the small joys in life

A penny for your thoughts.

Pennywise and pound foolish.

Penniless

Penny Arcade, song by Roy Orbison, about the attraction of an arcade and the nostalgia of childhood

A penny saved is a penny eared.

- Joanne

Language Corner: The definition of communism versus democratic socialism

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM: System where people have basic human rights and free elections, along with multi-party system.  Taxes are high, but there are more public services.  According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, social democracy is a "political ideology that originally advocated a peaceful evolutionary transition of society from capitalism to socialism using established political processes. In the second half of the 20th century, there emerged a more moderate version of the doctrine, which generally espoused state regulation, rather than state ownership, of the means of production and extensive social welfare programs. Based on 19th-century socialism and the tenets of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, social democracy shares common ideological roots with communism but eschews its militancy and totalitarianism. Social democracy was originally known as revisionism because it represented a change in basic Marxist doctrine, primarily in the former’s repudiation of the use of revolution to establish a socialist society."

COMMUNISM (Encyclopaedia Britannica) "Communism, political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society. Communism is thus a form of socialism—a higher and more advanced form, according to its advocates. Exactly how communism differs from socialism has long been a matter of debate, but the distinction rests largely on the communists’ adherence to the revolutionary socialism of Karl Marx.

Some right-wingers and Trump supporters tend to confuse democratic socialism with communism or Marxist-Leninism.  The two are by no means the same thing.  In many cases, however, the confusion is intentional.  It is a way for many right-wingers to label all progressives as "commies."  Democratic socialists are not revolutionaries.  Democratic socialism is not authoritarian, bureaucratic and undemocratic in practice.  It i rejects the administrative-command model formed in the Soviet Union and other Marxist-Leninist states in the 20th century.

Furthermore, democratic socialism is not totalitarianism.  There is a world of difference between Fidel Castro or Chairman Mao and Bernie Sanders.  In fact, it is the Trump MAGA Republicans who support the authoritarian government led by Trump.  

Fidel Castro

Mao

Bernie Sanders

Senator Sanders is a self-described "democratic socialist."  He describes democratic socialism as a political ideology that emphasizes social ownership and democratic control of the means of productions, alongside a robust welfare state.  His goal is to reduce economic inequality.

A social democracy is a democratically elected government.  Social democracy exists in a capitalist economy.  It collects revenue through taxes and spends on social programs.

Here in Canada, we have s democratic socialist party, the New Democratic Party (NDP}.  It has formed the government in several Canadian provinces without turning those provinces into totalitarian communist states.  The NDP has been voted in and out of office.  In 1944, Tommy Douglas led the first democratic socialist government in North America when he became premier of the province of Saskatchewan.  Douglas later led the federal NDP.  He was the father of universal health care in Canada.

Tommy Douglas

If you  are of the conservative persuasion, you obviously won't agree with the policies of democratic socialists.  That is your democratic right.  However, it is unfair and inaccurate to label them as "commies." or call them "comrades."

- Joanne