Travels in France: Saint Emilion and Cognac

Saint Emilion

Bonjour mes amis.  Greetings as I continue my sojourn through France.  I spent yesterday morning in the quaint wine-growing town of Saint.Emilion  Saint Emilion, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located 35 kilometres (21.7 miles) east of Bordeaux.  This village can only be described as a jewel.  Its history can be traced back to prehistoric times.  There are wonderful Romanesque churches and amazing ruins. Here are some photos I took.

COGNAC    
                                      
In the afternoon, I visited the town of Cognac and toured the medieval castle of Jean-Baptiste Antoine Otand. Baron Otand established a French cognac house in 1795 and the company has since remained in the hands of the same family since.

Chateau de Cognac is birthplace of King Francis I of France who was born there on September 12, 1494.  Cognac, of course, lends its name to a variety of brandy produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town.

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A section of the castle served as a prison during wars.  The prisoners carved their names and various images on the on the limestone as you can  see in the photo below. 

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- Joanne

Greetings from Paris on Bastille Day

Vive la France!  

It's July 14th, the national holiday of France, and here I am in the City of Lights.  The French capital was in a festive mood today. After enduring some tough economic times, this proud nation feels a need to relax and celebrate,  On a special Sunday, everyone enjoyed the sunshine and the culinary delights of this most romantic of cities.  There is nothing like French food.

I visited Notre Dame Cathedral, strolled through the Latin Quarter and took an evening boat ride on the Seine River.  The Eiffel tower was lit up in all its glory.  I wish you could all be here with me. Since that's not possible, here are some photos below.

;I

Notre Dame de Paris

'

Joanne

A flooded city: Some notes from a rain-soaked Toronto

Yesterday, July 8, 2013 will be long remembered here in Toronto.  It was the wettest day in the history of our city.  We had a month's rain in a single day -126 millimetres (4.96 inches) recorded at Pearson Airport - more than we had when Hurricane Hazel struck in October of 1954.  In the grand scheme of things, however, it was not an epic disaster.  Yes, there was property damage and people were hugely inconvenienced.  Yes, it was extremely difficult for the elderly, the infirm and the disabled.  It was definitely costly.  There was, however, no loss of life.

Nevertheless, Toronto's transit system, the TTC, was in utter chaos. Street lights and traffic lights were out.  Commuters were stranded, unable to get a bus when the subway shut down.  Thousands of people, including myself, went without electricity for a long time.

A Go Train, bound for Richmond Hill, Ontario, was trapped in Toronto by the flooded waters of the Don River.  About 1,400 passengers were stranded on the train as a snake swam through the seats.  They waited anxiously for over four hours while the water level increased.  Finally, a marine rescue crew took them out on dinghies and brought them to safety.

Torontonians came together during this time of adversity.  It was, however, just a small taste of what some cities and countries have had to endure.  For that, I am extremely grateful.  If we don't act soon, we will be tasting more disaster in the future.

* Climate change is real and undeniable.  It is ironic that the two of the most significant cities in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's life have just experienced flooding.  Toronto, the city of Harper's birth, and Calgary, his adopted city, have been flooded recently by torrential rain.  The flooding in Cowtown was exceedingly worse and occurred prior to the Calgary Stampede.  Although the Stampede itself was not cancelled, some of the events were cancelled and others were moved to different venues.  Led by their impressive mayor, Naheed Nenshi, Calgarians displayed their grittiness and rose to the challenge.

* The Calgary floods happened in Harper's own back yard.  Yet, the prime minister's mindset will not be changed.  He will continue to relax environmental regulations.  Unfortunately, under the Harper government, Canada's environmental record has become shameful and reducing green house gases remains near the bottom of its list of priorities.

The world has been warned and warned and warned!  In 2012, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated in its 2012 report that the increase in global temperature would cause and increase in brief but powerful rains, droughts, hurricanes and heat weaves.  Here is a chronology of some occurrences  during May and June of 2013.

WEATHER AND NATURAL DISASTERS IN MAY AND JUNE OF 2013

June 2013 - The month of the flood

Storms and floods hit France.  Vineyards in the Loire Valley and in the southwest were severely damaged.  The pilgrimage town of Lourdes was flooded.  Hotels were terribly damaged and some will not be able to reopen for months.  St. Pie X, an underground church, was flooded and covered with 30 to 40 centimetres (11.8 to 15.7 inches) of mud.  St. Bernadette's grotto was closed.

According to Reuters news service, floods forced tens of thousands of people in Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic and Hungary to evacuate their homes. Reuters reported that at least 12 people died as a result of the flooding.   In the Hungarian capital of Budapest, the Danube River peaked at record levels but receded without deluging the city.  In eastern Germany, thousands fled their homes after a dam burst on the River Elbe.

May 2013 - the month of the tornado

From May 18 to the 21st, there was an outbreak of tornadoes in the United States.  Tornadoes hit Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa Missouri and Illinois.  A massive tornado touched down on Oklahoma and there was serious damage in rural areas of Metropolitan Oklahoma City.  The monster EF5 category tornado heaped destruction and 24 people lost their lives, including 10 children.  Particularly hard hit was Moore, Oklahoma where entire subdivisions were destroyed and two elementary schools were struck while classes were going on.

Unfortunately, none of this will do much to change the minds of climate change deniers.

- Joanne

Turks and Caicos: Canada's place in the sun?

How does an eleventh Canadian province in the Caribbean sound?  Imagine the magnificent palm trees swaying in the breeze. Picture the turquoise waters and the sandy beaches!  It's not just a dream.  It's in the realm of possibility and it could happen. The island paradise known as Turks and Caicos may someday be a part of Canada.  You may think it's a no-brainer. Why wouldn't Canadians want a place in the sun?  Well, believe it or not, there are some drawbacks and complications.

The notion of Canada annexing Turks and Caicos has been around for a long time.  Sir Robert Borden, Canadian Prime Minister from 1911 until 1920, first suggested the idea back in 1917.  He visited the archipelago that year and was convinced that it would be the right location for Canada's next province.  At the end of World War I, Borden tried to persuade Great Britain to relinquish some of its possessions in the Western Hemisphere, including Turks and Caicos, to Canada.  His overture was clearly rebuffed by British Prime Minister David Lloyd George at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference.  Nearly a century has passed and the annexation of the islands hasn't happened,  Why not?  Well, first a little background on Turks and Caicos.

The Turks and Caicos Islands are currently a British Overseas Territory or Crown Colony.  The territory consists of 40 islands and cays, including the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands.  Only eight of the islands are inhabited.and the majority of the population live on Providenciales in the Caicos Islands.   It is located 250 kilometres (155 miles) east of Cuba, technically in the Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean Sea.  English is the official language and the population also speaks Turks and Caicos Creole.  It is situated in the Eastern Standard Time Zone and the U.S. dollar is the official currency.  According to the Official Tourism Website of The Turks and Caicos Islands, the average temperature ranges 29-32 degrees Celsius (85-90 degrees Fahrenheit) from June to October and 27-29 degrees Celsuis (80 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit) from November to May.  On average, Turks and Caicos enjoys 350 days of sunshine.  Hurricane season lasts from the beginning of June until the end of November.  There are about 30,000 permanent residents on the islands.  Turks and Caicos Islanders are mainly descendants of Africans who laboured in the salt pans or the cotton plantations.

In 1974, New Democrat MP Max Saltsman attempted use a private member's bill to persuade the Canadian government to annex the Turks and Caicos Islands.  He argued that it would be beneficial for Canadians to spend their money in a tropical climate on Canadian soil.  Saltsman's proposal, however, was never put to a vote.  Due to Saltsman's initiative, however, the Canadian government studied the question for the first time.  It reached the conclusion that changing the status of Turks and Caicos from a British protectorate to a Canadian protectorate would not be beneficial and that Canada should not alter its borders.

According to the website Canadainfo:

The 1974 statement remains the government's position on this issue. There is no strong movement in any Caribbean state, including Turks and Caicos, to join Canada. The financial cost to Canada of administering, maintaining, defending and providing social programs to an island or group of islands is likely to outweigh revenue that could be generated from tourism or from corporate and income taxes. Furthermore, extension into the Caribbean could damage Canada's international relations by financially favouring a small number of people over their neighbours.

SOURCE: Louise Crosby, Caribbean Desk Officer, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
Progressive Conservative MP Dan McKenzie brought forth the idea again in 1986 but it was turned down by his party's caucus committee on external affairs in 1987. The committee, chaired by MP David Daubney, based its decision on such factors as  immigration, banking, health care and tourism.

In 1988, members of the government of Turks and Caicos expressed a desire to establish a special relationship with Canada.  At the time, however, Canadians were preoccupied with the issue of whether to have free trade with the United States.  Turks and Caicos was overshadowed by the heated debate over free trade.

In 2004, the province of Nova Scotia voted to invite Turks and Caicos to become part of the province in the event that the islands ever joined with Canada.  This would circumvent all the difficulties and red tape associated with admitting an new province.

Peter Goldring, a Conservative MP representing the Alberta riding of Edmonton East, is a vocal advocate of the annexation of Turks and Caicos.  He sees annexation as a platform for Canada in the Caribbean Rim region and a vehicle for increased foreign trade.  In 2004, Golding visited the islands on a fact-finding tour.  He drafted a motion requesting that the Canadian government explore the issue, but his party turned it down for the same reasons Dan Mckenzie's initiative was rejected n 1987.

Opposition to the annexation of Turks and Caicos is based on several factors.  Critics fear that it would lead to increased illegal immigration from the Caribbean region.  Another factor is, of course, economic. There are doubts that the territory would be a financial asset to Canada.  Furthermore, its currency is the U.S. dollar.  It is also hurricane prone, something that cannot be taken lightly in this era of climate change.

How do the people of Turks and Caicos feel about the prospect of joining Canada?  In the 1990s, support for integration of the islands with Canada stood at a lofty 90%.  By 2003, it had fallen to about 60%.  The islands were hit hard by the Great Recession of 2008..  In 2009, the economy of Turks and Caicos was in such poor shape and reports of government corruption were so widespread that the British government asserted direct control of the colony and paid the cost for its essential services.  Nevertheless, Peter Goldring continues to promote the annexation of the islands.  On June 26, 2013, he met with Rufus Ewing, the premier of Turks and Caicos at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto.

When asked by the National Post about his meeting with Ewing, Goldring replied, "He was definitely interested in pursuing an economic association, and he’s looking for my type of help to work with Members of Parliament to get some momentum going to see if we can’t maybe get him a meeting with cabinet members to look at what some of these economic interests might be. The difficulty is that they’re a territory of Great Britain, so of course you would want to do things in concert with and with sensitivities to what Great Britain’s interests are."

Goldring told the Post that he supports full provincial status for Turks and Caicos.  He noted that with today's technology and modern travel, the islands are actually closer to Ottawa than his own Edmonton riding.  He also argued that the people of the islands would reap the benefits of economic development by joining Confederation and he cited the example of a causeway joining the islands.

- Joanne


EDITORS UPDATE (April 7, 2016): In 2014, Peter Goldring continued to advocate for the annexation of Turks and Caicos.  He told Global News that it "would be good for business if we were to develop a good strong relationship and maybe even a marriage." Turks and Caicos premier Rufus Ewing appeared open to the idea.  However, John Baird, former foreign affairs minister in the Stephen Harper government, nixed the initiative.  

Peter Godring has retired and is no long a Member of Parliament.  In his last speech in the House of Commons, he described his Turks and Caicos dream as "a work in progress."  The dream is making headlines again in 2016.  A proposal that a federal NDP government should promote the annexation of Turks and Caiscos as Canada's eleventh province will be put forward at the New Democratic Party's convention in Edmonton, Alberta this weekend (April 8-10, 2016).  The resolution calls upon NDP members to engage with legislators, the island's  inhabitants and the British government in an effort to make the British overseas territory a part of Canada.

Former NDP strategist Robin Sears doesn't think it's going to happen. He was quoted by Andrew Russel of Global News as saying,“One of the reasons the idea continues to be popular is because there is this thing called winter in Canada,”  According to Sears,“It would require the Queen being willing to transfer one of her assets to us and I don’t think that is very likely."  “But it’s a nice fairy tale.”

Sears is right that creating an eleventh province will not be easy to achieve.  There is also the prospect of a constitutional amendment to overcome.  Yet we Canadians will continue to hope, won't we?  After all, some people thought it would be impossible to unite a large and diverse British territory into a country called Canada.

Canada Day Quiz

On the 146th birthday of our great country, Canada, Number 16 presents a 14-question Canada Day quiz.  See how much you know about the True North Strong and Free.  Ready!  Set!  Go!

CANADA DAY QUIZ


1.  Where is the most easterly point in Canada?

A,  Land's End, Newfoundland

B.  Cape Spear, Newfoundland

C.  Rock Point, Newfoundland

D.  Signal Hill, Newfoundland

E.   Clifton Point, Newfoundland



2.   What team won the first Stanley Cup?

A.  The University of Toronto

B.  The Ottawa Generals

C.  Montreal AAA

D.  McGill University

E.  The Toronto Arenas



3.  Which Canadian Prime Minister was born in the same city (Windsor, Ontario) as Shania Twain and also shares her birthday - August 28th?

A.  Lester B. Pearson

B.  Arthur Meighen

C.  William Lyon Mackenzie King

D.  Sir Robert Borden

E.  Paul Martin



4.  Where was actor Michael J. Fox born?

A.  Vancouver, British Columbia

B.  Calgary, Alberta

C.  Winnipeg, Manitoba

D.  Edmonton, Alberta

E.  Toronto, Ontario



5.  Who was the Premier of Quebec during the "Quiet Revolution?"

A.  Maurice Duplessis

B.  Robert Bourassa

C.  Jean Lesage

D.  Daniel Johnson

E.  Claude Ryan



6.  What year did Nunavut officially become a territory of Canada?

Flag of Nunavutg

A.  1995

B.  1989

C.  1997

D.  1999

E.  2000



7.  Who was Emily Murphy?

Emily Murphy

A. First female medical doctor in Canada

B.  First female mayor of a major Canadian city

C.  First Canadian woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics

D.  First woman appointed to the Canadian Senate

E.  First female magistrate in Canada and the British Empire



8.  Who was the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada?

A.  Vincent Massey

B.  Georges Vanier

C.  Roland Michener

D.  Jules Leger

E.  John Buchan



9.  Who said "I don't even know what street Canada is on.?"

A.  Stephen Colbert

B.  Al Capone

C.  Joseph Stalin

D.  Groucho Marx

E.  Mae West



10.  What is the capital city of the province of New Brunswick?

A.  Saint John, New Brunswick

B.  St. John's, New Brunswick

C.  Fredericton, New Brunswick

D.  Edmundston, New Brunswick

E.  Moncton, New Brunswick



11.  Who was the first Canadian prime minister born in Western Canada?

A.  Joe Clark

B.  John Diefenbaker

C.  Stephen Harper

D.  Kim Campbell

E.  R.B. Bennett



12.  Who founded Quebec City?

A.  Jacques Cartier

B.  Jean Talon

C.  Louis-Joseph de Montcalm

D.  Samuel de Champlain

E.  Bishop Francois de Montmorency-Laval



13.  Which Canadian city was originally named Pile of Bones?

A.  Winnipeg, Manitoba

B.  Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

C.  Regina, Saskatchewan

D.  Victoria, British Columbia

E.  Medicine Hat, Alberta



14.  Which of the following was not born in Winnipeg, Manitoba?

A,  Burton Cummings, singer, songwriter and musician

B.  Joni Mitchell, singer songwriter and musician

C.  David Steinberg, comedian

D.  Deanna Durban, recently-deceased Hollywood film actress and singer of the 1930s and 1940s

E.  Anna Paquin, actress



15.  In 1944, Tommy Douglas led the first democratic socialist government in North America when he became Premier of which province?

A.  Manitoba

B.  Saskatchewan

C.  Alberta

D.  British Columbia

E.  Nova Scotia



ANSWERS

1.  B

The most easterly point in Canada is Cape Spear, Newfoundland.  It is located on the Avalon Peninsula near St. John's.


2.  C

The Montreal AAA  1802-1893 Stanley Cup champions

The Montreal Amateur Athletic Association won the first Stanley Cup after finishing first in the standings of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (AHA) at the end of the 1892-92 season.  The Ottawa Generals finished second.  According to the rules of Lord Stanley of Preston, any Canadian team had the right to challenge the Montreal AAA for the silver trophy but none did.  


3.  E

Paul Martin, 21st Prime Minister of Canada, was born on August 28, 1938 in Windsor, Ontario.  Shania Twain was born on August 28, 1965 in Windsor, Ontario.


4.  D

Michael J. Fox was born in Edmonton, Alberta on June 9, 1961.


5.  C

Jean Lesage

Jean Lesage, known as the Father of the Quiet Revolution, was Premier of Quebec from June 22, 1960 until August 16, 1966.  The Quiet Revolution was a period of intense change in Quebec society.  The welfare state came into prominence and the power and influence of the Roman Catholic Church was considerably lessened.  It was a time of rapid secularization in the province as the provincial government seized control of health care and education from the Church.


6.  D

Nunavut officially became a territory of Canada on April 1, 1999 as a subdivision of the eastern portion of the Northwest Territories.  It includes the traditional lands of the Inuit, the indigenous people of Arctic Canada.  The name "Nunavut" comes from Inukitut, the dialect of the Eastern Arctic Inuit and it means "Our Land."

The territory was established by the Nunavut Act of 1993 but did not exist constitutionally until 1999 and its creation marked the first change to the map of Canada since Newfoundland entered Confederation in 1949.


7.  E

Emily Murphy was the first female magistrate in Canada and in the British Empire.  Born in Cookstown, Ontario in 1868, she and her husband Arthur and their two daughters moved west, first to Swan River Manitoba and then to Edmonton, Alberta.  In 1916, Emily was appointed police magistrate for Edmonton and later for the province of Alberta.

Emily Murphy was a strong advocate for the rights of women and a prominent suffragette.  She campaigned vigorously to have women recognized as "persons" in the eyes of the law.  Along with four other women (Nellie McClung, Louis McKinney, Irene Parlby and Henrietta Muir Edwards), she helped bring about a ruling in 1929 by the Privy Council in Britain that recognized women as persons under the BNA Act.  Murphy and her colleagues are known as the "Famous Five" and due to their efforts in the "persons case," Canadian women became eligible to hold an appointed office such as Senator.



8.  A

In 1952, Vincent Massey, born in Toronto, Ontario, became the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada.  Until then, Canada's Governor Generals had been British born peers.


9.  B

American mobster Al Capone said "I don't even know what street Canada is on." in 1931.



10.  C

Fredericton is the capital of the province of New Brunswick.


11.  A

Charles Joseph "Joe" Clark, 16th Prime Minister of Canada, was the first PM to have been born in Western Canada.  Clark, now 74 years old, was born in High River, Alberta on June 5, 1939.  Clark was took the oath of office on June 4, 1979, one day short of his 40th birthday.  He remains the youngest person to have held the office of Canadian Prime Miniser.


12.  D

Champlain

Samuel de Champlain, French explorer, navigator and diplomat, founded Quebec City in 1608.


13.  C

Regina, Saskatchewan was originally named Pile of Bones from the Cree word "Wascana."  In 1882, it was renamed Regina in honour of Queen Victoria by Victoria's daughter, Princess Louise.  Louise was the wife of the Marquess of Lorne who was then the Governor General of Canada.   In 1905, Regina was designated the capital of the province of Saskatchewan.


14.  B.

Joni Mithell was born Roberta Joan Anderson in Fort Macleod, Alberta on November 7, 1943.  The others were all born in Winnipeg:: Anna Paquin on July 24, 1982;  Deanna Durbin, who died this past April in France at the age of 91, on December 4, 1991, David Steinberg on August 9, 1942 and Burton Cummings of Guess Who fame on December 31, 1947.


15.  B

In 1944, Tommy Douglas, preacher-turned-politician, led the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (forerunner to the New Democratic Party)  to power in Saskatchewan.  As premier, Douglas introduced universal healthcare to the province.


- Joanne

How important is reputation?

Dante

The reputation which the world 
   bestows 
is like the wind, that shifts now here
   now there,
its name changed with the quarter
   whence it blows.

- Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), Italian poet
From Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy) 'Purgatorio' ('Purgatory')


How important is your good name?  In the above verse from Dante's Divine Comedy, reputation is portrayed in a very negative manner.  It's fickle and flighty and vagrant like the wind.  It is not something that is in the least desirable or commendable.  A similar attitude is expressed  in the following description of reputation from Shakespeare's Othello.

Reputation is an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost without deserving.

- William Shakespeare, English dramatist (1664-1616)
From Othello (Act 2, Scene 3)

These words about reputation are spoken by Iago, the deceitful villain of this great Shakespearean tragedy.  Iago dismisses reputation as useless and bogus.  It is often earned under false pretences and lost unfairly, he claims, and it is very difficult to argue against him.  Yet, further on in the play, this same Iago extols the virtues of a good reputation with this statement:

Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls. 
Who steals my purse steals trash. 'Tis something, nothing:

'Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands.

But he that filches from me my good name

Robs me of that which not enriches him

And makes me poor indeed.

- William Shakespeare, English dramatist (1664-1616)
From Othello (Act 3, Scene 3)

In the Book of Proverbs, the value of a good reputation is declared better than a treasure of silver and gold.

A good name is more desirable than great riches, to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Proverbs  22: 1

So, which is it?  Can one's good name be compared to a precious gem that must be guarded jealously or is reputation volatile and of not much real significance.  Well, as usual, the truth lies somewhere in between.  Although some deny they are concerned about public opinion, it's extremely difficult to ignore what others think.  Most  people seek approval and it is hard to accept the loss of one's good reputation undeservedly. Very few desire to be a pariah, an outcast, a persona non grata, unlike the roguish Rhett Butter in Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind who declares:

Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is.  

Rhett certainly wouldn't agree with the ancient Roman philosopher Cicerco who said:

To disregard what the world thinks of us is not only arrogant but utterly shameless.
- From De Officiis. 1. 28.

Publicity seekers claim that they don't care what's being written about them as long as their name is spelled correctly.  Then there are some who seek not approval but notoriety.  They purposely cultivate a bad reputation for various reasons, most of them psychological.  Some criminals, for example, commit heinous acts in order to be noticed and to capture public attention.  Others, however, are dissuaded from taking part in criminal behaviour because they do not wish to bring shame and dishonour upon their families.

There are also those who have the strength of purpose to ignore or defy public disapproval.  Despite widespread opprobrium, they truly believe that their causes are worthy and their theories have merit.  Often they are vindicated and eventually regarded as heroes or great innovators.  Yet, they would not have achieved as much if they had been overly concerned about their reputations.  Fear of criticism and ridicule would have stood in their way.

Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you.

Luke 6: 26

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The devil's most devilish when respectable.   

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861), English poet and author
From Aurora Leigh    

The 19th century bard, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, expresses the correlation between evil and respectability quite eloquently in these words from her epic poem/novel Aurora Leigh.  Published in 1856, Barrett Browning considered it "the most mature of my works."

Evil is most pernicious when it is cloaked in respectability.  It is particularly insidious when someone deemed trustworthy betrays a trust or is revealed as a complete hypocrite.

Lincoln in 1863

Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow.  The shadow is what we think of it , the tree is the real thing.

- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th President of the United States  
From Lincoln's Own Stories (Edited by Anthony Gross)          

In Lincoln's comparison, "character" is a far better attribute than "reputation." Character is true and authentic.  Like a tree, it is solid and consistent.  Reputation, on the other hand, is similar to a shadow.  It is changeable, depending on the source of light or the angle from which it is observed.  Character is one's real nature while reputation is dependent on the opinion of others.

Henry Ward Beecher

The American clergyman and social reformer Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) defined the difference between character and reputation this way:

A man's character is the reliability of himself.  His reputation is the opinion others have formed of him.  Character is in him; reputation is from other people.

Auatin O'Malley

Reputation is an interpretation, more or less accurate, of character

- Austin O'Malley (1858-1932). American physicist and author
From Keystones of Thought

Note the words "interpretation" and "more or less." in this quotation from Austin O'Malley.  Although a good reputation can often reflect a sterling character, interpretations can be wrong and "more or less" is a qualifier.

William Hazlitt

A man's reputation is not in his own keeping, but lies at the mercy of the profligacy of others. Calumny requires no proof.  The throwing out (of) malicious imputations against any character leaves a stain, which no after-refutation can wipe out.  To create an unfavourable impression, it is not necessary that certain things should be true, but that they have been said.  The imagination is of so delicate a texture that even words wound it.

- William Hezlitt (1778-1830), English writer
From Characteristics

Reputation can be based on perception and not reality.  Perceptions, even if false, are extremely difficult to change. That is why a good name can be lost in the blink of an eye and is often difficult to regain.


It takes little or nothing to undo reputations, the merest trifle makes and remakes them, it is simply a question of finding the best means of engaging the confidence or interest of those who are to become one's unsuspecting echoes or accomplices.

- Jose Saramago (1922-2010), Portuguese writer
From Baltasar and Blimunda

Jose Saramago

Can one repair a severely damaged reputation?  According to French author, Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680), it is possible.  He stated:

Whatever ignominy or disgrace we have incurred it is almost always in our power to re-establish our reputation.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld 

Here are some more interesting reflections on the subject of reputation.

The easiest way to get a reputation is to go outside the fold, shout around for a few years as a violent atheist or a dangerous radical, and then crawl back to the shelter.

- F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), American author
From: Notebooks

Washington Allston, self-portrait 1805

Reputation is but a synonym of popularity, dependent on suffrage, to be increased or diminished at the will of the voters.

- Washington Allston (1779-1843), American artist and poet
From Memoirs and Essays

Henry Ford

You can't build a reputation on what your are going to do.

- Henry Ford.(1863-1947), American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company


- Joanne

Summer Song Quiz

Today, as we celebrate the summer solstice, Number 16 presents an 11-question quiz on summer music and summer songs.  Why don't you test your knowledge.   Good luck!


SUMMER SONG QUIZ

1.  The song "Summer Nights" comes from which musical?

A  West Side Story

B.  The Music Man

C.  South Pacific

D.  Grease

E.   Guys and Dolls



2.  Who had a hit in 1962 with a song called "Sealed with a Kiss?"  The song has these lyrics:

 Though we've got to say
Goodbye for the summer
Baby, I promise you this
I'll send you all my love
Every day in a letter
Sealed with a kiss

A.  Frankie Avalon

B.  Brian Hyland

C.  The Beach Boys

D.  Bobby Rydell

E.  Jan and Dean



3.  Name the song that begins with the following words:

See the curtains hangin' in the window
In the evening on a Friday night
A little light-a-shinin' through the window
Lets me know everything's all right

A.  Summer Breeze

B.  Summer Moon

C.  Summer Light

D.  Sweet Summer

E.  Summer Shines Through



4.  Remember the song "Summertime Blues?"  Here is the first verse:

I'm gonna raise a fuss, I'm gonna raise a holler
About a workin' all summer just to try to earn a dollar
Every time I call my baby, and try to get a date
My boss says, "No dice son, you gotta work late"
Sometimes I wonder what I'm a gonna do
But there ain't no cure for the summertime blues

When was "Summertime Blues" originally released?

A.  July of 1956

B.  June of 1960

C.  August of 1958

D.  August of 1955

E.  July of 1957



5.  Which of these artists recorded the original and most well-known version of "Summertime Blues?"

A.  Eddie Cochran

B.  Chuck Berry

C.  Carl Perkins

D.  Elvis Presley

E.  Buddy Holly



6.  What is the name of the 1991 summer rap song recorded by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.

A.  Summertime

B. Summer Song

C.  Summer Days

D.  Summer Heat

E.  Summer People



7.  Do you remember these lyrics?

Callin' out around the world
Are you ready for a brand new beat?
Summer's here and the time is right
For dancin' in the streets
They're dancin' in Chicago
Down in New Orleans
Up in New York City . . .

"Dancing in the Street:" was a big hit for Martha and the Vandellas back in 1964.  It is one of Motown's
most well known songs.  Who composed "Dancing in the Street?"

A.  Holland-Dozier-Holland (Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland)

B.  Marvin Gaye and William "Mickey" Stevenson

C.  Lionel Richie

D.  Diana Ross

E.  Martha Reeves



8.  Who recorded the classic summer song "Hot Fun in the Summertime?"

A.  Mungo Jerry

B.  The Beach Boys

C.  Sly and the Family Stone

D.  The Mamas and the Papas

E.  The Lovin' Spoonful



9.  Which summer song was written as the theme for a 1958 film starring Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue?

Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue

A.  Theme from Summer Love

B.  Theme from  A Summer Dream

C.  Theme from A Summer to Remember

D.  Theme from Summer Hearts

E.  Theme from A Summer Place



10.  Who recorded the most popular version of "Theme from a Summer Place?"


A.  Andy Williams

B.  Henry Mancini

C.  Perry Como

D.  Percy Faith

E.  Nelson Riddle



11.  Who wrote and recorded the song "Summer Fling?"  (This is your bonus question so give yourself an extra point if you answer it correctly)

A.  Joni Mitchell

B.  Linda Ronstadt

C.  Bette Midler

D.  Barbra Streisand

E.  k.d. lang



ANSWERS

1.  D

The song "Summer Nights" comes from the 1971 musical Grease by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.  In the 1978 film version of Grease, it was sung by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.


2.  B

Brian Hyland

Brian Hyland had a hit with "Sealed with a Kiss" in 1962.  The song was written by Peter Udell and Gary Geld and it was originally recorded as a single in 1960 by The Four Voices.  Gary Lewis and the Playboys released a cover of  "Sealed with a Kiss" in 1968 and in 1972, Bobby Vinton released yet another version.  The Bobby Vinton recording was featured in the trailer and end credits of  the 2006 American horror film All the Boys Love Mandy Lane.

Brian Hyland, who will turn 70 years old in November, still tours with his son Bodi.


3.  A

Jim Seals (right) and Dash Crofts in 1975 photo

The song "Summer Breeze" begins with those words.  It was a hit for a pair of Texans named Seals and Crofts when it was released in August of 1972.  Here is the chorus of the song:

Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind


4.  C

"Summertime Blues" was first released in August of 1958.  It reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 29, 1958.


5.  A

Eddie Cochran

"Summertime Blues" was co-written in the late 1950s by American rockabilly singer Eddie Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart.  Cochran recorded the song and released it as a single in 1958.  It is interesting to note that among the many artists who have done cover versions of "Summertime Blues" are Alan Jackson, The Who and Blue Cheer.


6.  A

"Summertime" is the name of the 1991 rap song recorded former by former hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.  DJ Jazzy Jeff's real name is Jeffrey Allen Townes and The French Prince is now better known as actor Will Smith.  The pair, from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were introduced to each other in 1985 and their first album, Rock the House, was released in 1986.

To watch a video of DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince performing "Summertime," click on the link below.

http://www.vevo.com/watch/dj-jazzy-jeff-and-the-fresh-prince/summertime/USZM20500037

7. B

William "Mickey" Stevenson

The song "Dancing in the Street" was composed by  R&B vocalist Marvin Gaye and Motown record producer William "Mickey" Stevenson.  It was originally intended for singer Kim Weston, Stevenson's then-wife.  When she passed on the song, Martha and the Vandellas recorded it instead.  Stevenson and Gaye agreed to lead singer Martha Reeves' request to arrange her own vocals to suit the song and they also called in Motown songwriter Ivy Jo Hunter to assist with the recording.

Marvin Gaye died tragically on April 1, 1984 at the age of 44 after being shot to death by his own father following an argument over lost business documents.  Mickey Stevenson, who produced "Dancing in the Streeet," left Motown Records over a dispute in January of 1967.  Stevenson's last big hit for Motown was "It Takes Two," a 1966 duet between Gaye and Kim Weston.


8.  C

Sly and the Family Stone in 1969

Sly and the Family Stone, an influential band from Vallejo, California, recorded "Hot Fun in the Summetime."  It was released as a single in 1969 after the band's celebrated performance at the Woodstock Music Festival in August of that year.  Some have interpreted the song as a satire of the summertime race riots of '69 rather than a happy summer tune.

The music of Sly and the Family Stone reflected a mixture of the soul, rock, funk and psychedelic sounds of the 1960s.  The group was founded by Sylvester Stewart, now 70, who changed his name to Sly Stone while a radio disc jockey.


9. E

Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue starred the as the star-crossed lovers, Molly Jorgenson and Johnny Hunter, in the 1958 romantic drama A Summer Place.  Hugo Winterhalter recorded the theme for the film and it was originally known as the "Molly and Johnny Theme."    



10.  D

The most popular version of  "Theme from A Summer Place" was recorded by Percy Faith.  His instrumental version was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles for nine consecutive weeks in early 1960.  He won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1961 for his recording.

Faith, a Canadian bandleader, conductor and composer, died of cancer on February 9, 1976 at the age of 67.  He was known for his beautiful arrangements of pop and Christmas standards.

Billy Vaughn also recorded an instrumental cover version of "Theme from a Summer Place" as the title track for his hit 1960 album.  Vocal cover versions of the song were recorded by Andy Williams in his 1962 album Moon River, Cliff Richard in his 1965 album Love is Forever and The Lettermen in 1965.


11.  E

"Summerfling" was written by k.d. lang and Dave Piltch for k.d.'s album Invincible Summer, which was released by Warner Brothers Records in 2000.


- Joanne