The Career of Brenda Lee

In a 2014 interview with Hellenic New of America, Brenda Lee defined her success as "the realization of a dream I had when I was just a little girl.  That dream was to sing, so I had fulfilled that dream along with the fans that have allowed me to do that."

The song "Dynamite" led tp Bremda's lifelong nickname, "Little Miss Dynamite."  At approximately 145 metres (4 ft. 9 inches) tall, the petite singer is a ball of fire and she has a powerhouse voice. She was a child prodigy who became the most successful female artist of the late 1950s and early 1960s.  Her 47 U.S. chart hits during the 1960s is only surpassed by Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Ray Charles.  She is best known for the hit single "I'm Sorry" and the perennial Yuletide favourite "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."

Brenda singing "Dynamite" in 1957

Brenda Lee was born Brenda Mae Tarpley on December 11, 1944 in the charity ward of a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.  Her birth came during World War II and she had an impoverished childhood.  Her family lived in a series of three-room houses without indoor plumbing.  According to Biography, Brenda's father, Reuben Lindsey Tarpley, was a caring dad, but he was an alcoholic and he was killed in a construction accident when Brenda was 6 (some sources, such as Rolling Stone, claim she was 8).  

After Reuben's death, Brenda's mother, Annie Grace (née Yarbrough), was left to work long hours in a cotton mill in order to support Brenda and her siblings, a younger brother and older sister.  The family came to depend on Brenda's earnings as a singer at local events and on radio and television.  In an interview with the Women of Rock Oral History Project, Brenda explained that once she  earned her first $20, she was pleased to give it to her family.   "Even at that young age, I saw that helped our life," she said. "It put some food on the table. It helped, and I loved it."

Annie Grace eventually remarried.  Her new husband, Jay Rainwater, was a record store owner and Brenda would sing at stepfather's store on weekends.  At the same time, a local disc jockey helped the young singer get air time.  The DJ also encouraged  her to shorten her last name from Tarpley to Lee.

Brenda displayed her singing talent early in life.  At the age of five, she won a talent show.  In 1956, at the age of 11,, she was hired by a Missouri-based variety show called "Ozark Jubilee."   In July of that same year. she signed a contract with Decca Records.  Her first Decca single was a cover of  a Hank Williams composition called "Jambalaya (On the Bayou),"

In December of 1956, Brenda spent her 12th birthday in Las Vegas.  She told the Lass Vegas Review-Journal that she was at the Flamingo Hotel with the Ink Spots.  "As I remember it," she said, "I was kind of weaved in and out of the show as a kind of little hostess.  And I also sang - so we co-billed."

By 1957, Brenda's name appeared on the music charts.  Her first single, :"One Step at a Time,went as far as No, 43 on the Billboard Hot 100.  but it reached No. 15 on the country chart.  

"I'm Sorry" is Brenda's signature song, but her biggest selling track is "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree,"  She recorded the song in July of 1958  when she was only 12 years old.  It was written by Johnny Marks, the composer of  "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas."  As Brenda told Billboard, the record was cut in the heat of the summer at the Quonset Hut, the legendary studio in Nashville, Tennessee.  When she walked into the studio, producer Owen Bradley "had it all decked out like Christmas.  I was only 12 going on 13, so that was a biggie to me.  Everybody was dressed Christmassy and the lights were low.  He had a Christmas tree.  It was wonderful.?"    

"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was released by Decca Records for the holiday season of 1958 and again in 1959.  It really gained popularity in 1960 when Brenda had a huge hit with "I'm Sorry."  The song reached No 14 on the Billboard Hot 100  that year and became a Christmas standard, appearing on a variety of charts for over 50 years.  According to SoundScan, it is one of the top five best-selling digital singles.

In 1960, Brenda Lee  recorded "I'm Sorry," which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in July of that year.,  It was Brenda's first gold single and it was nominated for a Grammy Award.  According to Fred Bronson's Billboard Book of Number One Hits, Brenda recorded "I'm Sorry" in early 1960, but Decca Records delayed its release for several months due to its concern that a 15-year-old was not mature enough to sing about unrequited love.

Brenda in 1965

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Brenda enjoyed greatest success on the pop charts.  By the late 1960s. however, Brenda's popularity had waned and her career had taken a downward turn.  In the  early 1970s, she re-established herself as a country music artist with a string of country hits such as "Nobody Wins" (1973) and "Sunday Sunrise." (1973).

Brenda in 1977

Brenda Lee is an international star.  Early in her career, she was particularly popular in the U.K.  She has recorded in four different languages.  

In November of 1962, Brenda Lee met Ronnie Shacklett at a Bo Didley and Jackie Wilson concert in Nashville, Tennessee.  They were married less than six months later, on April 24, 1963, when Brenda was 18 years old.  She and Ronnie have two daughters, Jolie and Julie.  Julie was named after the daughter of  country music star Patsy Cline (Patsy died in a plain crash in March of 1963),

More recent photo of Brenda Lee

END NOTES

* In December of 1957, 13-year-old Brenda made her debut at the Grand Old Opry.  A photo was taken of her and 22-year-old Elvis Presley backstage at the Ryman Auditorium.  Elvis later gifted her wit a "Tender Loving Care" necklace, which he occasionally gave to female friends.  Brenda treasures that necklace.

* In 1962, while touring West Germany, Brenda Lee appeared at the famous Star Club in Hamburg. The opening act for her show was an up-and-coming band from Liverpool, England called the Beatles. 

* Brenda appears in a 1961 a episode of The Danny Thomas Show, entitled "Teenage Thrush" (Season 8, Episode 31, Air Date: May 15, 1961).  Brenda's character is a talented young singer whom Danny thinks could make a big name for herself.  However, the girl's mother wants her to finish her education first.

Below is a photo of Brenda on The Danny Thomas Show in 1961.     

* Brenda recorded a duet with American singer-songwriter Willy DeVille in 1992 for his album Loup Garou.

* Brenda's autobiography, Little Miss Dynamite: The Life and Times of Brenda Lee, was published in 2002 by Hyperion.

* In 1997, Brenda Lee was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.  In September of 2006, Brenda celebrated over 50 years of being a recording artist.  She received the Jo Meador-Walker Lifetime Achievement award from the Source Foundation in Nashville.  She is also a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.  

In 2002, Brenda was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  She became first woman to be inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

SOURCES:  Hellenic News of America, "Interview with Brenda Lee: 'Little Miss Dynamite','" by Markos Papadatos, January 14, 2014; Grunge, "The Untold Truth of Brenda Lee," by Debra Kelly, August 18, 2022; udiscovermusic.com, "Brenda Lee's 'Jambalaya': Little Miss Dynamite Debuts On The Bayou," by Paul Sexton, July 30, 2022; Billboard, "Brenda Lee Shares Memories of 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree' on 60th Anniversary," by Deborah Evans Prince, December 23, 2018; Wikipedia, Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

- Joanne

New novel by Joanne Madden: The Missing Reporter

I am pleased to announce that my second novel, The Missing Reporter, has been published.  The Missing Reporter is a story of intrigue and suspense, set in 1989.  What happened to TV crime reporter Sandra McKay?  Why did she suddenly vanish after starting a new job?  Is her disappearance linked to the death of prominent dental surgeon Lawrence Somerville., whose brother works for a mob boss?  Intrepid private detective Norm Trapper is on the case and he is looking for answers.

If you are interested in reading The Missing Reporter, it is available in softcover print form on Amazon.

Here is the link to Amazon Canada (Amazon.ca)

The Missing Reporter : Madden, Joanne: Amazon.ca: Books

It is also available in the United States on Amazon.com

Amazon.com : The missing reporter

Amazon.co.uk in the United Kingdom

Amazon.com.au in Australia

The Missing Reporter eBook : Madden, Joanne: Amazon.com.au: Books

The Missing Reporter eBook : Madden, Joanne: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

It is also available in print from Barnes and Noble.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-missing-reporter-joanne-madden/1142564010

and Book Depository

https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Missing-Reporter-Joanne-Madden/9780228883524

 

The Missing Reporter is available in ebook form and print form at 

Indigo Chapters

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-missing-reporter/9780228883524-item.html

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-missing-reporter/9780228883531-item.html

 

ebook form

Kindle

https://amazon.com/dp/B0BJQ2M9Q8

- Joanne

Why did Harry write a book?

So, Prince Harry has written a tell-all book called Spare.  The book was actually ghost written by J.R. Moehringer, the pen name of John Joseph Moehringer, an American novelist and journalist.  Moehringer is an accomplished writer who won the Pulitzer Prize for newspaper feature writing in 2000.

Harry's memoir will be released  on January 10, 2023 and it will fly off the shelves.  It will certainly be a runaway bestseller, but was it really necessary for Harry to write it.  I scratch my head and wonder what prompted him to make such a move.  Was it money?  It has been reported that the book's publisher, Penguin Random House, will pay Harry $20 million upfront for his story.  The money will be donated to charity, although it is unclear whether he is donating the proceeds of the book, in addition to  the initial payment.  Still, $20 million an extremely large charitable contribution, which is  highly commendable.  It will undoubtably do a lot of  good.

Here is what puzzles me, though.  Prince Harry obviously doesn't need any money for himself.  If he truly has altruistic intentions, could he not find other outlets for raising money for charity?  Has he really chosen to write a memoir for fundraising purposes?  Somehow, I don't think so.  Maybe donating the money to charity eases his conscious about the damage his book will do to his family and to he British monarchy.  

Is Harry vengeful?  Is he bitter about how he and his wife, Meaghan Markle, have been treated?  Is this his way of getting back at those whom he considers to have wronged him  and Meaghan?  Does he want the public to know that they were mistreated?

Harry is well aware that the book will put further strain on his already strained relationship with his family.  It will certainly not help improve the image of the British royal family and the U.K., which is still reeling over the Queen's recent death.  Let's face it.  The  book's publisher, Penguin Random House, is not paying all that money for a bland account of Harry's life.  They want dirt.  Some of revelations will hurt members of his family, and the public will only read Harry's side of the story.  

Prince Harry certainly has grievances and it wasn't easy for him to face the death of his mother, Diana, when he was only 12 years old.  It is surprising that he has put himself in the public spotlight by appearing in an interview with Oprah Winfrey and writing a tell-all memoir.  After, all Diana was killed in a car crash while being chased by paparazzi.  I was under the impression that Harry wished to avoid the media and protect his privacy. He has expressed concern about the safety of his two children.

Yes, the British monarchy needs to shake off its stuffy colonial past.  It definitely needs to modernize.  However, in a world that desperately needs stability, The Firm should avoid appearing like just another celebrity family.  The more that its members behave like celebrities, writing books and appearing on talk shows, the more the constitutional purpose of the monarchy fades.  What next?  Royal family members on Dancing With the Stars?  A new reality show called Keeping Up With the Windsors?

- Joanne

Is Toronto in decline?

"I think there's a feeling that the city doesn't care anymore and it's not doing the core cervices that it used to provide but we've come to rely on.  That slow decline is making neighbourhoods look run down."

- Denzil Minnan-Wong to the Toronto Star- Denzil Minnan-Wong to the Toronto Star

Is Toronto deputy mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong right?  Is it true that the city doesn't care anymore?  I regret to say that it seems that way.  The evidence is everywhere.  Toronto appears shoddy and run down.  Many repairs are badly needed.

I know we've been suffering though a long and terrible pandemic.  However, that's no excuse for apathy. What about our civic pride?  More than ever, we should want our city to thrive and prosper.  We should want it to look and feel good.  Instead, we are sleepwalking through a municipal election on October 24th.  Mayor John Tory is expected to win reelection easily, but that is still no excuse for apathy.  There won't be another election for another four years.  Unfortunately, however, the portents do not look good for a decent voter turnout  this year.  Advance voting turnout for the Toronto election fell nearly 30 per cent from 2014.

Minnan-Wong's remarks have to be taken very  seriously.  After all, as Toronto deputy mayor, he has been a key member of John Tory's administration for the past eight years.  He is not seeking re-election this time around, so he probably feels more free to speak his mind.  That's exactly what he did in an interview with the Toronto Star.  He called to congratulate he Star on its "Can't We Do Better" series and warned of a "slow decline in the quality and maintenance and repair of our neghbourhoods" due to:  '"neglect.'"

Why is this happening to Canada's largest city, and what can we do about it?  On October 24th, we have a chance to let our voices be heard.  It is our democratic right and we should cherish it.  Voters shouldn't have to be persuaded to exercise their franchise.  We citizens should vote willingly and happily, especially in municipal elections, where the issues are much closer to home and right in our neighbourhood.  All I can say is if you don't bother to vote, you shouldn't criticize.  If you can't take some time to learn about the candidates and the issues, then you are shirking your civic responsibility.  The choice is yours.

- Joanne

Niagara Escarpment and Queenston Heights Photos

The most beautiful towns in Canada are Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario and Banff, Alberta.  Since I live in Ontario, I can rarely visit Banff.  However, I do visit the  Niagara Region at least once a year.  I didn't go in 2020 because of COVID. 

I really love the Niagara wine country and Niagara peaches.  The town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is magnificent.  There are no box stores, tawdry souvenir shops or strings of fast food restaurants.  The flowers and gardens are beautiful.  The drive along the Niagara Parkway is a feast for the eyes and the Niagara Escarpment is gorgeous.

My husband and I stay at a bed and breakfast and go to a Shaw Festival play.  We were there last week and we enjoyed the musical Damn Yankees.  

Below is a beautiful lookout point on the Niagara Escarpment (October 5, 2022)

Below is a photo of the Niagara River at Queenston Heights.(October 5, 2022)

Below is a photo of some fall colours at Queesnton Heights.(October 5, 2022)

By the way, I'd like to recommend a bed and breakfast in Niagara-on-the-Lake to you.  It's called Ranger's Retreat and it is hosted by Brian Carberry and Jan Van Haren.  The breakfasts there are out of this world.

- Joanne

How I missed Paul Henderson's goal in 1972

Paul Henderson's goal at the 1972 Canada-Soviet hockey summit is arguably the most iconic moment in Canadian sports history,  Fifty years have gone by since that momentous event.  A half century has passed since that goal electrified a nation - and I missed it.  Let me tell you how and why.

I am a baby boomer.  I was attending my high school classes on September 28, 1972, when Henderson scored his famous goal in the deciding game of the eight-game summit series.  I remember the atmosphere surrounding that series.  Younger Canadians will never truly understand the significance of that victory.  You had to be there.  It was a different era and the Soviets were an unknown entity.  They were a novelty to Canadian hockey fans.  At the time, there were no Soviet players in the NHL and the Cold War was raging.  The mysterious Soviets emerged from behind the Iron Curtain to challenge Canadian hockey supremacy. No one was certain how good they really were. 

For much of the first four games in Canada, the Soviets outplayed Team Canada.  We soon learned how good the Soviets were and any smugness we had soon changed into concern that Canada would lose the series to the upstart Soviets.  What a blow to Canadian pride!  Everything hinged on the final four games in Moscow.

Right in front of me, in the office where I sit typing this post, hangs a painted portrait of the well-known photograph of Henderson and Yvan Cournoyer in celebration.  It was Toronto Star photographer Frank Lennon who captured that joyful moment (Lennon passed away in August of 2006)  The photo shows Henderson lifting his hands in triumph as Cournoyer wraps his arms around him.

I recall sitting in a classroom watching the final game of the series on a little black and white television, which sat on a high stand with wheels.  Team Canada was losing 5-3 entering the third period and the prospects didn't look good.  I was watching the game anxiously when the bell rang. We were told we had to leave the classroom because school was over for the day.  Disappointed, I hurried home to catch the remainder of the game.  

Although I rushed to the bus stop and hopped on the first bus I could get, I did not get home in time.  When  I arrived, the game was already over and I was told what had happened.  I heard the cheers and joined in the celebrations.  Since then, I have seen Henderson's goal replayed countless times and I always enjoy it.  However, it does not compensate for having missed it live.  Alas, I can't change what happened, but at I can still revel in the triumph of Henderson's goal. 

Paul Henderson is 79 years old now.  He turn 80 years old on January 28th.  In 2009, he was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.  As a result, he was unable to attend the 40th anniversary of the Summit Series in Moscow.  However, he responded well to experimental treatment as part of a clinical trial he underwent in the United States.

Here we are in 2022.  The Russians have invaded Ukraine and they have been banned from international hockey tournaments.  The more things change . . .

- Joanne 

The dangerous Pierre Poilievre

Pierre Poilievre is the new leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, the official opposition in the House of Commons.  He is the darling of the hard right in Canada and he will undoubtedly swing the country sharply in that direction if his party forms a government.  I sincerely hope that he never becomes prime minister, especially with a majority government.  Conservative media outlets, such as the National Post, think he is fantastic, although his policies would be disastrous for Canada.

The Conservative party has been drifting further and further to the right.  It has dropped the word "Progressive" from its name and it is no longer resembles the party of Robert Stanfield, Joe Clark, David Crombie or even Brian Mulroney.  With Pierre Poilievre as leader, the pace of the party's shift to right will only quicken.  It is well on its way to becoming the Republican Party of the North.

The landslide victory of Pierre Poilievre over Jean Charest has energized and united most of the Conservative Party, at least for now.  Poilievre is in a honeymoon period right now.  Who knows how long that will last.  Who knows what mistakes and blunders he will make in the future.  Still, he could very well come to power in the next federal election.  I fear for Canada if its leadership is in his hands.  I do not want my country to go in the direction of the United States under Donald Trump.

Poilievre is a populist, the kind of politician whose rhetoric resonates with people who feel frustrated and disenfranchised.  Some populists are dangerous because they appeal to the strongest of emotions.  They play on the anger and fears of their supporters.  That's what Trump did south of the border.  The key for that kind of populist is to rile the people up.  It's to fuel feelings of alienation and resentment, especially via social media.

Here is why Pierre Poilievre is so dangerous: Poilievre argues that government is too big and must be slimmed down.  He will slash and cut government spending if he becomes PM.  What will this mean for Canadians?  It will mean more misery for people with lower incomes and fewer public services.  It will mean an even greater gap between haves and have-nots.  The rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer.  

Canadians are still suffering from the effects of terrible pandemic.  Medium and lower income families have, of course, struggled the most.  For over two years, their lives have been turned inside-out and upside-down by COVID-19.  Many have lost their small businesses and inflation is eating away at their income.  Still, they won't see the forest for the trees.  They will blame "out of touch elites" for the rise in the cost of living, not the impact of the pandemic with its supply-chain issues, high consumer demand and worker shortages.  They won't ask why banks and large companies seem to be doing just fine.  They won't ask why they haven't seen an increase in salary, even though prices have increased.  

Nobody enjoys paying taxes and governments should not indulge in irresponsible spending.  However, taxes provide the services and quality of life we enjoy. I don't think anyone returns government cheques because they believe government is too big.  How many Canadians would voluntarily give up their health cards and old age pensions?  Did anyone return their carbon tax refund from the federal government?  

This is a time when action on climate change is of great importance.  Yet, even as temperature's rise, wildfire's rage and rivers overflow, Poilievre has promised to cancel Ottawa's carbon price on consumer goods and build more pipelines.  So, how would he deal with greenhouse-gas emissions?  He hasn't said.  It doesn't seem like a priority with him.

In a September 11th article in the Toronto Star, Stephanie Levitz wrote that "Poilievre's attacks on the Bank of Canada, his tilt toward conspiracy theories around the World Economic Forum and his support of the anti-vaccine-mandate movement unsettled some centrist Conservatives."  I hope they remain unsettled.

- Joanne

A Toronto Maple Leafs joke to begin September

Okay, Number 16 readers.  Let's begin the month of September with some humour.  I am a frustrated Toronto Maple Leafs fan.  My cousin, who resides in Ottawa, is a fan of the Senators.  He sent me the following joke.  I would like to share it with you. because Leaf fans should be able to laugh at themselves and their team.

- Joanne

Two Canadians die and end up in Hell. Satan decides to pay them a visit, so he walks into their room and sees them talking and laughing. Confused, he asks them why they're happy.

They tell him, "Well, we're so sick of the cold where we're from, and this place is nice and toasty."

Satan, annoyed, storms away and goes to Hell's boiler room, where he turns up the temperature.

He goes back to the Canadians' room, along the way being begged by all sorts of people to put the heating back down. He enters the room to see the Canadians having a barbecue. Furiously, he asks them what they're doing.

"Well, we can't pass up this wonderful weather without getting out the barbecue!"

Satan realizes he's been doing the wrong thing. He goes to the boiler room and turns it down until it's at a colder temperature than ever seen on earth.

He knows he's won now, so he goes back to the Canadians' room, only to see them jumping up and down in excitement. He shouts at them in fury, "WHY ARE YOU STILL HAPPY?!?!?!"

They look at him and shout at the same time, "Hell froze over! That means the Leafs won!"

Stars on Canadian Walk of Fame are in a sad state

I dined at a restaurant on King Street W. in Toronto this past Monday and I walked by Roy Tomson Hall.  When I viewed the stars on the Canadian Walk of Fame, I couldn't help but notice that they have fall into disrepair.  Some have been defaced.  Some are so faded that they are illegible.  I also noticed a couple of blocks that have sunk.  It's really quite disappointing to see what has happened to such special recognition of our country's talent.  Isn't there a way that the Canadian Walk of Fame can be better maintained?

Here are some picture I have taken because I would like to bring some attention to this matter, although it is an obvious eyesore.  Maybe nothing has been done because of the repair costs and the pandemic.  Still, it doesn't make our city look good.  The stars in worse condition are the ones closest to Roy Tomson Hall.

Here are the photos.

- Joanne

Things you should consider when naming a child

" A person's name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language."

- Dale Carnegie, How to Make Friends and Influence People

It's true that Shakespeare's Juliet told Romeo that a ' rose by any other name would smell as sweet."  However, I have to agree with Dale Carnegie.  Names do matter.  In fact, they matter a great deal in someone's life.  That's why I have always been fascinated by names and stories about how and why someone was given certain name.

One thing I would recommend is that parents don't commonly call their children by a second name or a third name.  After 9/11, it is preferable to refer to a child by the first name on their birth certificate.  Here is a case in point.  John Lennon's son, Julian, by his first wife, Cynthia, legally changed his name.  You can understand why when I tell you that Julian's birth certificate read John Charles Julian Lennon. 

Julian Lennon

In the podcast Word in Your Ear, Julian, a 59-year-old singer/songwriter, explained why he changed his moniker to Julian Charles John Lennon.  He revealed that the pandemic played a major role in his decision.  Here's what he said: "It was in 2020, just before we all got locked in a cage, that I finally actually decided to legally change my name by default.  Because originally my name was John Charles Julian Lennon, and the crap that I had to deal with when travelling and security companies and this and that and the other.  Whenever you had to present yourself, especially on like boarding passes, just as an example, you know they only use your first name, so it would always be, "John Lennon, John Lennon.'  So I became quite fearful and anxious about those scenarios.  So it became really uncomfortable over the years because I've always been known as Julian and so it (being called John) never felt like it was me.  So I finally just decided 'Yeah, I wanna be me now.  This is it, it's time for a change.'"

I understand how Julian felt because the name on my birth certificate is also different from the one I am called every day. My parents could not have foreseen 9/11, nor could Julian's,  At least, he was never known as John Lennon Jr.

I am also not an advocate of naming a child "junior," especially if the child has a famous father.  I believe a child needs his or her own identity.

Here are some other tips I have compiled for naming children:

* Make sure that the child's first name goes well with the last name, especially if you have a last name such as "Foote" or "Pigg" or a first name like "Harry."  

* Avoid choosing a first name that ends with the same letter that begins the last name - for example "Paul Lyon."  When the full name is pronounced quickly, the first and last names blend together as "Paulyon."

* If the last name is long, it is probably better to choose a short first name and vice versa.   

* Don't chose a name if you really dislike the shortened version of the name. For example, don't call your daughter "Samantha" if you absolutely don't want her to be called "Sam."  People naturally tend to shorten names, particularly three or four syllable ones.  Some names, such as Helen, are never shortened, for obvious reasons.

* Don't saddle a child with a name that is obviously trendy or badly outdated.  This will always date the child.  

* Unless you want your child to constantly correct the spelling of his or her name, don't choose a really unusual spelling of a name.

- Joanne

Did Charlie Montoyo derserve to be fired?

On July 13, 2022, Charlie Montoyo was fired as manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, barely three months after he had been given a one-year extension of his contract.

I am of mixed feelings about Charlie's dismissal.   Charlie was "relieved of his duties as manager" after a terrible stretch in which the team lost eight of their last ten games.  The Jays were certainly struggling when the affable Puerto Rican was given the boot.  Nevertheless, they were four games above .500 with a 46-42 record.  They were also in possession of a Wild Card spot.    

Charlie is a very likable man, but baseball is a business and sentiment is not enough to save a manager's job.  However, the Blue Jays finished the 2021 season with a very good record and they were just shy of a Wild Card spot.  Unfortunately, their 91 victories were not enough to win  them a post-season berth in the highly competitive American League East.  Considering that the team played many home games in Florida and Buffalo, due to COVID, it is wonder that they did so well.  In Buffalo, the Jays were outnumbered by Yankee fans.  They felt like the visiting team even though they were technically the home team.

So, Charlie deserves a great deal of credit for managing the Jays through 91 wins last season in circumstances that were less than ideal.  He should be commended for that.  Furthermore, the struggles of this year's pitching staff should not be laid solely at Charlie's feet  Pitching coach Pete Walker bears sone responsibility, as does GM Ross Atkins..  Having said that, I have always felt that Charlie tends to take his starting pictures out too early.  There were times, especially, when he could have left Alec Manoah in longer.  There has been too much strain on the bullpen.  The starting pitchers have to eat up more innings.

I was also not keen on Charlie's penchant for giving days off to young, healthy athletes.  They're earning big money, so they should play.  Blue Jay fans pay their hard-earned money to go to the ballpark and cheer on their heroes.

Fans will never know the whole story behind the firing of Charlie Montoyo.  We don't know what went on in the locker room among the players.  We will always wonder about timing of Charlie's dismissal.  Why did the powers-that-be choose to fire him in the middle of the season, before they made a trade for more pitching.  It really wasn't fair to make Charlie the fall guy.  Russ Atkins admitted that he should be held accountable, but, off course, he was not willing to put his own job on the line.

The All-Star break is upon us and the Jays have won three of their last four of their last five games under interim manager John Schneider.  The team went into the break on a high note.  I hope they right the ship, but they really need to make a trade.  They won't get anywhere in the post-season unless they shore up the pitching rotation and the bullpen.  It's up to you, Ross Atkins.  We will soon know what kind of a GM you are.  

- Joanne

Canada Day 2022: My tribute to the True North

My grandmother, an immigrant to Canada from Sicily, Italy, used to wave her Canadian citizenship paper and proclaim "This is God's country." I  have never forgotten those words or my grandparents' devotion to their adopted land.  It must have been quite an adjustment for them to move to a place of olive trees and warm weather to a place of maple trees and winter snow.

I have had the privilege of visiting all of Canada's ten provinces (I haven't been to the territories yet).  From the cliffs of Newfoundland and the fishing villages of the Maritimes, to the Rocky Mountains, I am always astounded by the vastness and beauty of the Canadian landscape.  Whenever I recall the opening lines from Gordon Lightfoot's "Canadian Railroad Trilogy, I shiver.

"There was a time in in this fair land when the railroad did not run

And the wild, majestic mountains stood alone against the sun

Long before the white man and long before the wheel

When the green dark forest was tooo silent to be real"

In an increasingly unstable world, I feel so fortunate to live in this in this beautiful country.  With all the war and strife in this world, I realize how lucky I am.  No, I do not look at Canada with rose-coloured glasses.  Of course, Canada is not perfect and it is not above criticism.  However, on this day I would like to pay tribute to the True North.  Our democracy is not flawless, but so much of the world is living under dictatorship.  So much of the world is being denied basic human rights.

It's a wonder that Canada even became a country in 1867.  Thee was so much land and a railroad had to be built.  A largely French-speaking, Roman Catholic province that joined with predominately Anglo-Saxon, Protestant population. Confederation happened, though.  It was achieved without war or revolution.  If it hadn't happened, the rest of British North America would likely have been absorbed into the United States. We would not have health cards and there would not be too official languages.  English would be the language spoken in Quebec.

In many ways, the last few years have been brutal for humanity.  We've faced a horrific pandemic, climate change, the rise of authoritarianism, right-wing extremism and war in Ukraine,  In this volatile world, I am proud to be a Canadian and I am grateful to have a Canadian passport.

 - Joanne       

Cree proverb and nature photos

ONLY WHEN THE LAST TREE HAS BEEN CUT DOWN, THE LAST FISH BEEN CAUGHT, AND THE LAST STREAM POISENED, WILL WE REALIZE WE CANNOT EAT MONEY.

- CREE PROVERB

Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States gutted the Environmental Protection Agency, thus endangering our planet.  How sad that a few conservative judges have done this to America and to the earth.

This is what we stand to lose if we do not protect our environment - mountains, rivers and rainforests.

- Joanne

Photos of Toronto Islands and Lake Ontario

 Here are some photos taken around the Toronto Islands and Lake Ontario on a beautiful June day last week.  I hope you enjoy them.  Above is a photo of the Centre Island pier, by Lake Ontario, looking east.

- Joanne

Centre Island ferry docks.

Centre Island, looking west, beach

Fountain, Centre Island

Read this before your vote in tomorrow's Ontario election

The province of Ontario has a population of more than 15 million people, more than many countries.  Ontarians go to the polls tomorrow to decide who governs this province, perhaps for the next four years.  The stakes are high and the election is of utmost importance.

According to the polls, Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives have a strong lead and are poised to win a second majority government.  On one major issue alone, the Ford government does not deserve to be re-elected.  That issue is the controversial Highway 413, also known as the GTA West Corridor.  The new highway would connect Milton and Vaughn.  It would be 59 kilometres long and destroy over 566 hectares (1.400 acres) of Greenbelt, according to Environmental Defence, a climate change group.  Environmental Defence says that that Highway 413, if built, would add 17 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, causing $1.4 billion  in damages from pollution.

Highway 413 would damage archaeological sites and leave a negative impact Indigenous ceremonial and burial sites, destroying their sacred cultural heritage of the Credit First Nation's territory in Mississauga.  It would also be disastrous for the Holland Marsh, resulting in higher prices for U.S. produce.   

The Ford government brags about how it has eliminated licence plate renewal fees and stickers.  At a time of high inflation, many people like the idea of saving some money.  However, they don't see the forest for the trees.  That money will have to be replaced.  It will have to come from somewhere.  Once re-elected, the PC government will make cuts to health and education.  Everyone will pay the price for that, especially lower income Ontarians, many of whom believe the licence plate renewal scam actually benefits them.  

If, as expected, Ford's Tories win a majority government, the consequences will be dire.  The Tories will unleash a series of massive cuts.  There will be nothing holding them back.  We will all suffer in the long run when lower income people are less healthy and less educated,

Unfortunately, Ford's bluster seems to be working.  Please don't fall for it.  Think about the future.  .  Think about the environment and climate change.  We're experiencing more floods and unstable weather every year.  Don't forget about the importance of education and healthcare.  Our children have suffered a great deal during the pandemic and many will need more help then others.  

If the Tories wins a majority, people will be ready to throw them out in four years.  They will be sick and tired of them by 2026.  Unfortunately, a lot of damage can be done to Canada's largest province in four years.

- Joanne

The Second Amendment

 

A racially-motivated mass shooting at a store in Buffalo.  Another mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas.  This is not what the Second Amendment intended.  This is not the so-called American dream.  The GOP and the NRA have blood on their hands.  They are responsible for the slaughter of innocents.  This can't continue.  America needs sensible gun control laws now!  

Americans are not free if they are not safe.

- Joanne

Good News About the Environment from Australia

 

In the past three weeks, tens of thousands of Australians have had to evacuate their homes after devastating floods struck the eastern part of the country.

Some regions experienced their worst flooding in decades, as torrential rain submerged residential areas, cut power lines and caused reservoirs to swell past the bursting point, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in damage.

New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet called the floods a “once-in-a-thousand-year event.”

But experts say climate change is fuelling an increase in extreme weather across Australia, threatening to make bushfires, floods and droughts more common.

               - United Nations Environment Programme website, "Australia: After the bushfires came the floods," March 17, 2022

After more than two years of COVID, along with the inhumanity of  Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, I relish any good news that I can find.  Today I found some from Down Under,  After nine years of conservative government, the people of Australia have opted for a different approach in the battle against climate change.  Australians want action on climate change and they have made a move in the right direction.  They have experienced enough of blistering heat, bushfires and floods, The temperatures in January, when the Australian Open tennis tournament is held, are almost unbearable.

For too long, Australia has lagged behind on climate change.  For too long, it has been dependent on fossil fuels.  The results have been devastating.  In addition to fires, floods and drought, environmentalists are also concerned about the Great Barrier Reef, one of the seven natural wonders of the world.  The Great Barrier Reef suffered its sixth mass bleaching in March, due to heat stress caused by climate change.  Biologist Neal Cantin of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) reported the following: "More than half of the living coral cover that we can see from the air is severely bleached completely white and can have signs of fluorescence in the colours of pink, yellow and blue."

On May 21, 2022, Australian voters delivered a clear message to their leaders.  The environment matters to them and they want stronger action on climate change. That's why the country's Liberal-National coalition government was defeated.  That's why the Green Party, under the leadership of Adam Bandt, recorded its best ever election result.  There was a swing toward candidates who called for emissions cuts far above those promised by the government in power.  

Amanda McKenzie, CEO of the research group the Climate Council, stated that "climate action was the winner of the vote  "Millions of Australians have put climate first.   Now it's time for a radical reset on how this great nations of ours acts upon the climate challenge," she remarked.

The prime minister-designate of Australia is Anthony Albanese, 59, leader of the Australian Labor Party.  Albanese is a a prominent advocate of renewable energy and has said that "Australia's ling-term future lies in renewable energy sources."  

Many conservatives of the far right don't think climate change is a serious problem.  However, conservatives should be in the forefront of the battle against climate change.  To "conserve" means to "preserve."  Therefore, by the very nature of their beliefs, conservatives should want to "preserve" the earth's environment.  Unfortunately, that's not how many who call themselves "conservatives" see things, especially Republicans in the United States.

- Joanne

Time for Marner and Matthews to really prove themselves

Mitch Marner

 

Auston Matthews

The Toronto Maple Leafs are about to begin another playoff run.  This year, they play the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.  All eyes will be on Auston Matthews and his linemate Mitch Marner.       

Marner and Matthews are no longer rookies without playoff experience.  They are in their prime years as hockey players.  Mitch Marner will turn 25 years old on May 5th of this year.  Matthews is also 24 years old.  He will turn 25 on September 17th.  Both have played for the Leafs since the 2016-2017 season.  They are forever linked, like baseball's M and M boys, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.  

Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews played remarkably well during the 2021-22 NHL regular season.  Marner garnered 35 goals and 62 assists, for a total of 97 points.  Meanwhile, Matthews recorded 60 goals and 46 assists, for a total of 106 points.  M and M produced a combined total of 95 goals, 108 assists and 203 points.   

Matthews was deservedly praised for his 60-goal season and for surpassing former Leaf captain Rick Vaive's record for the highest number of goals by a Maple Leaf in a single season (Vaive amassed 54 goals in 1981-82).  Despite this accomplishment, Matthews has yet to really dominate during a playoff series.  He has recorded 13 goals, 11 assists and has a plus-minus of -3 in the 32 playoff games in his career.   A good regular season does not make up for continually losing in the first series of post-season play, as the Leafs have done in recent years.

Mitch Marner has only five goals, 20 assists and a plus-minus of -1 in 32 career playoff games.  In last season's disastrous playoff round against the Montreal Canadiens Marner and Matthews combined for a grand total of one goal.  The series began terribly for the Leafs when their captain, John Tavares, was injured.  M and M and the rest of the team did not go to the limit to make up for the loss of Tavares.  Instead, they were defeated by an arguably inferior team.

The time has come for Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews to really prove themselves.  The Leafs' dynamic duo has been less than dynamic in playoff competition.  Although their performances in regular season play have been praiseworthy and very commendable, the same can't be said for the  playoffs.  Leaf fans are well aware that M and M are getting paid big bucks to win  in both the regular season and in the playoffs.  They are also aware that great players come through when everything is on the line.  Therefore, much is expected of Marner and Matthews.  Will this be the year that M and M finally break out in post-season play or will their team once again be eliminated in the first round?  An anxious Leaf Nation awaits.  

- Joanne

Language Corner: Do we misuse the word "literally?"

I hear the word "literally" used by many people around me, and even my fellow English majors use "literally" loosely.

You are not being literal if you are being figurative. In order to place a literal modification on a word, it first has to be a figure of speech before you can put "literally" before or after it.

- Robert "Cathaoirtaisce" Scott III, Millennials of New Jersey

From "'Literally" Is Literally Used Wrong, Literally'"

Robert Scott is a  writer on language and linguistics.  He points out that "literally" is properly used before a figure of speech such as "up the creek without a paddle."  If you say "I am literally up the creek without a paddle, he contends, you should mean that you are actually trying to navigate a boat without a paddle.  In the same vein, it is incorrect to say that you "literally ate like a bird" unless you truly ate bird seed.  According to Scott, "literally should mean "a non-exaggerated use of a commonly exaggerated phrase."

To language purists, "literacy" is not a synonym for "really."  It is not a filler.  It loses its true meaning if it is used in the sense of He was literally late for work every day this week..  However, there are those who disagree and don't mind when the word is used more loosely. 

Although Merriam-Webster's first definition of "literally" is "in a literal sense of matter, actually," it has added "virtual, in effect" as the second definition of the word, despite the seeming contradiction. MacMillan Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary and  Google have all followed suit.  It is argued that the "virtual, in effect" meaning of "literally" is not new and that it has been in use since the 18th century. It can be found in the writings  of Mark Twain, James Joyce and others.

To  purists, however. "literally" is not a filler.  The word is deprived of its true meaning if it is used in the sense of He was literally late for work every day this week.  I realize that I am swimming against the tide (not literally, of course), but I tend to side with the purists.  I am well aware that language is not static, that it it changes constantly.  However, I take no pleasure in seeing a word lose its meaning just because it is used incorrectly by a celebrity or on a television sitcom.  When too many boundaries are broken, language declines.  It is debased.

- Joanne

Reflections at Easter 2022

 

Christ is risen. Hallelujah! May the miracle of Easter bring you renewed hope, faith, love, and joy.

The year 2022, marks a rare confluence of the Christian celebration of Easter, the Jewish Passover festival and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.  During this time, followers of these three great Abrahamic faiths will be worshiping the same God in their own special way.

For Christians, Easter falls on April 17th, 2022.  For Jews, Passover begins at sunset on Friday, April 15th (Good Friday for Christians).  It ends on Saturday, April 23rd at sunset.  For Muslims, Ramadan,  the nineth month of the Islamic year, is a holy month of prayer, fasting and refection, This year,  Ramadan falls at the beginning of April and ends at the beginning of May.  It culminates in the celebration of Eid-al-Foitr, "the festival of the breaking of the fast."

The Holy City, Jerusalem is sacred to all three of these great monotheistic faiths.  Sadly, the Middle East has long been a  source of conflict over land and holy sites.  For far too often, Christians, Jews and Muslims have been locked in bitter disputes, spurred by extremists and fanatics on n all sides.  Those who consider themselves "true believers" and regard others of a different faith as "infidels" or "apostates" pose the most serious threat to peace.

We are going through a most difficult epoch in world history, the most difficult time since World War II.  Humanity faces enormous challenges.  We have suffered through more than two years of a nightmarish pandemic. Russia has invaded Ukraine and has violated human rights and cruelly killed innocent civilians.  War crimes have been committed.  Far right authoritarianism seems to be rising around the globe.

This year, as Christians, Jews and Muslims hold their holy festivals at the same time, the faithful should emphasize their commonality, not their differences.  There is so much hatred and suffering in this world.  It does not behoove the followers of Christ, Moses and Muhammad to add to this.  It is against every major tenet of these three great faiths to contribute to all this anguish and adversity.

Christians, Jews and Muslims are all children of Abraham and they all worship one God.  This should never be forgotten.  Christians, for their part, should always remember that Jesus was Jewish,  This Easter, I wish blessings upon my Jewish and Muslim friends in faith and to all believers and non-believers alike..

UPDATE ON NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL, PARIS

On April 5, 2019, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burned in a devastating fire, just before Easter, which was celebrated on April 21st that year.  It's been more than three years since that fire,  I'm pleased to report that the cathedral has been saved and there has been a great deal of progress in restoring this great historical edifice.  The good news is that plans are underway to reopen the cathedral in the summer of 2024, just before the Olympics are held in Paris.

- Joanne