Photos of Cleveland

MONDAY, JULY 19. 2010

Here are some photos of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that I took during my recent visit to Cleveland. There was a featured exhibit on Bruce Springsteen. (See my blog posting for June 30th) Also included are some pictures of Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians.

- Joanne

Reflections on Happiness

SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2010

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Happiness in this world, when it comes, comes incidentally. Make it the object of pursuit, and it leads us a wild-goose chase, and is never attained. Follow some other object, and very possibly we may find that we have caught happiness without dreaming of it."

— Nathaniel Hawthorne

Okay Sixteeners, the subject for today is happiness. It is on my mind because I read the results of a Gallup World Poll ranking the world's countries by happiness. The results wre released recently in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Looking at data collected across 132 countries, the Gallup Organization based their marks on representative samples of more than 136,000 people in each country. Respondents were asked how they would rate their lives on a scale from zero (worst possible) to 10 (best possible). They were also required to reply to a series of questions on positive or negative emotions. In addition, the poll asked respondents whether they felt respected, whether they had family and friends they could count on in an emergency, and how free they felt to choose their daily activities, learn new things or do "what one does best."

As in previous studies, this recent analysis found that life evaluation, or life satisfaction, increases with personal and national income. It also found that positive feelings, which also increase somewhat as income rises, are much more strongly associated with other factors, such as feeling respected, having autonomy and social support, and working at a fulfilling job.

According Gallup, the happiest country was ..... a little drum role please ..... Denmark.

Here is Gallup's list of the top 15 happiest countries, each with a mean score between 7.0 and 7.7.

1. Denmark: 7.7
2. Finland: 7.7
3. Norway: 7.6
4. The Netherlands: 7.6
5. Costa Rica: 7.6
6. Canada: 7.5
7. Switzerland: 7.5
8. New Zealand: 7.4
9. Sweden: 7.3
10. Austria: 7.3
11. Australia: 7.3
12. The United States: 7.2
13. Belgium: 7.1
14. Brazil: 7.0
15. Panama: 7.0

It is interesting that northern European and Scandinavian countries always score so well on these types of polls. The top ranking country in the Americas was Costa Rica. Costa Rica finished fifth in the happiness derby. Canada was the second ranking country in the Americas and the sixth overall. Hmmmm . . . sixth out of 132 countries is not too shabby.

The percentage of respondents who said they were "thriving" ranges from a high of 82% in Denmark to a low of 1% in the African country of Togo. 62% of the Canadians surveyed said they were thriving.


- Joanne

July 16th birthdays

FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2010

My birthday is today, July 16th. That is one of the many reasons why I am so partial to the number sixteen. On this July 16th, I hearby present a list to you of some renowned persons who share my birthday.

St. Clare of Assisi was born on this day in 1194. In Italian, her name is “Santa Chiara.” She was born and died at Assisi and was a follower and protégé of St. Francis. On February 17, 1958, the Vatican designated her as the patron saint of television. There is a story that St. Clare was ill and bed-ridden one Christmas Eve in 1252. She was disappointed that she was not well enough to attend Mass in the new Basilica of St. Francis in town, but had a vision of the Mass, both hearing and seeing it from several miles away. It is for this reason she was pronounced the patron saint of television. Clare is also the patron saint of sore eyes. In 1996, while on a tour of Italy, I visited the Basilica of Saint Clare in Assisi.

The great dancer and actress, Ginger Rogers was born on this day in 1911. She’ll always be remembered as the legendary Fred Astaire’s dancing partner, although she was an accomplished actress in her own right. Together they were magical and I sometimes imagine what it must have been like to glide so effortlessly and graciously with Astaire. Ginger Rogers was born Virginia McMath in Independence Missouri. She died in at her home in Rancho Mirage, California on April 25, 1995 at the age of 83.

Movie and television actress Barbara Stanwyck was born on July 16, 1907 in Brooklyn, New York. Her birth name was Ruby Stevens. Fans of the Big Valley (1965-1969) will remember her primarily for her role as Victoria Barkley, the matriarch of that television western. However, she had a long and successful film career and was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Although she never won an Oscar, Stanwyck received four Academy Award nominations, the first for 1937’s Stella Dallas. Her film career ended in 1964 and she moved on to an Emmy-winning television career. Barabara Stanwyck retired in 1986 after appearing on the primetime television soaps Dynasty and The Colbys. She died on January 20, 1990 in Santa Monica, California at the age of 82.

Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Christian Science movement, was born on July 16th, 1821 in Bow, New Hampshire. She spent much of her life in ill health. Her health improved dramatically after she became a patient of the New England healer Phineas Pankhurst Quimby in 1862. Dr. Quimby and his "medicine-free" healing techniques influenced her greatly. Her health quickly improved and she discovered a sense of comfort and well-being. In 1875, Mary Baker Eddy published a book called "Science and Health” in which was set forth a philosophy of Christian faith and spiritual healing. She formed the Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston in 1879, a church that often faced controversy for its beliefs and techniques. In 1908, at the age of 87, Mrs. Eddy founded the Christian Science Monitor, a well-respected and successful newspaper. She died on December 3, 1910 at her home in Newton. Massachusetts. In 1995, Mary Baker Eddy was elected to the National Women's Hall of Fame as the only American woman to found a worldwide religion.

Baseball’s "Shoeless" Joe Jackson was born Joseph Jefferson Jackson in Brandon Mills, South Carolina on July 16, 1887. According to his official web site, he received the nickname “Shoeless” after playing a minor league game in his stockings. A new pair of spikes had caused him to have blisters on his feet. As a member of the Chicago White Sox, Jackson became embroiled in baseball’s infamous “Black Sox” scandal. In 1920, the left fielder was suspended from playing baseball after allegations that he was involved in the throwing of the 1919 World Series. The following year, a jury acquitted Shoeless Joe of conspiring to fix the World Series. Despite the court’s decision, Jackson and seven other Chicago players were banned from baseball for life. Shoeless Joe cannot be inducted into the baseball's Hall of Fame unless and until he is reinstated by Major League Baseball. Joe's supporters point out that he had a .375 batting average and recorded 12 hits in the 1919 World Series. His detractors counter that he failed to hit in the clutch during that series. Although the debate rages on all these years later, Jackson's hitting ability has never been disputed. Shoeless Joe Jackson died in Greenville, South Carolina on December 5, 1951 at the age of 64. He is sometimes reported to appear in Iowa cornfields (just kidding about that).

Orville Redenbacher of popcorn fame was born on the 16th of July in 1907 on a farm near Brazil, Indiana. In 1951, he purchased the George F. Chester and Son dent seed corn plant with partner Charlie Bowmannear Valparaiso, Indiana, and experimented with tens of thousands of hybrid strands of popcorn before achieving success. In 1970, he marketed Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn. Renenbacher sold the company to Hunt-Wesson Foods, a division of Norton Simon, Inc., in 1976. On September 19, 1995, he suffered a heart attack and drowned while in the whirlpool tub of his condominium in Coronado, California. The popcorn king was 88 years old.

Happy Birthday to all those born on July 16th.

- Joanne

Bastille Day and all things French

WEDSNESDAY, JULY 14, 2010

Today is Bastille Day, he national holiday of France. On this day, the French commemorate the storming of the Bastille prison on July 14, 1759 and the beginning of the French Revolution. For your edification and enjoyment, here are a few quotations about France and the French.


"How can anyone govern a nation that has 240 different kinds of cheese?"

- Charles de Gaulle, former French president, 1962


"Everything ends this way in France - everything. Weddings, christenings, duels, burials, swindlings, diplomatic affairs - everything is a pretext for a good dinner."

- Jean Anouilh

"Paris is the city in which one loves to live. Sometimes I think this is because it is the only city in the world where you can step out of a railway station—the Gare D’Orsay—and see, simultaneously, the chief enchantments: the Seine with its bridges and bookstalls, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Tuileries Gardens, the Place de la Concorde, the beginning of the Champs Elysees—nearly everything except the Luxembourg Gardens and the Palais Royal. But what other city offers as much as you leave a train?"

- Margaret Anderson


SPORTS

The National League won its first All-Star game since 1996. The NL defeated the American League by a scre of 3-1 in Anaheim. I am more of an American Leaguer as I follow the Blue Jays. However, it's about time the National League won the ALL-Star game.

MONDAY, JULY 12, 2010

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. What a man thinks of himself, that is which determines or rather, indicates , his fate."

- Henry David Thoroeau
From "Walden"

Henry David Thoreau, the great writer, naturalist and philospher, was born in Concord, Massachusetts on this day in 1817.


WITTY DEFINITIONS

As promised in my blog of July 9th, here are some more witty definitions.


Sneeze: Much achoo about nothing.

- Oscar Brinkman


Plumber: Drain surgeon

- Merry Browne


Eraser: A corrector's item.

- From Boys' Life


Hypochondriac: A person who loves sham pain.


Apology: The pause that redresses

- Bert Murray

I can't resist wit. If you would like to contribute any witty definitions to Number 16, please send them to me. I will publish them in this space.


SPORTS

Congratulations to Spain for winning the FIFA World Cup. Congratulations to South Africa for proving that such an event could be held successfully on the African continent.

The Blue Jays lost the final game of their series with Boston yesterday by a score of 3-2. Unfortunately, they head to the All-Star break on a losing note. Sigh.

- Joanne

John Quincy Adams : The president and his "foreign" wife

SUNDAY, JULY 11, 2010

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The end cannot justify the means, for the simple and obvious reason that the means employed determine the nature of the ends produced."

- Aldous Huxley
From "Ends and Means"


FOCUS ON HISTORY


John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States, was born on this day in 1767. Adams was born in in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts. He was the eldest son of John Adams, the second president of the United States. They were the only father and son combination to hold the office of president until George W. Bush and his father equalled the accomplishment in 2001.

John Quincy Adams was a career diplomat. He was a well-travelled man of the world who spoke French fluently. While on a mission abroad, he was charmed by London-born Louisa Catherine Johnson, the daughter of an American diplomat and his English wife. Louisa’s father, Joshua Johnson of Maryland, served as United States consul in London.

The futre president married Louisa in 1797, the same year that his father became president. They had four children, one of whom died in infancy. By the time she became First Lady, Louisa suffered from health problems and was not fit to undertake the social duties expected of her.

It is interesting to note that Louisa Catherine Adams remains the only American First Lady born outside the United States. Political enemies sometimes referred to her as being English.

If John Kerry had won the presidency in 2004, his wife would have become only the second foreign-born First Lady of the U.S. Teresa Heinz Kerry was born to Portuguese parents in Mozambique.


LANGUAGE CORNER

Why do we still say "dial a number" when telephones haven`t had dials for years? In fact, the majority of young people have never even seen a rotary phone, except on television or in a photograph. I guess we still say "dial" for lack of a better word. What else can we say? We can't say ``push button`` a phone. If anyone out there has any ideas, let me know. I`d be happy to publish your thoughts on my blog. I won`t use your name if you don`t want me to. So, what do you think, Sixteeners? I`m quite stumped on this one.


SPORTS

The Blue Jays lost the first game of their series with the Boston Red Sox by a score of 14-3. They were clobbered and it was not pretty. I attended that game, and for a Blue Jays fan, it was an unmitigated disaster. There were many Red Sox fans in attendance. I have to say that Red Sox fans are very loyal and follow their team around to different cities. Yesterday, the Jays redeemed themselves and won by a score of 9-5.


- Joanne

Witty Definitions

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2010

Here are some witty definitions for you on a July day.


A hypocondriac is one whose claims to being an invalid are invalid.

- Frank Tyger


Global peace: The world coming to a mend.

- Merry Browne


Paralyze: A couple of fibs.

- Buck Tracy


Bankrupt corporation: Red Inc.

- Buck Tracy


I hope you enjoyed these witty definitions. I promise to share more of them with you soon.



RANT OF THE DAY

As someone who has worked in a library for many years, a column in yesterday’s Toronto Star caught my attention. It really hit home for me and I feel compelled to comment on it.

The column was written by James Travers and it laments the Harper government’s decision to no longer make mandatory the long form of Canada’s census. I strongly agree that the government has made a foolish and short-sighted decision. I am astounded at such pettiness and lack of awareness.

Approximately 20% of the population receives the mandatory long form of the census. I happen to be quite familiar with the long version as I was required to fill it out in 2006 and in 2001. It is a bit time-consuming and tedious, but the effort is well worth it. When one considers the usefulness of demographic information, there is no doubt that the benefits far outweigh the drudgery of answering about 50 census questions.

As Travers puts it, ``Conservatives are pandering to the fringe conspiratorial notion that big government is prying too deeply into private lives.`` When I filled out the long-form census, I never felt that my privacy was being invaded and that Big Brother was watching me. I realized that I was contributing to a self-portrait of my country.

James Travers is right on the money with his criticism of what he calls the ``dumbing down``of Canada. Any librarian will tell you how valuable and how necessary census material is to researchers, journalists, students and countless others. Nothing else provides such a vital and accurate snapshot of our country. As Travers points out, that snapshot will be distorted and incomplete without the long version.

Thank you, Jim Travers, for exposing this travesty. Canada and its people deserve better.


SPORTS

What a circus surrounding LeBron James' departure from the Cleveland Cavaliers! He's off to Miami to play with former Toronto Raptor Chris Bosh. Good riddance to both of them!


I'm cheering for the Netherlands in the FIFA World Cup. No, I don't have any Dutch blood, but I want the Orange to win because of their warm relationship with Canadians.


The Blue Jays won their series with the Minnesota Twins last night in magnificent fashion. They defeated the twins by a score of 8-1 and slammed 5 solo homo runs. The Jays are the major league leaders in homers. I am inpressed with the ability of this team to hit the long ball. Unfortunately, the Jays have been hampered by their inability to hit for average. Their batting averages are pitifully low. They need to hit some more singles in addition to homers. When the home runs go dry, the Jays are in trouble, as was evident in their recent series in Cleveland. They did not hit one home run in that nightmare of a series and they lost all four games.

The Jays begin a new series against the Boston Red Sox and I will be at the dome tonight to cheer them on.

- Joanne

Ringo, The Beatles and Ray Sonin

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2010

On this day in 1940, Richard Starkey was born in Liverpool, England. He’s better known as Ringo Starr, the drummer for the Beatles. It’s noteworthy that Ringo, the eldest of the Fab Four, is the first to reach the age of 70. John Lennon was born on October 9, 1940, about three months after Ringo. If John were still alive, he too would be turning 70 this year.

I remember when the Beatles first arrived on the scene. I came home from school one day and my father presented my siblings and me with a copy of "Twist and Shout." I played that album over and over and I collected black and white Beatle cards.

It is interesting that a Toronto radio announcer was the first to play the music of the Beatles in North America. His name was Ray Sonin and he had a program on CFRB 1010 called "Calling All Britons." English-born Ray was the first to play the Beatles, the Dave Clark Five and Petula Clark to North American audiences

SPORTS

Bob Probert died on Monday at the age of 45. He battled his demons and had problems with drugs and alcohol. I notice that the media describe him as “Tough guy, Bob Probert” or "Enforcer Bob Probert" or the “NHL’s heavyweight champion.” These are all eupehemisms for "goon" - although Bob Probert was a goon with some hockey skill.

There is no doubt in my mind that the media are complicit in supporting the old boy's network and perpetuating the myth that Don Cherry's precious "code" is necessary. I am absolutely sick and tired of television networks replaying hockey fights ad nauseum.

It's not just the media. It's the players themselves and the National Hockey League. The code is sacred to them. Woe to any player who would dare speak up and say that "enforcers" are not necessary! I wish that even one player would have the courage to do so. It would be difficult, however, because that player would become a paraiah, shunned and ridiculed by the other players. Such a player would also have to defy the The NHL Players' Association The Players' Association would not be pleased if hockey fights became a thing of the past. Goons with few discernible hockey skills would find themselves unemployed.

Hockey fans should never forget the death of Don Sanderson of the Whitby Dunlops in January of 2009. The 21-year-old died 20 days after banging his head on the ice during a hockey fight. His helmet fell off during the skirmish and Sanderson lapsed into a coma after his head hit the ice. Many questioned the regulations surrounding helmets and fighting. They skirted around the real issue. They were afraid to question whether that fight was really necessary at all. A young man with a promising future lost his life. For what?

Some will scoff at my opinion, especially since it is coming from a woman. That doesn't bother me. All I know is the best hockey occurs in the playoffs and in the international tournaments, when fighting is not a factor. I reject tha notion that fighting is an integral part of the game and I firmly believe the NHL could put a stop to it - if it wanted to. Obviously, it don't want to because Gary Bettman and company have the misguided belief that fighting helps to sell hockey in the United States.

The sad and undeniable truth is that the NHL does not feel confident enough in the sport itself to attract fans. The quality of regular season hockey has been greatly diluted by far too may games and far too many teams.

By the way, I do not stand up and pay attention when there is a hockey fight. I remain seated and I just roll my eyes and sigh with annoyance.

- Joanne

TUESDAY, JULY 6, 2010

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I consider a human soul without education like marble in the quarry, which shows none of its inherent beauties till the skill of the polisher fetches out the colours, makes the surface shine, and discovers every ornamental cloud, spot, and vein that runs through the body of it.”

- Joseph Addison (The Spectator, No. 215, Nov. 5, 1711)


Hey Sixteeners, I’m back in Toronto and we are in the midst of heat wave in this city. Due to the weather, there was a power outage yesterday. Although it is very hot and humid, the record temperature has not been broken. Toronto recorded its highest recorded temperature in July of 1936. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, a peak of 41.1° C was recorded in Toronto on the 10th of July, 1936.

“The 1936 heat wave killed 780 Canadians - 376 males and 404 females, most of whom were elderly and infants. A year earlier there were only 42 heat-related deaths. In July 1936, there were another 400 indirect casualties including several drownings. Ontario had the greatest - number of deaths - nearly 600 persons - and in Toronto over 225 succumbed to the heat. Heat-related deaths in Manitoba exceeded 70.”

- From the Canadian Encyclopedia



LEFTOVERS FROM MY VISIT TO CLEVELAND

Not surprisingly, there was little interest in the World Cup in Cleveland. There were no flags on cars as in Toronto. It’s not multicultural and has a much smaller population than Toronto. As I have already mentioned, Cleveland does not have a subway and public transit is not great. The car rules there. Downtown Cleveland looked clean to me. I did not notice much litter on the streets.

On our return from Cleveland, we stopped at Niagara-on-the-Lake, the most beautiful and delightful small town in Ontario. The Shaw Festival was in full swing and we attended a play at my favourite theatre there - The Courthouse. The Courthouse is the smallest of the three theatres at Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the most intimate. We saw "The Cherry Orchard" by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. I enjoyed it immensely.


SPORTS

Major league baseball’s first All-Star game took place on this day in 1933 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The American League All-Stars won the game by a score of 4-2 before a crowd of 47,595. The time of the game was 2 hours and 5 minutes. Babe Ruth played right field for the American League and Lou Gehrig played first base.


- Joanne

Canada Day in Cleveland

THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2010

Happy Canada Day from a proud Canadian. Today is our country's 143rd birthday and for the first time in my life I am spending it outside our borders. I am here in Cleveland enjoying myself, but my heart is and always will be in the Land of the Maple Leaf.

In 1775, Samuel Johnson famously described patriotism the last refuge of a scoundrel. Johnson never put those words into context, but I would like to do so. I would amend Johnson's statement. I would say that unbridled or excessive patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. By that, I mean the "my country right or wrong" brand of patriotism. That type of patriotism leads to warmongering and jingoism. As far as I am concerned, true patriotism is not jingoism. That is the mentality of the Archie Bunkers of this world.

As much as I love Canada, I do not think it is perfect. I do not think it is above criticism and that it has no blemishes on its record. No country can live up to that standard. That is why I firmly believe it is the act of a patriot to speak up when one is of the conviction that one's courtry or government is wrong.

In an imperfect world, Canada is a beacon of hope. My wish on this Canada Day is for Canada to live up to its promise and its potential.


SOME NOTES FROM CLEVELAND

It's a beautiful sunny day here on the shores of Lake Erie. We went to the baseball game at Progressive Field and the Jays lost by a score of 6-1. They were swept by Cleveland and they did not even hit one home run in the series. What a tale of woe! They have now lost five games in a row and their record is a mediocre 40-40 - that's .500 baseball and it's not good enough.

There is a big movement here to keep Ohio-born LeBron James in Cleveland. People are standing on street corners carrying signs and wearing black t-shirts reading "home" and "family" etc. They really want King James to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers. At the ballpark today. fans were chanting, "Stay LeBron." Alas, I do not think they will succeed in keeping him anymore than the Raptors will succeed in keeping Chris Bosh.

There were more Jays fans at the ballpark today. The attendance today was the highest in the 4-game series - about 16,800.

- Joanne

Cleveland, Alan Freed and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010

Hello again from Cleveland where I spent most of the day in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I have got to say that this pyramid-shaped glass building is a marvelous showcase. It's relatively new as it opened in 1995. If you are a music fan and happen to be in the area, this is a must-see.

Cleveland proclaims itself at the birth place of rock and roll. The first rock concert took place in this city. It was organized by famed disc jockey Alan Freed, the man who coined the term "rock and roll." The concert was called the Moondog Coronation Ball and it was held at the Cleveland Arena on March 21, 1952. Freed moved to New York City in 1954 and began broadcasting there on 1010 WINS AM. In 1959he was at the centre of a payola scandal. He was fired by his New York radio station and eventually pleaded guilty to 29 counts of commercial bribery. He received a $300 fine and 6 months suspended sentence. Alan Freed died a penniless alcoholic in Palm Springs, California in 1965. He was only 43 years old.

Freed's legacy lives on in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with its seven floors of exhibition space and numerous exhibits, interactive listening stations and films. There are displays of the stage clothes and guitars of many performers. The featured attraction at the hall right now is a fabulous exhibit on the life of Bruce Springsteen. It is called From Asbury Park to the Promised Land. For fans of the Boss, this is a real treat. There is also a great exhibit on the history of Motown that I enjoyed very much.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is conveniently located in downtown Cleveland on the shores of Lake Erie. It is in close proximity to the Great Lakes Science Center, Burke Lakefront Airport and Cleveland Browns Stadium, home of the NFL's Cleveland Browns. We were able to walk to it easily from our hotel. Cleveland does not have a subway system but it has light rapid transit.

- Joanne

Greetings from Cleveland, Ohio: All about the Buckeye State

TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 2010

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson


Greetings from Cleveland, Ohio. This is my first visit to Cleveland and to the great state of Ohio. Ohio is known as the Buckeye State. A buckeye is a type of nut and the state has many buckeye trees. The nickname is forever linked to the 1840 presidential election campaign of William Henry Harrison. Harrison was a Virginia-born Ohioan. His opponents dubbed him "the log cabin candidate." In response, Harrison's supporters designed his campaign emblem as a log cabin made of buckeye timbers with a string of buckeyes adorning its walls. Harrison's campaigners also walked with buckeye canes in parades. By the way, William Henry Harrison won the election and became the 9th president of the United States.


I attended a game at Progressive Field tonight between the Blue Jays and Cleveland. Unfortunately, the Jays were defeated by a score of 5-4. I was quite impressed by the ballpark. Despite the beautiful ballpark, attendance was low. Cleveland's team has been struggling this year. They are in last place in the American League Central Division and have had injuries to key players such as Grady Sizemore. They seem to be headed in the right direction as they have won 3 games straight. We spotted a few Jays fans in the stands.

We are going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tomorrow. There is a special exhibit on Motown. I'm really looking forward to it.

Note to a reader:

In 1863, John D. Rockefeller started a Cleveland, Ohio oil refining firm which was incorporated as the Standard Oil Company in 1870 I just had to look it up. It's the library researcher in me.

- Joanne

SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 2010

I am preparing to go to Cleveland, Ohio for a few days. My husband and I will be driving there. We are planning to spend a night in Erie, Pennsylvania and then it's on to Cleveland. I have never been to Cleveland before and I am looking forward to seeing the city. We have purchased tickets for two baseball games because the Blue Jays are going to be in town. We'll also pay a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next Wednesday. On the way home, we'll make a stop at picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

We hit the road on Monday. So, Sixteeners, I'll be reporting to you from the USA.

- Joanne

Earthquake in Ontario

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2010

Well, Sixteeners, I experienced an earthquake for the first time on Wednesday afternoon. I was sitting at my computer when I felt some shaking and vibrating. For a moment I was frightened. I thought something was wrong with me. An earthquake never occurred to me because they are so rare in the Toronto area. When I turned on the television, I learned that there had been a magnitude 5.0 quake which originated about 65 kilometres northeast of Ottawa in Quebec and could be felt across Southwestern Ontario.

Canada was the recipient of some ribbing from comedian Stephen Colbert. He said that even our earthquakes are bland. I chuckled a bit, but I have to say, Stephen, if that's bland, I'll take it. I can do without the "excitement" of a more severe earthquake, thank you very much. By the way, in a future blog posting, I will address the perception that Canada is bland and that Canadian history is boring.


One year ago today, Michael Jackson, the King of Pop died. Yes, he was weird and he was extremely troubled. As the years passed, he became more and more eccentric and his behaviour incresingly bizarre. I always thought that he was a ticking time bomb just waiting to be detonated. On the Larry King Live program yesterday, Joan Rivers dismissed Jackson as a pedophile and a druggie. She also claimed that the moonwalk was no big deal, that anyone could walk backwards. As always, the truth is much more complicated than that. There are far more shades of grey.

It is not my place to judge Michael Jackson as a human being. If the allegations of pedophilia are true, he was certainly one sick individual and a criminal. Some would say it is naive to believe he did not pay off the parents of the children involved.

Michael Jackson was a man of immense talent and a magnificent entertainer. He was also the victim of celebrity and an emotionally unhealthy upbringing. It's sad and truly stomach-churning to think that a man who was deprived of a true childhood became a victimiizer of children himself. In the end, I can only say that Michael Jackson was a man blessed with an extraordinary talent whose half century of life was rife with tragedy and ended tragically. He was a person who was never confortable with himself and never seemed to like himself. Although he received an enormous amount of praise and adulation aa a performer, he never appeared to be satisified or content. His wealth and fame seemed to bring him a great deal of misery. It certainly led him to a premature death.



FOCUS ON HISTORY

This is the anniversary of Custer's Last Stand. On this day in 1876, the United States military suffered a humiliating defeat. 134 years age, the Battle of Little Bighorn took place on the plains of southeastern Montana (present-day South Dakota). George Armstrong Custer and his men of the 7th Cavalry fell to ignonimous defeat when they attecked and battled Lakota Sioux warriors. The Battle of Little Bighorn claimed over 200 soldiers, including Custer himself. as several thousand warriors led by Sitting Bull fought for their land near what's now Crow Agency, Mont. The conflict was the result The U.S. government attempt to drive the natives off their land after gold was disovered in the Black Hills of what was then Montana.



SPORTS

The Blue Jays salvaged a game in their series against the St. Louis Cardinals yesterday. They blanked the Card 5-0. Brandon Morrow was the starting pitcher for the Jays and delivered eight scoreless innings. I've got to say I'm really impressed with him and the other members of the rotation. As much as I like Roy Halladay, I think it's for the best that he's gone to the Philadelphia Phillies. Speaking of Roy, the Jays play in Philly tonight and Doc is starting for Philly. They are playing under American League rules because the game was originaally scheduled for Toronto - until the G20 Summit circus changed all that.


Italy and France are both eliminated from the FIFA World Cup. They have a lot of explainin' to do back home.

- Joanne

Air India Bombing and Vijaya Thampi

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2010

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."

— Oscar Wilde (The Critic as Artist)

That's one for all you dreamers on a summer day in June. I believe it's a good thing to be a dreamer - as long as one doesn't become too obsessed and nreasonable. I alo believe there is a correlation between dreaming and creativity. So, yes, I am proud to count myself among the dreamers of this world. I am definitely with Oscar Wilde on that one. After all, the witty Mr. Wilde was one of the world's most creative playwrights.


THE AIR INDIA BOMBING AND VIJAYA THAMPI

Today is a sober anniversary for Canadians. This is the 25th anniversary of the Air India bombing, the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history and the deadliest case of aviation terrorism until the 9/11 attacks in the United States in 2001. On June 23, 1985, an airplane operating on the Montréal-London-Delhi-Bombay route. — a Boeing 747 - was blown up by a bomb while in Irish airspace and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. The attack was orchestrated by Sikh extremists and all 329 people aboard Air India Flight 182 were killed, 280 of whom were Canadian. A quarter of a century later, their family and friends still mourn them and feel the pain of loss.

It always hits home when you can put a face to the victims of a disaster. One of the victims of Air India Flight 182 worked at my place of employment. Her name was Vijaya Thampi and she was a Toronto Star employee. She worked in the Human Resources Dept. and I worked in the library, but I recall speaking to her briefly.  I remember her as a very pleasant woman.and I will not forget her.   I'll be thinking about her today and all the other innocent victims of that doomed Air India flight.


SPORTS

I attended the Blue Jays game at the dome last night. The Jays began their series with the St. Louis Cardinals. They lost by a score of 9-4 even though Jose Bautista hit 2 home runs. Bautista now leads the major leagues in home runs with 20. Brett Cecil was the starting pitcher for the Jays and it was not one of his better performances. Aaron Hill and Adam Lind continue to strggle. This is very worrisome since they are the number 2 and 3 hitters in the batting order. Jarrett Hoffpauir, the new third basman for the Jays, made his debut last night and chalked up his first hit in a Blue Jays uniform.

The area around Union Station, the harbourfront and the dome resembles an armed camp due to that infernal G20 Summit. There are police and fences everywhere.

- Joanne

The First Day of Summer

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2010

Today is the first day of summer, the day when we are blessed with the longest peiod of daylight in the evening. It is the summer solstice and a bittersweet day for me. Here's why. I enjoy daylight in the evening. In fact, I revel in it. However, after today, the sun will set earlier. There's something sad about that even though longer days will return after December 21st. So I am going to savour every moment of the long, lazy summer evenings. I hope you do too.

Here is a poem with a summer theme that I wrote.

Summer Night

You came to me on a soft summer night
When the air was sultry and serene
I took your hand as we walked in the light
Of a garden ripe and lushly green
And we drank of sweet jasmine in the air
We gazed on blossoms and bumblebees
I saw the moonlight shine ujpon your hair
As you sat beneath the cherry trees
Then we took a path to the lily pond
Stepping on stones and brittle branches
And there we quietly sealed our bond
With gilded dreams and winsome glances.

- Joanne Madden



Today marks a significant day in the history of women in Canada. For it was on this day in 1957 that Ellen Louks Fairclough was sworn in as Canada's first woman Cabinet Minister. She became Secretary of State in the minority government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.

After the Diefenbaker sweep in the electon of 1958, Fairclough was promoted to a post of considerable difficulty and more responsiblity - Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. At that time the position included responsibility for the Royal Canadian Mint, the National Film Board, the National Gallery and the Public Archives/National Library. Indian Affairs was also under Ellen Fairclough's jurisdiction. In 1960, she introduced the historic legislation allowing Status Indians the right to vote in federal elections, a significant breakthrough for Aborignianl Canadians.


Born in Hamilton Ontario in 1905, Ellen Fairclough was first elected as a federal MP in 1950. During the course of her political career, she was elected to the House of Commons five times - more than any other woman during she 1950s and 1960s. It is also notable that Ellen Fairclough was the first female Acting Prime Minister of Canada. After her defeat in the election in 1963, she returned to her roots in Hamilton.


Fairclough was an advocate of equal pay for equal work for women. In 1975, she was named "Woman of the Year" by the Province of Ontario. In 1995, Ellen Fairclough became a Companion of the Order of Canada. At a time when men thorouhly dominated the Canadian political scene, Ellen Fairclough was a pioneer and a trailblazer. She lived a long and fruitful life and died on November 13, 2004 at the age of 99.



Britain's Prince William turns 28 years old today. His father, Prince Charles, will turn 62 on November 14th. Queen Elizabeth II is 84 years old, the eldest monarch in British history. If the Queen lives until the age of 101, as her mother did, Charles will ascend to the throne at the age of 79. It is interesting to note that Henry VIII was a mere lad of 17 when he became king. Henry died at age 55.

SPORTS

The Blue Jays have today off. They begin a series with the St. Louis Cardinals tomorrow.

Blue Jays third baseman Edwin Encarnación was sent down to the minors.

SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2010

QUOTE OF THE DAY

To become a father is not hard,
To be a father is, however.

- William Busch
From "Julchen" {1877}

It certainly isn't easy to be a father. So many fathers are unsung heroes. They are undervalued and underapprciated. That is why on this Father's Day, I salute fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers, especially my own father, Sam Lima. They deserve recognition and appreciation - not just on Father's Day but every day of the year.


A happy birthday to Canada's songbird, Anne Murray. Anne was born in Springhill, Nova Scotia on this day in 1945.


On this day in 1948, The Ed Sullivan Show made its debut on CBS. It was originally called Toast of the Town. The first telecast of Ed's show was produced on a budget of $1,375. The performers on that first Sullivan show included Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. Martin and Lewis split the $200 they received for their performance.

The Ed Sullivan Show ran until 1971. Through the years, so many great artists appeared on that show and so many families gathered around the television on Sunday nights to watch Ed's program. But how show do you explain the success of The Ed Sullian Show in the age of Simon Cowell and American Idol? Here's what The Complete Directory To Prime Time Network TV Shows 1946 - Present says about the Ed Sullivan Show.

"If sny program in the history of American television could be called an institution , it would probably be The Ed Sullivan Show. Every Sunday night for more than two decades this homely newspaper columnist with peculiar diction and awkward gestures brought an incredible variety of entertainment into American homes. No pandering to the lowest common denominator here - there was grand opera and the latest rock stars, classical ballet and leggy Broadway showgirls, slapstick comedy and recitations from great dramatic writings, often justaposed on a single telecast. Viewers loved it."

Would Ed's formula work today? It probably wouldn't because times have changed too much.

SPORTS

Yesterday the Blue Jays won their second game in a row against the San Francisco Giants. I attended the first game of the series on Friday night at the dome. Edwin Encarnación was the hero. In my blog of June 17th, I was highly critical of Encarnación's play. I ought to criticize him more often.

Congratulations to Dion Phaneuf for chosen as the new captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's about time the Leafs had a captain. Good luck Dion - you'll need it.

- Joanne

Open Letter to Michael Ignatieff

SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2010

An open letter to Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, the Leader of the Official Opposition, and the Member of Parliament for Etobicoke-Lakeshore

Dear Mr. Ignatieff:

These are difficult times for you. No one has to remind you that the polls do not appear favourable to you and your party. Frankly, the Liberal Party seems to be in disarray and your leadership is in jeopardy. I’m sure you are quite aware of the problems you face, but I doubt that you really know why you are not connecting with the public. These are blunt words, but they need to be said.

Who am I to be telling you this? Well, I am one of your constituents and I am one of those voters you seek to attract. Yes, you are my Member of Parliament and I am a resident of your riding – Etobicoke-Lakeshore. You would do well to pay close attention to the grass roots of your constituency.

I have never spoken to you. During the election campaign of 2006, you paid a visit to my place of residence. I was at work, so I did not get an opportunity to converse with you. However, you spoke with my husband. When I asked him his impression of you, he told me you were very erudite and well spoken. He also told me that your manner and appearance reminded him of U.S. Senator John Kerry, defeated Democratic candidate for the presidency of the United States.

The comparison between you and Senator Kerry is quite interesting. Kerry hails from Massachusetts and you served as Director of the Carr Centre for Human Rights at Harvard University. During the American election of 2004, John Kerry challenged the incumbent president, George W. Bush, and we all know the result. Bush won a second term in office because Kerry did not draw enough distinction between himself and the Republican candidate. He failed to clearly define his policies and how they would differentiate from those of George W. Bush. At times, he tried to be Bush Lite, even appearing in hunting gear to in an attempt curry favour with the powerful National Rifle Association.

American voters did not want Bush Lite. They determined that that was all the Democrats had to offer and they rejected it. They chose Classic Bush instead. The Kerry-Bush election parallels what is happening in Canada. The polls indicate that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is not wildly popular. Many voters are hungry for change and hungry for leadership. There are many Canadians who disagree with the Conservative government’s policies on health care, the environment and gun control. You would gain support, especially in Quebec, if you would strongly articulate their concerns.

Publicly funded health care in Canada is under siege. I have not heard you strongly defend it? Why are you not championing that cause? Why are you not travelling across this great land and shouting to the rooftops that Canadians value public health care and that a Liberal government will do everything in its power to preserve and protect it?

Canada’s record on the environment is an embarrassment. I have heard you praise Alberta’s oil industry, but where are your strong words on the environment? Yes, I realize you are trying to improve Liberal fortunes in Western Canada, but does it have to be at the expense of the environment? Perhaps you are wary of speaking up strongly on the environment due to the experience of your predecessor, Stephane Dion - but are you doing any better in the polls than he did?

Then there is the issue of gun control. The Conservative government is attempting to abolish the gun long-gun registry and it wishes to weaken gun control laws. You have come out in support of the registry, but you have not made it a prominent issue. Why not?

Mr. Ignatieff, your academic achievements are impressive, but they will not win the hearts and minds of Canadians. Given the choice, voters will always choose Classic Harper over Harper Lite. If you do not wish to suffer John Kerry’s fate, offer Canadians a clear alternative. Offer them the Real Thing.

Sincerely,

Joanne Madden

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2010

Precaution


I never dared be radical when young
For fear it would make me conservative when old.


- Robert Frost {1936}

This poem by Robert Frost is short, but does it ever have impact! It plays with the nottion that it is normal and necessary for youth to rebel and that when we age we always become more conservative in our thinking and behaviour.


LANGUAGE CORNER

Today's topic is redundancies.

We use redundancies in our speech all the time. Here are some common examples:

1. honest truth

Well, if the truth isn't honest, then what is it?


2. tuition fee

Tuition is a fee, so why do we need to say "fee"?


3. forewarn

Why is that word even necessary? One always warn someone beforehand, not after the fact. Wouldn't "warn" suffice?

4. bare naked

Hey, I think most people know this is a redundancy. They just like saying it. That's why a certain Canadian band chose it as part of their name.


FOCUS ON HISTORY

On this day in 1239, King Edward I of England was born. Edward had two nicknames. He was called "Longshanks" because of his long arms and legs, He was tall for aman of his time, over 6 feet. His second nickname was "Hammer of the Scots" because of his ongoing determination to battle Scotland.

Edward I conquered Wales and made his son the first Prince of Wales. He is also notorious for doing something absolutely egregious to the minds of most 21st century persons. In 1290, Edward I issued an edict expelling all Jews from England. The edict lasted for the duration of the Middle Ages and was not formally overturned until the year 1656.


SPORTS

The Blue Jays finally won a series from a National League team as they defeated the San Diego Padres yesterday by a score of 7-1. They finish their 9-game road trip with a mediocre 3-6 record.

Edwin Encarnación does not look good at third base for the Jays. The team desperately needs an upgrade at third. I'm sure General Manager Alex Anthopoulos is quite aware of the situation and will act accordingly.

- Joanne

Valentina Tereshkova: The First Woman in Space

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2010

How many North Americans remember the first woman in space? How many know her name? Not very many, I'd venture to say. Well, she was a Russian, a Soviet cosmonaut and an ardent communist. Perhaps that is why she's not exactly a household name in this part of the world.

The first female in space was Valentina Tereshkova and she flew on the Vostok 6 mission which was launched on June 16, 1963 - forty-seven years ago today. Tereshkova was neither an acclaimed scientist nor an academic. She was an ordinary Russian woman, a textile mill worker whose passion was parachuting. In fact, she became an expert civilian parachutist. Valentina Tereshkova is 73 years old now and is revered in her Russian homeland.

It's interesting to note that the Americans did not send a female astronaut into space until twenty years later when Dr. Sally K. Ride became the first American woman to achieve that goal. Ride, a physicist from California, was lauched into space on June 18, 1983 aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Canada sent its first female astronaut into space on January 22, 1992. Roberta Bondar spent eight days in space conducting various experiments and photographing the earth's surface. Dr. Bondar was a crew member of the Space Shuttle Discovery and the first neurologist in space.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

"When I think about those nights in Montreal
I get the sweetest thoughts of you and me"

- Gino Vannelli
From the song "I Just Wanna Stop"

I really like that song. It energizes me.

Gino Vannelli was born in Montreal, Quebec (where else?) on this day in 1952. He turns 58-years-old today.


SPORTS

After winning the first game of their series against the San Diego Padres on Monday , the Blue Jays lost badly to the Padres last night. Their woes against National League teams continue.

Sports Illustrated chose baseball's latest pitching sensation to grace the cover of its latest edition. Stephen Strasburg, the rookie pitcher for the Washington Nationals is hyped on the magazine's cover as a "national treasure." I have nothing against young Strasburg. He may be the second coming of Cy Young and he may be in the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown someday. But the operative word is "someday." The story that should have made the cover of SI was the Stanley Cup victory of the Chicago Blackhawks after 49 years. That was a definite achievement and it was histories. To those who say I'm biased because I'm a Canadian puckhead, this is my reply. I am a staunch baseball fan, as regular readers of Number 16 will attest. Sory, Sports Illustrated, but this time you made the wrong choice.

- Joanne