Vocabulary Quiz #1

Number 16 Vocabulary Quiz

Number 16 presents a multiple choice vocabulary quiz.  Choose the correct definition of each word listed.  There are ten words for you to define.  Ready, set, go!

1. spurious (adjective)

A.  natural

B.  not being what it purports to be, false or fake

C. suspicious in nature

D.  unusual, an anomaly

E.  that which is rejected



2.  promulgate (verb)

A.  to put down by authority or force: SUBDUE

B.  to reveal only to a chosen group

C.  to make (an idea, belief, etc.) known to many people by open declaration: PROCLAIM

D.  to demand money or another benefit from (someone) in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them: BLACKMAIL

E.  to self-publish a book



3.  sojourn (noun)

A.   a secret journey at night

B.   an unplanned vacation

C.  a morning journey

D.  a day trip

E.  a temporary stay



4.  respite (noun)

A.  a constitutional right

B.  a long hospital stay

C.  a period of temporary delay, an interval of rest or relief

D.  an act of forgiveness

E.  an act of repentance



5.  ornithology (noun)

A.  a branch of zoology dealing with birds

B.  a branch of zoology dealing with insects

C.  a branch of zoology dealing with horses

D.  a branch of zoology dealing with rabbits

E.  a branch of zoology dealing with fish



6.  festoon (verb)

A.  joke, act comically

B.  make fun of, ridicule

C.  ignore the obvious

D.  laugh uncontrollably

E.  decorate, adorn



7.  inscrutable (adjective)

A.  easy to understand or interpret

B.  impossible to understand or interpret

C.  distant, uncommunicative

D.  docile, obedient

E.  stubborn, hard-headed



8.  languid (adjective)

A.   (of a person, manner or gesture) displaying open hostility or anger toward others

B.   clear and transparent, not hidden, open and honest

C.  (of a person, manner or gesture) displaying or having a disinclination for physical exertion or effort, slow and relaxed

D.  tearful, sad, despondent

E.  painfully shy or timid, lacking confidence



9. nephrology (noun)

A.  a branch of medicine concerned with the liver

B.  a branch of medicine concerned with the intestines

C.  a branch of medicine concerned with bones

D.  a branch of medicine concerned with the kidney

E.  a branch of medicine concerned with the lungs



10. arachnophobia (noun)

A.  pathological fear or loathing of snakes

B.  pathological fear or loathing of spiders

C.  pathological fear or loathing of frogs

D.  pathological fear or loathing of ants

E. pathological fear or loathing of octopuses



.

ANSWERS 
(Note:  The definitions for the correct answers have been taken from the Merriam-Webster dictionary or thesaurus)

1.  B
spurious (adjective): Not being what it purports to be, false or fake


2.  C
 promulgate (verb): to make (an idea, belief, etc.) known to many people by open declaration: PROCLAIM


3.  E
sojourn (noun): a temporary stay


4.  C
respite (noun):  a period of temporary delay, an interval of rest or relief


5.  A
ornithology (noun): a branch of zoology dealing with birds


6.  E
festoon (verb): decorate, adorn


7.  B
inscrutable (adjective): impossible to understand or interpret


8.  C.
languid (adjective): (of a person, manner or gesture) displaying or having a disinclination for physical exertion or effort, slow and relaxed


9.  D.
nephrology (noun) a branch of medicine concerned with the kidneys


10.  B.
arachnophobia (noun): pathological fear or loathing of spiders



- Joanne

It's time for some new fashion trends. Beards and tattoos have become too mainstream

ZZ Top

We all know that styles and fashions change with the times, or do they?  For the first 19 years of the 21st century, beards and tattoos have been trendy.  The vast majority of athletes, actors and singers have one or the other or both.  Some athletes and celebrities have taken to growing Smith Brothers or ZZ Top beards (Hello David Letterman and Joe Thornton).  So many hockey players have beards that there is no point in growing them for the playoffs.  They might as well have a playoff shave.

Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks

David Letterman

I can understand growing a ZZ Top beard for fun.  Keeping it permanently is another matter - unless you happen to think ZZ Top, the Smith Brothers and Santa Claus are hip and cool and attractive.  I don't.  The reason I mentioned Santa Claus is that long beards age white and grey-haired men by ten years or more.

I'm going against the grain and I know many people disagree with me.  They think that there is no need for a change in style.  That's fine.  Different strokes for different folks, so they say.  I'm also aware that for ZZ Top, the long beards are a gimmick, their way of getting noticed.  I just feel it's time for a change, even though I can't see that change coming anytime soon.  Beards and tattoos are much too popular and the tattoo industry is too lucrative. 

I'm not going to suggest a new fashion trend, just some kind of change would be refreshing.  I wonder how people will react to pictures of long-bearded, tattooed celebrities and athletes in a few hundred year?


- Joanne

You're wrong, Donald Trump. White nationalism IS a threat and you are helping to make it more so.

The brutal massacre of 50 innocent people in Christchurch. New Zealand was absolutely horrific.  Words are not strong enough to describe an atrocity of this magnitude .  Acts of such violent extremism, whether political, religious or racial, are a scourge.  They are particularly vile when they occur in a houses of worship, whether they be Christian churches, Jewish synagogues, Islamic mosques or other sacred places.  This kind of inhumanity should be condemned unequivocally, whether left wing or right wing in nature.

Although U.S. President Donald Trump expressed sympathy for the New Zealand victims, he failed to express  concern about  the rise in white nationalism around the around the world.   Instead, he said, "I don't really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems, I guess.  If you look at New Zealand, perhaps that's the case.  I don't know enough about it yet.  But it's certainly a terrible thing."

It's obvious that Trump doesn't realize (or doesn't want to realize) the gravity of the situation.  Perhaps he is afraid of alienating his base, many of whom are white nationalists.  He continues to deny that he is a racist.  The facts, however, tell a different story.

While he was still a private citizen, Donald Trump was very outspoken in leading the so-called "birther" movement.  He questioned whether Barack Obama, the first Afro-American U.S. president, was actually born in the United States (Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961).  Trump claimed that Obama's birth certificate may not have been authentic.  The implication was that Obama, whose father was a Muslim from Kenya, was a foreigner and not a true American.  Trump eventually had to admit that Obama was "born in the United States PERIOD."

Trump's presidential victory corresponded with a growth in readership on white supremacist internet sites and hate comments occurred on message boards.  In 2017, a report form the Southern Poverty Law Center, found there were more than 600 groups that believe in some form of white supremacist ideology.  Neo- Nazism showed the most growth, increasing from 99 to 121 groups over the past year.

The New York-based Anti-Defamation League reported that domestic extremists killed at least 50 people in the United States in 2018, an increase from 37 in 2017.  It stated that white supremacists "were responsible for the great majority of the killings, which is typically the case.”  Earlier his month, the FBI released

 A former white nationalist told CNN's Chris Cuomo about the rise in hate and how it spreads online.  Christian Picciolini, now an author and public speaker, told Cuomo that the internet is a serious problem because "what's happening on the internet is essentially a 24-hour hate buffet" where people can "feast all night long" on this stuff.

Soon after the 2016 election, Richard Spencer, president of the National Policy Institute, a white supremacist think tank, and his fellow white nationalists expressed their support of Donald Trump.
Trump's hard line stance on immigration, his anti-Mexican rhetoric and his Muslim ban have only served to encourage and embolden right-wing  racists.  Trump may have publicly denounced bigotry, as his supporters are quick to point out, but white nationalists appear to be receiving another message from him.  They seem to believe that they have his tacit support of the President of the United States, one of the most powerful and influential persons on the planet. When Donald Trump declares, "Let's make America great again, white supremacists, perceive it to be a clarion call to make America white again. 

Sadly, white nationalist violence is spreading around the world.  My country, Canada, has not been immune to it.  On January 29, 2017, a gunman entered a mosque in the St. Foy neighbourhood of Quebec City..  He killed six worhippers and injured 19 others shortly after the end of evening prayers.  On February 8, 2019, the perpetrator was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 40 years.  People who knew him claimed he had far-right, white nationalist and anti-Muslim views.  He often disparaged refugees and feminists online.

On August 12, 2017, white supremacists held a "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.  It was a chilling display of anti-Semitism. as a group of white men, carrying torches marched through the town shouting, "Jews will not replace us."  Some carried Nazi flags.  It ended in death when a car was driven into a crowd of people who were peacefully protesting against the racists.  Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old Charlottesville woman, was killed in the attack.  Donald Trump later held a new conference in which he stated that "both sides were to blame" and that there were "fine people" among the original protesters.  White nationalists, of course, interpreted his remarks as his approval of them.  They felt vindicated.

David Duke, a white supremacist and former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, attended the Charlottesville rally and proclaimed that white nationalists like him voted for Trump because "he's going to take our country back."  It should be noted that Trump did not immediately reject Duke's support during the 2016 election campaign.

On October 26 2018, a man was arrested in Florida for mailing explosives to Democratic Party officials and several media personalities who had been criticized by Donald Trump.  The man was a Trump supporter and his white van was festooned with Trump propaganda.  The president declared that he had been "insane" long before he had become a Trump fan.

On October 27, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  11 people were murdered and seven were injured.  It was the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in American history.  Using an online social network, the suspect had earlier posted anti-Semitic remarks against the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), which is supported by Tree of Life.  In reference to the Central American migrants and immigrants, whom Trump rails against, he wrote that "HAIS likes to bring invaders that kill our people.  I can't sit by and see my people slaughtered."

Just last month, a U.S. coast guard lieutenant, stationed in Washington, D.C., was arrested on suspicion of domestic terrorism.  The suspect, a 49-year-old from Silver Springs, Maryland, is accused of stockpiling weapons and drugs.  He had an apparent hit list of Democrats and MSNBC and CNN anchors, including Nancy Pelosi, Joe Scarborough and Kamala Harris., the very people Donald Trump demonizes.  Prosecutors say he is a white supremacist who holds extremist views.  According to court documents filed on February 19, 2019, the defendant "is a domestic terrorist bent on committing acts dangerous to human life that are intended to affect government conduct."

On March 9, 2019, The Washington Post reported that according to internal FBI data, more domestic terror suspects were arrested in 2918 than those allegedly motivated by international terrorist groups.

On March 15, 2019, a 28-year-old Australian carried an attack at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, targeting Muslims at Friday prayer.  50 people were killed and some 50 were injured.  The accused gunman left a lengthy manifesto behind in which he described himself as a white nationalist who hated immigrants and was sparked by attacks in Europe that were perpetrated by Muslims.  He also wrote that he supported Donald Trump as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose" but not as a "policy maker and leader."

On March 16, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio, a vigil for victims of the New Zealand mosque attacks was interrupted by a Trump supporter with an enormous "Build the Wall" parade float.  Newsweek reported that according to local news outlets, "the float was rolling through the memorial service while blasting music, including "God Bless America."  The Trump supporter, a tourist from Michigan, told a Cleveland news channel that he had been visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when he noticed the memorial service, which was taking place near City Hall.  The vigil was organized by the Islamic Center of Cleveland and Global Cleveland for the purpose supporting and paying tribute to New Zealand's dead and injured.  Its aim was also to combat hate speech and polarization.

The White House has vehemently denied any link between Trump and the man accused of the New Zealand shootings.  Mecedes Schlapp, its director of strategic communication, made the following statement:  "It's outrageous to even make that connection between this deranged individual that committed this evil crime to the president who has repeatedly condemned bigotry, racism and made it very clear that this is a terrorist attack.  Mercedes told reporters that "We are here to support and stand with the people of New Zealand,"  She said that Trump had telephoned Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to offer his condolences, prayers and any help the U.S. might be able to provide.  Ardern's message was "to offer sympathy and love to all Muslim communities."

This past weekend, at least 30 gravestones at a Jewish cemetery in Fall River, Massachusetts were defaced with swastikas and anti-Semitic messages.  The Fall River Police Department told Newsweek that the gravestones at Hebrew Cemetery had been vandalized.  The hate messages were written in black marker and among the graffiti was "This is MAGA Country," referring to Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.

Condolences and prayers are well and good, but much more is needed from this U.S. president.  For a start, he could turn down his rhetoric.  New Zealand's Jacinda Adren, in her handling of her country's tragedy, was everything Trump is not.  She was unifying.  She was firm, decisive and empathetic and she refused to name the accused.  She also made sure that assault rifles were banned in her country.  Now that's leadership!


- Joanne

In Praise of Women on International Women's Day: Five Women of Accomplishment

It's 2019 and women have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go.  For example, females still lack the right to education in parts of the world and so many women are the victims of sexual assault.  On this International Women's Day, Number 16 presents to you brief biographies and quotes from five women of accomplishment and courage.

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was an English writer, philosopher and women's rights advocate.  She was the author of novels, treatises, a travel narrative and a history of the French Revolution.  She is best known for A Vindication of the Rights of Women: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects (1792), one of the earliest works of feminist philosophy.  She argued that women are not inferior to men, but only seem so due to a lack of education.  She believed that both men and women should be treated as rational beings and pleaded for a social order founded on reason.

Marry Wollencraft was the mother of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein.


It is vain to expect virtue from women till they are to some degree independent of men.

- Mary Wollstonecraft
From A Vindication of the Rights of Women [1792]


I do not wish them (women) to have power over men, but over themselves.

- Mary Wollstonecraft
From A Vindication of the Rights of Women [1792]


I love men as my fellow, but his sceptre, real or usurped, extends not to me, unless the reason of an individual demands my homage; and even then the submission is to reason, not to man.

- Mary Wollstonecraft
From A Vindication of the Rights of Women [1792]


Make them free, and they will quickly become wise and virtuous, as men become more so; for the improvement must be mutual, or the injustice which one half of the human race are obliged to submit to, retorting on their oppressors, the virtue of men will be worm-eaten by the insect whom he keeps under his feet.

- Mary Wollstonecraft
From A Vindication of the Rights of Women [1792]


There must be some equality established in society, or morality will never gain ground, and this virtuous equality will not rest firmly, even when founded on a rock, if one half of mankind be chained to its bottom by fate, for they will be continually undermining it through ignorance or pride.

- Mary Wollstonecraft
From A Vindication of the Rights of Women [1792]

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) was an American political figure, activist and diplomat.  She was First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945.  She served as United States Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 until 1952.  In addition, she was the first chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and oversaw the drafting of  its Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Roosevelt later chaired the John F. Kennedy's administration's Presidential Commission on the Status of Women.

Eleanor Roosevelt was an outspoken advocate for the civil rights for African Americans.  She was the first spouse of a president to write a daily syndicated newspaper column (My Day) and the first to speak at a national party convention.


A woman is like a teabag.  You never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.

- This quote is often attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt without an original source in her writings, as in The Wit and Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt (1996).  However, archivists have not been able to find the quote in any of her writings.

Clare Booth Luce (19013-1907) was an American author, politician and conservative thinker.  From 1943 to 1947, she was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 4th district.  During the presidency of Dwight D..Eisenhower, she became the first American woman appointed to a major ambassadorial post overseas.  She served as U.S. Ambassador to Italy (1953 to 1956) and U.S. Ambassador to Brazil (1959).  She is also known for her 1936 hit play The Women, which featured an all-female cast.


A man has only one escape from his old self - to see a different self in the mirror of some woman's 
eyes.

- Clare Booth Luce
From The Women, 1936 play

Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed.  If I fail, no one will say, "She doesn't have what it takes."  They will say, "Women don't have what it takes."

- Clare Booth Luce, attributed
From On Being Blonde: Wit and Wisdom from the World's Most Infamous Blondes


When a man can't explain a woman's actions, the first thing he thinks about is the condition of her uterus.

- Clare Booth Luce
From Slam the Door Softly [1970]


I refuse the compliment that I think like a man.  Thought has no sex, either one thinks or one does not.

- Clare Booth Luce
From Henry R. Luce, Time, and the American Crusade in Asia, by Robert E. Herzstein [2005]

Amelia Earhart was born July 24, 1897.  She was an American aviation pioneer and author.  She was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.  She was a member of the National Woman's Party, which championed female suffrage.  She was also an early supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution.  The proposed amendment was introduced to the U.S Congress in 1921 and guarantees equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex.
On July 2, 1937, while attempting to circumnavigate the globe, Earheart and navigator Fred Noonan
disappeared over the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island.


I want to do it because I want to do it.  Women must try to do things as men have tried.  When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others. 

- Amelia Earhart
From a letter to her husband, George P. Putnam, on the eve of her last flight

Lois Wyse (1926-2007) was American advertising executive, author and columnist.  She wrote on a variety of topics such as business, family and love.  A prolific writer, she is credited with writing over 60 books.


Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths.

- Attributed to Lois Wyse


Women on the way up generally fail to win popularity contests.  The only compensation is that once you're there you will become very well liked.

- Attributed to Lois Wyse


- Joanne

Oscars (Academy Awards) Quiz 2019

The 91st Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, February, 24, 2019 and will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.  In preparation for the big night, why not challenge yourself and try Number 16's ninth annual Oscars quiz.  There are 10 questions.  Good luck!

NUMBER 16 OSCARS QUIZ 2019

1.  Bette Davis won two Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role.  Name the movies which earned her two Oscars.

From Dark Victory

A.  She won for her performances in  Dangerous in 1936 and Jezebel in 1939.

B.  She won for Dark Victory in 1940 and for Now, Voyager in 1943.

C.  She won for The Letter in 1941 and for The Star in 1953.

D.  She won for The Little Foxes in 1942 and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? in 1963.

E.  She won for Mr.Skeffington in 1945 and All About Eve in 1951.



2.  Which famous filmmaker purchased Bette Davis' Oscar statuettes at auctions?

A.  Martin Scorsese

B.  Woody Allen

C.  Francis Ford Coppola

D.  James Cameron

E.  Steven Spielberg




3.  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) received nine Oscar nominations.  How many Academy Awards did it win?

A.  None

B.  Six

C.  Five

D.  Four

E.  Nine



4.  No foreign language film has ever received an Academy Award for Best Picture, although eight foreign language films have been nominated for the award.  This year, Roma, Alfonso Cuaron's Netflix's drama about a young housekeeper in 1970s Mexico, has been nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film.  Roma tied another film for the highest number of Oscar nominations for foreign language film.  What is the name of the other foreign language film that has received ten Academy Award nominations?

A.  Life is Beautiful (Italy) - won Best Foreign Language Film in 1998

B.  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Taiwan) - won best Foreign Language Film in 2000

C.  A Man and a Woman (France) - won best Foreign Language Film in 1966

D.  War and Peace (Soviet Union) i- won best Foreign Language Film in 1968

E.  Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (Italy) - won best Foreign Language film in 1970



5.  Which country has won the Best Foreign Language film the most times.?

A.  France

B.  Spain

C.  Japan

D.  Italy

E.  Sweden



6.  Mary Poppins Returns (2018), starring Emily Blunt as the no-nonsense English nanny, has been nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, Best Original Song ("The Place Where Lost Things Go"), Best Production Design.  How many Oscar nominations did the original 1964 film starring Julie Andrews earn?

A.  12

B.  11

C.  13

D.  10

E.  Eight



7.  Only one male performer has won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role three times.  Who is he?

A.  Daniel Day-Lewis

B.  Jack Nicholson

C.  Al Pacino

D.  Gregory Peck

E.  Woody Allen



8.  Which male performer has more Oscar nominations than any other.

A.  Marlon Brando

B.  Jack Nicholson

C.  Robert Redford

D.  Carey Grant

E.  Spencer Tracy


9.  Oscar nominations for female directors have been few and far between. As we approach the 91st Academy Awards ceremony, how many women have been nominated for a Best Director Oscar during the course of nine decades.

A.  One

B.  Six

C.  Four

D.  Three

E.  Five



10.  During her illustrious career, Meryl Streep has received 21 Academy Award nominations, more than any other actor.  For which movie did she earn her first Oscar nomination?

Meryl Streep

A.  Kramer vs. Kramer

B.  The French Lieutenant's Woman

C.  Silkwood

D.  The Deer Hunter

E.  Sophie's Choice

ANSWERS

1.  A

Bette Davis received Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performances in Dangerous and Jezebel.  She was nominated for Dark Victory, Now, Voyager, The Letter, The Star, The Little Foxes, Mr. Skeffington and All About Eve, but did not win.  She also received a write-in nomination in 1935 for her role in  Of Human Bondage.


2.  E.

Spielberg in 2012  Photo Attribution: Romain DUBOIS

In 2001, Steven Spielberg anonymously purchased Bette Davis' Oscar for Jezebel at a Christie's auction in New York.  In 2002, he anonymously purchased Davis' Oscar for Dangerous at a Sotheby's auction in New York,  Spielberg donated both statuettes to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

3.  C

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest won five Oscars at the 1976 Academy Award:

Best Picture (Michael Douglas, Saul Zaentz, producers)

Best Director (Milos Forman)

Best Actor (Jack Nicholson)

Best Actress (Louise Fletcher)

Best Adapted Screenplay (Laurence Hauben, Bo Goldman)


4.  B

Crouching Tigar, Hidden Dragon received ten Academy Award nominations.  It won a total of four Oscars.


5.  D

Italy has won the most Best Foreign Language Film Academy Awards.  It has won 14 times, including two special awards for Shoe-Shine (1946) and an Honorary Award shared with France for The Walls of Malapaga (1949).  France has won 12, including a Special Award for Monsieur Vincent (1947) and two honorary awards for Forbidden Games (1952) and The Walls of Malapaga (1949).  Japan has won four wins and three of them are Honorary Awards.  Spain also has four wins.  Sweden and Denmark have three.each.


6.  C

Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins

The original Mary Poppins, received 13 Oscar nominations and went on to win five Oscars at the 1965 Academy Awards Ceremony: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Julie Andrews), Best Music, Original Score, Best Music, Original Song ("Chim Chim Cher-ee"), Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects.


7.  A

Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day-Lewis is the only male performer who has won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role three times.  Day-Lewis received his first Best Actor in Leading Role Oscar in 1990 for his performance in the film My Left Foot.  He won again in 2008 for his role in There Will Be Blood and in 2013 for Lincoln.


8.  B

Jack Niccholson

Jack Nicholson has garnered more Oscar nominations than any other male performer in the history of the Academy Awards, He has received 12 nominations.   His most recent nomination was for About Schmidt in 2003.  Nicholson  has won three times.  In 1976, he received an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  In 1984, he took home an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Terms of Endearment.  In 1998, he won for Best Actor in a Leading Role for As Good as it Gets.


9.  E

Kathryn Bigelow at the 2010 Oscars

Only five women have received Oscar nominations in the category of Best Director.  They are Lina Wertmuller for Seven Beauties in 1976, Jane Campion  for The Piano in 1993, Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation in 2003, Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2003 and Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird in 2018.  Of the five female nominees, only one has won the Academy Award - Katheryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker.


10.  D

In 1979, Meryl Streep received the first of her 21 Oscar nominations when she was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in The Deer Hunter. The following year, in 1980, she won the first of her three Academy Awards, for her performance in Kramer vs. Kramer (Best Actress in a Supporting Role).  In 1983, Streep won her second Oscar for Sophie's Choice (Best Actress in a Leading Role).  In 2012, she won her third Oscar for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady (Best Actress in a Leading Role).  Note: Jack Nicholson and Katharine Hepburn have earned the second most Oscar nominations with 12 each.



- Joanne

Riddles and word plays on a cold January day

It's January and it's very cold in many places in the Northern Hemisphere.  If you live Down Under in Australia and New Zealand, it's the summer season, but you can still enjoy some riddles and word plays.  So, why don't you sit by the fire or keep yourself cool and try to solve some of the following riddles and word plays. 


QUESTION:  I am not alive, but I grow.  I do not have lungs, but I need air.  I don't have a mouth, but water destroys me.  What am I?

ANSWER:  Fire.


QUESTION:  People buy me to eat, but don't eat me.  What am I?

ANSWER:  A plate.



QUESTION:  What does a thesaurus eat for breakfast?

ANSWER:  Synonym buns.



QUESTION:  One big hockey fan claimed to be able to tell the score before any game.  How did he do it?

ANSWER:  The score before any hockey game should be 0-0, of course.

QUESTION:  What can be seen once in a minute, twice in a moment, and never in a thousand years?

ANSWER:  The letter “m.”


:"Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns.  He should be drawn and quoted."

- Attributed to Fred Allen (1894-1956), American radio comedian, Dictionary of Quotations in 
Communications

Fred Allen

Pupkis:  The moist residue left on a window after a dog presses its nose to it.


Santa's helpers are known as subordinate Clauses.


QUESTION:  How do construction workers party?

ANSWER:  They raise the roof.



- Joanne

Shame on U.S. Vice President Mike Pence

VP Mike Pence

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence serves as Donald Trump's lap dog.  He is expected to defend the president at the drop of a hat.  Trump demands Pence's undying loyalty at all times and in all circumstances.  However, that does not mean that Pence had to sink so law as to equate his master's border wall with Martin Luther King's campaign for justice and civil rights.  Such an analogy is absolutely revolting.  It is disgusting beyond belief.  It is an insult to the memory of Dr. King and to all Americans, regardless of race or colour.

On the eve of Martin Luther King Day, Vice President Pence appeared on CBS's Face the Nation.  He quoted from Dr. King's magnificent "I Have a Dream" speech.  Then he went on to make the following statement: "One of my favourite quotes from Dr. King was, "Now is the time to make real promises on democracy.  You think of how he changed America.  He inspired us to change through the legislative process, to become a more perfect union.  That's exactly what President Trump is calling on Congress to do.  Come to the table in good faith.  We'll secure out borders.  We'll reopen the government and we'll move our nation forward as the president said yesterday to even a broader discussion about immigration reform in the months ahead."

The Vice President used the beautiful words of Martin Luther King to brazenly advocate for the polices of Donald J. Trump.  He used the revered memory of Dr. King to play politics on behalf of his boss and the  Republican party.  Yet, the late civil rights champion's beliefs and principles are the exact opposite of Donald Trump's policies.  In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, dated April 16, 1963, King wrote, "We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.  Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."  Trump's nationalism, his Fortress America outlook would never have been embraced by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who would have celebrated his 90th birthday on January 15th.

Dr. King built bridges, not fences.  If he were alive today, he would strongly oppose Trump's infernal 5.7 million border wall.  In fact, I am confident in saying that King would lead a march against it.  He definitely would not be in favour of Trump's anti-immigrant policies.  He would be appalled by the detention of children and their separation from their parents.

Today is Martin Luther King Day in the United States.  King was assassinated on August 4, 1968, over 50 years ago.  50 years hence, will there be a day in honour of Donald J. Trump?  What do you honestly think?   I think Dr. King must be turning over in his grave.  By the way, Martin Luther King's son, Martin Luther King III, said that his father would view the government shutdown as "inhumane," and blamed Trump for creating misery among federal workers.

MLK

- Joanne

Aerosol spray cans: Are they now safe for the environment?

Aerosol spray cans were created in the 1920s by U.S. Department of Agriculture.scientists for the purpose of pressurizing insect spray.  During World War II, the technology was used by American soldiers to prevent malaria in the South Pacific..  The original cans were large and clunky.  In the following decades, they became more compact and more refined.  They also became very popular with consumers, although they contained chloroflurocarbons (CFCs).  CFCs are non-toxic, nonflammable chemicals.  These chemicals are composed of atoms of carbon, chlorine and fluorine, which deplete the ozone layer, a region of the Earth's atmosphere which absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation.  In effect, the ozone layer acts a protective shield, which CFCs destroy.

The environmental danger posed by aerosol cans first came to public attention in the 1970s.  In fact, there is an episode of the American TV series All in the Family (1971-1979) in which Mike "Meathead" Stivic informs his wife, Gloria, about how her aerosol hair spray damages the ozone layer.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the United States, Canada and other countries banned ozone-depleting CFC propellants for non-essential uses.  This action reduced CFC consumption in Canada by more than 50 per cent.  In the United States, consumer aerosol products have not contained CFCs since the 1970s because companies eliminated them voluntarily. Federal regulations such as The Clean Air Act, and United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) restrictions, further limited the use of CFCs for non-consumer products.

Due to the landmark Montreal Protocol of 1987, an international agreement signed in Canada by 191 countries, many nations began phasing out ozone-depleting propellants and replacing them with non-depleting forms.  In 2014, five international organizations, including the United Nations Environmental Program and NASA issued a report that concluded that actions "taken under the Montreal Protocol have led to decreases in the atmospheric abundance of controlled ozone-depleting substances, and are enabling the return of the ozone layer toward 1980 levels."

Unfortunately, this does not mean that the problem has been completely solved.  It also does not mean that hair sprays, deodorant and shaving cream cans are favourable to the environment.  Even without CFCs, aerosol sprays and aerosol cans still contain hydrocarbons and/or compressed gases known for contributing to global warming.

Even though hairsprays no longer uses CFCs to propel the stiffening agreement out of the can, they do contain other chemicals as propellants that are considered to be potent greenhouse gases - namely hydrofluorcarbons (HFCs.  The previously mentioned 2014 report found that "climate benefits of the Montreal Protocol could be significantly offset be projected emissions of HFCs used to replace " ozone-depleting substances.  Although HFC use "makes a small contribution" to greenhouse gas emissions each year", the authors of the report asserted that HFC emissions "are currently growing at a rate of about 7 % a year."  Growing demand could possibly result in HFC emissions reaching levels "nearly as high a the peak emission of CFCs" by the year 2050.

According to Scientific American, modern-day aerosol sprays also "emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs that contribute to ground-level ozone levels, a key component of asthma-inducing smog."  It's not only aerosol sprays that emit VOCs.  The list includes fingernail polish, perfumes, mouthwashes, pump hair sprays and roll-on and stick deodorants.

Sadly, it is difficult for the public to be properly informed when the current President of the United States, makes false claims.  Donald J. Trump is no friend to the environment.  He doesn't take climate change seriously, nor is he concerned with scientific evidence that the Earth is heating up at an alarming rate.  He also pulled the United States out of the Paris climate change agreement and he actively encourages the use of non-renewable resources.

So, it is not surprising that Trump has spread misinformation about hairspray and its effect on the ozone layer.  The president is apparently quite familiar with the use of hairspray by which he achieves his strange hairstyle, a blond combover look.  A former political adviser to the president told the New York Post that Trump "uses a weird bottle of hairspray." that's "bigger than the biggest can of beer."

On May 5, 2016, at a campaign rally in Charleston, West Virginia, Donald Trump declared that "hairspray's not like it used to be" because chemicals in it that affect the ozone layer have been banned.  He also claimed that using hairspray in his apartment, "which is sealed," would stop any ozone-depleting substances from escaping into the environment.  Yet, according to an article by Vanessa Schipani in The Wire, multiple exports told her that the chemicals would still make their way out.

At the rally in Charleston, Trump was presented with a hard hat from an official from the West Virginia Coal Association.  After trying on the hat. Trump couldn't resist talking about his hair and he implied that regulations on hairspray and coal mining are unnecessary.

Trump, May 5, 2016: Give me a little spray. … You know you’re not allowed to use hairspray anymore because it affects the ozone, you know that, right? I said, you mean to tell me, cause you know hairspray’s not like it used to be, it used to be real good. … Today you put the hairspray on, it’s good for 12 minutes, right. … So if I take hairspray and I spray it in my apartment, which is all sealed, you’re telling me that affects the ozone layer? “Yes.” I say no way folks. No way. No way. That’s like a lot of the rules and regulations you people have in the mines, right, it’s the same kind of stuff.

By the way, back in 2011, Trump suggested that the "eight-inch concrete floors" and "eight-inch concrete walls" of Trump Tower would prevent hairspray from "destroying the ozone that's 400 miles up in the air." Not  so, said Steve Montzka, a chemist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  "It makes no difference," he stated, if you spay those chemicals "inside your house or apartment.  It will eventually make it outside."  


SOURCES:  Scientific American, "Bad Hair Day: Are Aerosols Still Bad for the Ozone Layer"; The Wire, "Trump on Hairspray and Ozone," By Vanessa Schipani, May 17, 2016; Nature, "Ozone treaty 'must tackle CFC 'smuggling'." by David Spugeon, September 18, 1997


- Joanne

2019 Wish List

Instead of making predictions about 2019, I have decided to make a wish list.  Here it is, folks.


I hope that far right populists lose ground in the New Year.

I hope that 2019 is not a good year for dictatorships and authoritarian leaders around the world, especially Vladimir Putin of Russia.

My wish is that 2019 will see a rise in democracy and democratic freedoms around the world.

I hope that 2019 marks the final year of the presidency of Donald Trump.  I wish that he would resign or that he would be impeached and convicted - the sooner, the better.  Every day he remains in office causes damage to the United States and to the rest of the world.  My nightmare is that he will be able to run again in 2020.

My wish is that Britain remains in the European Union.  I hope that Brexit doesn't happen and that a second referendum overturns the first.  There is evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 referendum.

I wish that the Toronto Maple Leafs would win the Stanley Cup, their first victory since May 2, 1967.  Here is my dream scenario:  Mitch Marner scores the winning goal with about 50 seconds left in the third period of the seventh game.

I hope that 2019 will be a good year for those who are concerned about the environment.and that some significant progress will be made in the fight against climate change.

I wish for a really major breakthrough in preventing, curing or controlling one or more of the world's
most harmful diseases such as Alzheimer's, cancer, Parkinson's etc.

I  wish for fewer wars and more civility in the world in 2019.

On January 1, 2020, I will write another wish list and I will let you know if any of wishes came true.


- Joanne

2019:: The Year Ahead - Calendar of Anniversaries and Events

ANNIVERSARIES IN 2019

100th Anniversary of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference after World War I

  

Depicted in the painting above, The Signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors by Sir William Orpen, is German jurist and politician Johannes Bell signing the peace treaties on June 28, 1919.

Pictured below are the "Big Four" at the Paris Peace Conference.  From left to right: David Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France and Woodrow Wilson of the United States.

The Paris Peace Conference was a meeting of Allied victors of World War I.  It's purpose was to set the set the terms for peace with the defeated Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria).  Its major decisions were the creation of the League of Nations and five peace treaties with defeated states.  Its main result was the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which placed the guilt for the war on "the aggression of Germany and and her allies."  This led to Germany having to pay expensive reparations. The treaty was signed in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles on June 28, 1919.




90 years since the stock market crash of 1929
                                                       

Above is a photo of the crowd gathering on Wall Street after the 1929 stock market crash.  The devastating crash began on October 24, 1929 ("Black Thursday") and continued until October 29, 1929 ("Black Tuesday"), when shares on the New York Stock Exchange collapsed.  The Wall Street Crash was preceded by the crash of the London Stock Exchange in September.  Its ushered in the Great Depression.

80th Anniversary of the beginning of World War II in Europe

The forces of Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.  This marked the beginning of World War II in Europe and it occurred one week after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union.  The Soviets invaded Poland on September 17th  and by October 16th, Germany and the Soviet Union had annexed and divided all of Poland.



70 years since the proclamation of the People's Republic of China

On October 1 1949, the People's Republic of China was proclaimed after a revolution led by Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong.  This signified the end of a civil war between the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Chinese Communist Party. It also signified the beginning of a single-party state controlled by the CCP.  Mao ruled China as Chairman of the Communist Party until his death on September 9, 1976.




50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Apollo 11 crew: (LtoR) Armstrpmg/Collins and Aldrin

Armstrong and Aldrin on the Moon

Buzz Aldrin on the Moon.

Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first two humans, both American, on the Moon.  Commander Neil A. Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin landed the lunar module Eagle on July 20, 1969.  Armstrong became the first person to step on the lunar surface on July 21, 1969.  As he stepped down on to the Moon, he uttered the memorable words, "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind."  The event was broadcast on live television .

50 years since the Manson murders

Charles Manson in 1969

In August of 1969, members of a California commune and cult group,, led by Charles Manson, committed several horrendous murders.  On the night of August 8th, Tex Watson and three other members of the Manson Family entered the Los Angeles home of Sharon Tate and her husband, film director Roman Polanski.  Under orders from Charles Manson,to kill everyone in the house, they murdered Tate,(who was eight and a half months pregnant), three friends who were visiting at the time, as well as an 18-year-old visitor, who was slain as he was leaving the home  Polanski was not present as he was making a film in Europe  In the early morning hours of August 10th, Charles Manson and some of his followers went to the home of supermarket executive Leno Labianca and his wife, Rosemary, a dress shop co-owner.  Manson and Tex Watson tied up the couple and Manson left.  After his departure, three members of his group murdered Leno and Rosemary Lebianca.

In 1971, Charles Manson was convicted of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the deaths of seven people.  He died at the age of 83 on November 19, 2017.



50 years since the Woodstock music festival

Crowd at Woodstock Festival  PHOTO ATTRIBUTION: Derek Redmond and Paul Campbell

Woodstock was a music festival held on a Max Yasgur's dairy farm in the Catskill Mountains, northwest of New York City, from August 15 to August 18, 1969.  The festival drew about a half a million people and it became an icon of the hippie culture of the 1960s.  Some of the artists who performed at Woodstock included Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and Joan Baez.



40th Anniversary of the establishment of an Islamic republic in Iran 

Ayatollah Khomeini

The Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979, was a popular uprising in Iran that led to the overthrow of the monarchy under Shah Mohammad Pahl.  On April 1, 1979, Iran voted by national referendum to become an Islamic Republic under the leadership of  Grand  Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.  Khomeini had returned from exile in Paris on February 1, 1979.



40th Anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis and the rescue of six Americans by Canadians and the CIA

Iranian students at U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran in 1979

On November 4, 1979, Iranian students demonstrated outside the American embassy in Tehran, Iran, demanding the extradition of the Shah of Iran from the United States.  They took over the embassy and held many people hostage.  The hostages were held for 444 days, until January 20, 1981, the day that Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president.

On the day the hostages were seized, six American diplomats evaded capture by hiding in the home of a Canadian diplomat under the protection of Ken Taylor, the Canadian ambassador to Iran.  The government of then-Canadian prime minister Joe Clark allowed Canadian passports to be issued to some American citizens so that they could escape.  The CIA, using the the cover of a film project, helped the American diplomats board a fight to Switzerland.  The incident is known as the "Canadian Caper."

                                                                                                                 

HOLIDAYS, FESTIVALS AND OBSERVANCES, RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR 2019 (Canada and the United States)

JANUARY


NEW YEAR'S DAY (Gregorian Calendar):  Tuesday, January 1, 2019

FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY:  Sunday, January 6, 2019

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY (United States):  Monday, January 21, 2019

FEBRUARY

VALENTINE'S DAY:  Thursday, February 14, 2019

CHINESE NEW YEAR

2019 is The Year of the Pig.  The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, in determined according to the Chinese lunar calendar.  This year the festival begins on Friday, February 5, 2019, the first day of the lunar calendar.  It lasts for seven days.

PRESIDENTS' DAY (United States):  Monday, February 18, 2019

MARCH


MARDI GRAS (SHROVE TUESDAY):  Tuesday, March 5, 2019

ASH WEDNESDAY:  Lent begins Wednesday, March 6, 2019

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY:  Friday, March 8, 2019

ST. PATRICK'S DAY:  Sunday, March 17, 2019

APRIL


GOOD FRIDAY:  Friday, April 19, 2019

EASTER SUNDAY:  Sunday, April 21, 2019

PASSOVER:  Begins the evening of Friday, April 19, 2019 and ends the evening of Saturday, April 27, 2019

EARTH DAY:  Monday, April 22, 2019

MAY


MOTHER'S DAY:  Sunday, May 12, 2019

RAMADAM (Islamic holy month) :  Begins at sunset on Tuesday, May 5, 2019 and ends on Thursday, June 4, 2019 (Dates may vary)

VICTORIA DAY (Canada):  Monday, May 20, 2019

MEMORIAL DAY (United States): Monday, May 27, 2019

JUNE

EID-AL-FITR (End of Ramadan): Begins in the evening of Thursday, June 4, 2019 and ends in the evening of Friday, June 5, 2019.

FATHER'S DAY:  Sunday, June 16, 2019 (the third Sunday in June)

JULY


CANADA DAY (Canada):  Monday, July 1, 2019

INDEPENDENCE DAY (United States):  Thursday, July 4, 2019

AUGUST



SEPTEMBER


LABOUR DAY (Canada), LABOR DAY (United States):  Monday, September 2, 2019

ROSH HASHANA (Jewish New Year):  Begins at sunset on Sunday, September 29, 2019 and ends at nightfall on Tuesday, October 1, 2019

OCTOBER


YOM KIPPUR (Jewish Day of Atonement):  Begins the evening of Tuesday, October 8, 2019 and ends the evening of Wednesday, October 9, 2019

THANKSGIVING DAY (Canada):  Monday, October 14, 2019 (the second Monday in October)

DIWALI (Hindu Festival of Lights, beginning of Hindu New Year): Begins on Tuesday, October 27, 2019 and ends Saturday, October 31, 2019 (dates may vary)

HALLOWEEN:  Thursday, October 31, 2019

NOVEMBER


ALL SAINTS DAY:  Friday, November 1, 2019

x

REMEMBRANCE DAY (Canada), VETERAN'S DAY (United States):  Monday, November 11, 2019

THANKSGIVING DAY (United States):  Thursday, November 28, 2019 (the last Thursday in November)

DECEMBER


HANUKKAH (Jewish Festival of Lights):  Begins the evening of Sunday, December 22, 2019 and ends the evening of Monday, December 30, 2019

CHRISTMAS DAY:  Wednesday, December 25, 2019

BOXING DAY (Canada):  Thursday, December 26, 2019

AROUND THE WORLD IN 2019

CANADA

A federal election is scheduled is scheduled to take place in Canada on or before Monday, October 21, 2019.  It will be the 43rd Canadian general election.  The vote is determined 
by the fixed-date procedures in the Canada Election Act.  However, the act does not prevent the Governor General of Canada from issuing the writs of election at an earlier date.  338 members will be elected to the House of Commons.

The Quebec Winter Carnival (Carnaval de Québec) will be held in held in Quebec City, Quebec from February 8, 2019 to February 17, 2019.  Below is a drawing of Bonhomme Carnaval, the festival's mascot.  This year marks the 65th anniversary of the carnival.

The Calgary Stampede with take place in Calgary, Alberta from July 5 2019 to July 15, 2019.

The 139th Canadian National Exhibition (also known as the CNE or The Ex) will be held from August 16, 2019 to September 2, 2019 at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the leading public film festival in the world, will take
place in Toronto, Ontario from Thursday, September 5, 2019 to Sunday, September 15, 2019.

FRANCE

The 72nd Cannes Film Festival {Festival de Cannes) will be held in Cannes, France from Tuesday, May 14, 2019 until Saturday, May 25, 2019.

INDIA

General elections are scheduled to be held in India in April or May of 2019 to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha (House of the People), the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament.

INDONESIA

The Republic of Indonesia will hold its 12th general election on April 17th, 2019.  For the first time, voters in the world's largest island nation will choose their representatives in all level, governors, and presidents simultaneously.

JAPAN

Emperor Akihito of Japan will abdicate on April 30, 2019, the first abdication of a Japanese monarch in about two centuries.  Crown Prince Naruhito will take on the role on May 1, 2019, becoming the 126th Emperor to ascend to Japan's Chrysanthemum Throne.

Akihito

NIGERIA

On February 16, 2019, Nigeria, a federal republic in West Africa, will hold general elections.  Nigerians will elect the President and the National Assembly.

UNITED KINGDOM

On March 29, 2919, the United Kingdom's membership in the European Union is scheduled to cease.  Gibraltar is also scheduled to leave the European Union.

UNITED STATES

January 3, 2019 will mark the 60th anniversary of Alaska's admission as the 49th state of the union on January 3, 1959.

On June 4, 1919 (100 years ago), the United States Congress passed the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting all American women the right to vote.  The 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920.  Below is a photo of Frederick H. Gillett, the Speaker of the House of Representatives signing the constitutional amendment bill.

August 21, 2019 will mark the 60th anniversary of Hawaii's admission as the 50th state of the union on August 21, 1959.

On Tuesday, November 5, 2019, voters will choose three state governors and various state and local officials.


SPORTING EVENTS IN 2019

AUSTRALIA


TENNIS: The Australian Open will take place from Monday, January 14, 2019 to Sunday January 27, 2019 at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia.

CANADA

GOLF:  The Canadian Open will be played at the Hamilton,Golf  and Country Club in Ancaster, Ontario.  The tournament will take place from Thursday, June 6 to Sunday, June 9, 2019.

HORSE RACING:  The 158th running of the Queen's Plate, the first jewel of Canada's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Horse Racing, will take place at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario (date not announced yet) 2019.  The Queen's Plate, founded in 1860, is the longest, continuously run stakes race in North America.  

CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE (CFL):  The 107th Grey Cup will be held on Sunday, 
November 24, 2019 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, home of the Calgary Stampeders.

FRANCE

TENNIS:  The French Open (also known as the Roland Garros) will take place at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France from Sunday, May 26 to Sunday, June 9, 2019.



PERU

The 18th Pan American Games, a major international multi-sport event, will be held in Lima, Peru from July 26, 2019 to August 11, 2019.

UNITED KINGDOM

TENNIS:  The prestigious Wimbledon tournament will run from Monday, July 1, 2019 until Sunday, July 14, 2019.  It will take place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbleton, London, England.

GOLF:  The 148th British Open Championship will be held at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland from Monday, July 15, 2019 to Sunday, July 21, 2019.

UNITED STATES

NFL FOOTBALL:  Super Bowl LIII (the 53nd edition of the Super Bowl) will take place on Sunday, February 3, 2019 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.  Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the home of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL).

GOLF:  The 82nd edition of the Masters Tournament will be held from Thursday, April 11, 2019 to Sunday, April 14, 2019 at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

HORSE RACING:  The 145th running of the Kentucky Derby, known as "The Run for the Roses," will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2019 (the first Saturday in May) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

AUTO RACING:  The 103rd Indianapolis 500 will take place on Sunday, May, 26, 2019 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.

GOLF:  The 119th United States Open Championship (U.S. Open) will be contested from Thursday, June 13, 2019 to Sunday, June 16 , 2019 at Pebble Beach Golf Links at Pebble Beach, California.

BASEBALL:  The 90th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be hosted by the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio..  The game between the stars of the American League and the National League will take place on Tuesday, July 9, 2019.

BASKETBALL:  The 68th National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game will be held on Sunday, February 17, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets.

TENNIS:  The U.S. Open will be held from Monday, August 26, 2019 through Sunday, September 8, 2019.at the USTA Billie Jean King Center in New York, New York.

ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS IN 2019

The 76th Golden Globe Awards ceremonies, presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, will be held on Sunday, January 6, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. These awards recognize excellence in film and television, both American and foreign.

The 61st annual Grammy Awards, honouring the best of the music industry, will be held on Sunday, February 10, 2019 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

The 91st Academy Awards ceremonies will take place on Sunday, February 24, 2019 at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

London, Ontario will host the 48th annual Juno Awards, honouring the best in Canadian music. The ceremony will be broadcast from Budweiser Gardens on Sunday, March 17, 2019.

The Canadian Screen Awards, hnouring the best in Canadian cinema and television, will take place on Sunday, March 31, 2019.

The 73rd Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, better known as the Tony Awards, will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Sunday, June 9, 2019

WHO TURNS 50 IN 2019?

Jennifer Aniston:  American actress, born February 11, 1969 in Sherman Oaks, California, United States

Jason Bateman:  American actor, director and producer, born January 14, 1969 in Rye, New York, United States

Jack Black:  Amrican actor, comedian, musician and songwriter, born August 28, 1969 in Santa Monica, California

Chaz Bono (formerly Chastity Bono), American musician and actor, born March 4, 1969 in Los Angeles, California, United States

Bobby Brown:  American singer-songwriter, born February 5, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Cate Blanchett:  Australian actress, born May 14, 1969 in Ivanhoe, Victoria, Australia, a suburb of Melbourne

Gerard Butler:  Scottish actor and producer, born November 13, 1969 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Sean Combs (also known as P. Diddy, Puff Daddy): American rap singer-songwriter, born November 4, 1969 in Manhattan (Harlem), New York City, New York, United States

Brett Favre:  former American football quarterback, born October 10, 1969 in Gulfport, Misssissippi, United States

Stefi Graf:  German former professional tennis player, born June 14, 1969 in Mannheim. Baden-Württemberg,West Germany

Anne Heche:  American actress, director and screenwriter, born May 25, 1969 in Aurora, United States

Josh Holloway:  American actor model and producer, born July 20, 1969 in San Jose, California, United States

Rachel Hunter:  New Zealand model, actress and television host, born September 8, 1969 in
Glenfield, New Zealand, a suburb on Auckland's North Shore

Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Sr.):  American rap singer-songwriter and actor, born June 15, 1969 in Baldwin Hills, South Central Los Angeles, California, United States

Jay-Z (Shawn Corey Carter):  American rap singer, entrepreneur, songwriter and record producer, was born December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York, United States

Nancy Kerrigan:  American actress and former figure skater, born October 13, 1969 in Stoneham, Massachusetts, United States

Jennifer Lopez:  American singer, actress and dancer, born July 24, 1969 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, United States

Matthew McConaughey:  American actor and producer, born November 4, 1969 in Uvalde, Tesas, United States

Marilyn Manson (Brian Hugh Warner):  American singer-songwriter, record producer and visual artist, born January 5, 1969 in Canton, Ohio, Unites States

Edward Norton:  American actor and filmmaker, born August 18, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Matthew Perry:  Canadian-American actor, comedian and playwright, born August 19, 1969 in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Ellen Pompeo:  American actress, director and producer, born November 10, 1969 in Everett, Massachusetts, United States

Jason Priestly:  Canadian-American actor and director, born August 28, 1969 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Paul Rudd:  American actor, comedian, writer and film producer, born April 6, 1969 in Passaic, New Jersey, United States

Michael Schumacher:  Retired German racing driver, born January 3, 1969 in Hürth, West Germany

Sheryl Sandberg:  American technology executive and author, born August 28, 1969 in Washington, D.C., United States

Michael Sheen  Welsh actor, born on February 5, 1969 in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom

Emmitt Smith:  Former professional American football player, born May 15, 1969 in Pensacola, Florida, United States

Lara Spencer:  American television host and journalist, born June 19, 1969 in Garden City, Long Island, New York, United States

Ali Velshi:  Canadian television journalist, born October 29, 1969 in Nairobi, Kenya and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Donnie Wahlberg:  American singer-songwriter, actor, record and television producer, born August 17, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Catherine Zeta-Jones:  Welsh actress, born September 25, 1969 in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom



- Joanne