Sand sculpture at Canadian National Exzhibition (CNE)

 

Last Sunday, I visited the CNE and I viewed a sand sculpture in the Better Living Centre.  This year's theme is endangered animals.  The 14 endangered species featured on the sculpture are as follows:

Sumatran Tiger - Sumatra (Indonesia)

Golden Lion - Tamarin - Brazil

California Condor - North America

Blue Throated Macaw- Bolivia

Black Rhino - Africa

African Elephant - Africa

Blue Fin Tuna - Oceans

Hawkbill Sea Turtle - Oceans

Orangutan - Borneo

Pangolin - Africa, Asia

Western Lowland Gorilla - Congo, Cameroon, Gabon

Monarch Butterfly - North America

Polar Bear - Canada, Russia, Norway, Greenland, United States

Beluga Whale - Arctic Ocean

KAREN FRALICH

About the artist

Karen and Star Trek sculture - 2016  Photo by Chris Robart 

                                                            https://www.flickr.com/photos/crobart/29223786105/

Karen Fralich is a Canadian artist known for sand sculpting.  She is based in Guelph, Ontario and has been creating sand structures for 28 years.  To  date, Karen has competed in over 150 Masters Level International sand sculpture contests, winning 27 First Place Titles,  Karen is a five-time world champion sand sculptor.  One of her first commissioned pieces was a 500-tonne replica of the Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz.

Karen is a globetrotting sand sculptor and her work takes her all over the world.  She has collaborated with friends, festivals and companies in 11 different countries.  

In 2020 and 2021, Kareen served as of two resident judges on Season 1 and Season 2 of CBC's Race Against the Tide.

- Joanne

Keeping Up With Connie Francis

1961 photo of Connie Francis

“I tried to see humor in everything, even when I was in a mental institution. But I have to say the support of the public has also been incredibly uplifting. They saw me through the best and worst of times and never stopped writing from around the world to encourage me.”

- Connie Francis, as quoted in The Jackson Sun, September 29, 2017

Connie Francis's sense of humour has helped her through a life of tragedy.  The versatile singer has performed a wide variety of songs from many genres, from pop, to rock to old standards and non-English language.  She has been plagued by misfortune, but she has been a survivor.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Connie Francis was one of the most popular female vocalists in the world.  Connie was born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, New Jersey on December 12, 1937 or 1938 (according to various sources).  She was the first child of working-class Italian Americans George and Ida ( (née Ferrari-di Vito) Franconero.  With the encouragement of her father, Connie entered talent contests and pageants at a young age.  At four years old,, she performed at the Olympic Amusement Park in New Jersey, where she played the accordion and sang "Anchors Aweigh."

Some of Connie's earliest years were spent in the Crown Heights district of Brooklyn, New York, an Italian-Jewish neighbourhood. She learned how to speak Yiddish and later recorded recorded songs in Yiddish and Hebrew.  In 1951 and 1952, Connie attended Newark Arts High School.  Her family then moved to Belleville, New Jersey, where she graduated from Belleville High School in 1955.

In 1950, Connie appeared on Arthur's Godfrey's nationally televised Talent Scouts program;  It was Godfrey's who advised her to change her name to "Connie Francis." because he found it difficult to pronounce "Concetta Franconero."  Godfrey also advised her to drop the accordion, and Connie gladly complied.  She was pleased to rid herself of the instrument, which she found to be heavy and and cumbersome.

Between 1953 and 1955, Connie appeared on Startime Kids, a children's TV variety show in New York City.  In 1955, Connie signed a contract as a vocalist with MGM Records, but her earliest recordings failed to attract an audience.  In the autumn of 1957, she finally achieved chart success with "The Majesty of Love," a song she had recorded with Marvin Rainwater.  The song eventually went on to sell one million copies.  Nevertheless, MGM Records informed Connie that her contract would not be renewed.

Connie then considered a career in medicine.  She was all set to accept a four-year scholarship offered by New York University when fate and her father got in the way.  On October 2, 1957, she  recorded what was to be her final single for MGM   It was a 1920s standard called "Who's Sorry Now?," which Connie sang as a rock ballad.  Connie didn't particularly like the song, but recorded it at the insistence of her father who was convinced that it had the potential to be a big hit.  He felt that adults were already familiar with the song and that teenagers would dance to it if it had a contemporary arrangement.  

"My father was the one that insisted on 'Who's Sorry Now?'.  "I fought him all the way, she told  .  "Although I didn't want to do that song, we had 16 minutes left in a session in the studio, so my dad told me to record it even if he had to nail me that microphone.  I did it in 1.5 takes, and I had a big hit, thanks to my father."  

Connie's father was right about "Who's Sorry Now?"  The song became a huge hit when it was promoted by Dick Clark on his popular American Bandstand television show for teens.  After the success of "Who's Sorry Now?," Connie searched for a follow-up hit.  She found it in "Stupid Cupid," a song written by Neil Sedaka  and Howard Greenfield.  

Sedaka and Greenfield presented Connie with ballads, which she rejected.  She requested a more up tempo song that would appeal to the teenage market.  At the urging of Greenfield, Sedaka played "Stupid Cupid" for her and she said "That's it. You guys got my next record."  "Stupid Cupid" was the first of a sting of hits that Connie recorded while working with songwriters Sedaka and Greenfield, including "Lipstick on Your Collar," "Everybody's Somebody's Fool, ""My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" and "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You."

1958 Billboard Ad

At the pinnacle of her fame, Connie appeared frequently on television, performing on American Bandstand and on The Ed Sullivan Show. On August 27, 1961, she was the mystery guest on the quiz show What's My Line?  She also guest-starred in a 1964 episode of The Jack Benny Program. Connie acted in several teen-oriented movies for MGM, most notably Where the Boys Are (1960), for which she sang the title song, as well as Follow the Boys (1963), Looking for Love (1964) and When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965).  She stated that "I should have made more movies or better movies."

Connie with Jack Benny in 1964

By the mid-1960s,, Connie and other performers were overshadowed by the Beatles and the British Invasion.  With her popularity waning and her vocal abilities limited by nasal surgery, Connie was forced to put her career on hiatus.  In November 1974, she attempted a comeback by performing at the Westbury Music Fair in New York.  After a performance, she was brutally beaten, raped and robbed at knifepoint by a bugler who had broken into to her suite at the Howard Johnson Motor Hotel in Westbury, Long Island.  On the morning of November 8, police found Connie naked, bound and gagged, and tied to an overturned chair. After such a nightmarish and traumatic experience, she once again put her career on hold,

In 1974, Connie won a landmark lawsuit against the motel, which she claimed failed to provide enough security.  She returned to Westbury in November of 1981, but her assailant was never apprehended.  "For seven years, I was virtually in total seclusion after being raped at Westbury.  But I was getting thousands of letters from people who'd had bad experiences," she told the Washington Post in December 1981,

The savage attack led to Connie having a nervous breakdown, ruined her marriage to her third husband, Joe Garzilli, and stifled her career.  Unfortunately, the singer suffered another devastating blow in May if 1981 when her brother, George Franconero, Jr., was gunned down in the driveway of his North Caldwell, New Jersey home as he was scraping ice from his car  Franconero, 40, was a former partner in the law office of then-New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne.  He had pleaded guilty to bank fraud charges and served as a government witness.  Police indicated that it was a mob killing.

As result of all her trauma, Connie spent much time undergoing psychiatric treatment. Yest, she  resumed her singing career, even appearing on the American Bandstand 30th Anniversary Special. on October 30, 1981.  The revitalization of Connie's career, however, did not last long.  She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and attempted suicide in 1984.  

Connie resumed her recording and performing career in 1989.  She recorded a double album for Malaco Records entitled Where the Hits Are.  The album contained re-recordings of 18 of her biggest hits as well as six classics that Connie had wanted to record.  She continued performing right into the 21st century.  In late December of 2004, she headlined in Las Vegas for the first time since 1969.  In March and October 2007, she performed before capacity crowds at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco.  On February 14, 2008, she appeared in concert in Manila, Philippines.  In 2010, she did a show at the Las Vegas Hilton with Dionne Warwick.

Connie Francis has been married four teams, and all of her marriages were short-lived. The longest of those marriages lasted five years, while the shortest survived a mere four months.  In 1964, she was briefly married to Dick Kanellis, a press agent and entertainment director for the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas (now Planet Hollywood).

In January of 1971, Connie wed Izzy Marion, the owner of a hair salon, but she divorced him ten months later.  In 1973, she married for the third time, to Joseph Garzilli, a restaurateur and the owner of a travel agency.  They adopted a baby boy named Joey, but divorced in 1977.  On June 27, 1985, Connie entered into her fourth marriage, this time to TV producer Bob Parkinson.  They divorced in late 1986.

Singer Bobby Darin, of  "Mac the Knife" fame, was the great love of Connie's life, the one who got away. Connie told Fox News that she first met Bobby in 1956 when he came into her office one day to show her a song.  At first, she didn't get along with him, but they eventually developed a bond over their Hollywood dreams and aspirations.

Bobby Darin and Connie

The growing romance between Connie and Bobby never came to fruition, due to the interference of Connie's controlling father, George, who opposed the relationship because he viewed  Bobby as a threat to his daughter's career and reputation.  In an article for the website AmoMama, Daniella Segell wrote, "Connie and Bobby Darin met when they were both youngsters in the music industry.  When they met, Connie was beginning to excel in her career, which her father believed should be her sole focus."  

Connie's dad controlled her career and, unfortunately, her personal life, with an iron hand.  According to Connie, her father had an intense dislike for Bobby.  "He even tried to shoot him," she explained to Fox News.  "He came with a gun in his pocket.  And Bobby had a bad heart.  He had rhematic fever as a child, which is why he died at the age of 37.   I was really afraid of my father retaliating against Bobby.  So I stayed from Bobby as far away as I could.  So during that period of time, we kept in touch through letters."

In January of 2022, Connie's long-time partner, singer Tony Ferretti, passed away.  They had been together for 18 years.  Their romance began when they recorded some of her old music as duets, especially "You Made Me Love You."   

In December of 2022, Connie Francis celebrated her 85th birthday with a magnificent party at her home in Parkland, Florida. Connie still has the support of numerous fans and family members. She proclaimed that her party must have been "the largest gathering of lifelong friends."  Note: Since Connie celebrated her 85th birthday in 2022, she must regard 1937 as the year of her birth.

END NOTES

* Connie Francis became an advocate for the rights of victims of violent crime and for mental health awareness. In 1981, she joined the board of directors of the Crime Victims' Legal Advocacy Institute, which was founded in 1979 by presidential cousnsellor Edwin L. Meese.  

In May of 2010. Connie was appointed National Spokesperson for the Trauma Campaign of Mental Health of America for the servicemen and women who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan.  "That was important to me," she told Digital Journal.  "I spent eight years in a mental hospital, so it was very important for me to do something to help the mentally ill."

* In August of 1959, at the suggestion of her father, Connie travelled to London and recorded an Italian album at the famous Abbey Road Studios.  The title of the album was Connie Francis Sings Italian Favorites, and it was well-received.  It was released in November and included "Mama," which Connie claimed as her personal favourite in her extensive catalogue.

Connie's father encouraged her to record in foreign languages.  Besides Italian and Hebrew, she's sung in German and Japanese, among other languages.

* In 1960, Bobby Darin married actress Sandra Dee. Sandra and Bobby had a son, Dee, born in 1962.  They divorced in 1967.  On June 25, 1973, Bobby wed Andrea Yeager, a legal secretary whom he met in 1970.  In October 1973, the couple divorced amid Bobby's health problems.  Bobby died on December 20th of that year, when he was only 37 years old from the heart condition that plagued him for most of his life. He failed to take antibiotics to protect his heart prior to a dental visit.  As a result, he developed sepsis, a deadly systemic infection that weakened his body and affected one of his heart valves.

It turn out that Bobby had saved all the letters that Connie had written him.  After Bobby's death, The Daily Mail reported that the letters had fallen into the possession of Bobby's brother, Gary Walden.  In 2016, Walden decided to sell some of  Bobby's memorabilia, including the love letters between his late sibling and Connie Francis.  The letters went on sale on eBay and Connie eventually got them back from a Virginia woman, a fan of Bobby's, who beat her out with a $1,000 bid.  Connie contacted the woman who won the bid, and she voluntarily gave the letters to her.

* Connie formed Concetta Records, her own recording, so that her music wound be available to her fans worldwide.

* Connie has written two autobiographies: Who's Sorry Now?, published in 1984, and Among My Souvenirs: The Real Story Vol. 1, published in 2017.

* As far as I can determine, Connie Francis has not scheduled any tour dates for 2023.

SOURCES: Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Connie Francis: American singer;" AmoMama (amomama.com), "Singing Legend Connie Francis Turned 85 in 2022 - She Still Uses Lipstick, Dresses Smart & Lives in a Cozy House," by Wian Prinsloo, December 16, 2022; Fox News (foxnews.com), "Connie Francis reflects on her romance with Bobby Darin before his untimely death," by Stephanie Nolasco,  February 9, 2018; The Washington Post, "Connie Francis' Crusade, by Richard Harrington, December 16, 1981; Digital Journal, "Interview with Connie Francis: The First Lady of Rock and Roll," by Markos Papadatos, February 23, 2022;AmoMama (amomama.com), "Connie  Francis' Father Saw the Love of Her Life as a 'Threat' and Went to Lengths to Keep Them Apart, Daniella Segell, September 21, 2021; Wikipedia; Internet Movie Database (IMDB)

EDITOR'S UPDATE:  Connie Francis passed away on July 16, 2025 at the age of 87.  She died in Pompano Beach, Florida.

- Joanne

Justin Trudeau swarmed by protesters in Belleville - What has happened to civility in politics?

 

What has happened to civility?  Sadly, it appears that Trumpism and right-wing Republicanism is seeping into Canada.  On July 20th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was swarmed by dozens of  protesters in Belleville, Ontario.  Trudeau was visiting the city to mark the seventh anniversary of the Liberal government's Child Care Benefit, to meet with Mayor Neil Ellis, and to spend  some time at a farmers' market.  He was also to meet about 10 vendors, but the event had to be cut short.

Protesters turned up at the market outside of City Hall as Trudeau met with community members and posed for selfies.  They prevented the PM from making his way to the other side of the public square.  It is no surprise that some of the unruly protesters were holding Trump flags, while others were shouting obscenities about the government and the media.  Whatever happened to respect for the office of prime minister?

Let me be clear.  Citizens have every right to protest peacefully, and they certainly do not have to agree with the polices of Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government.  If they don't like his policies. they do not have to support him or his party.  They can express their opinion through peaceful protests, petitions and at the ballot box. Canada is a democracy, they can vote him out of office at the next election.  

I am not picking on moderate conservatives.  I am criticizing the far right.  These kinds of protesters, as well as those of the so-called "freedom convoy" that caused havoc in Ottawa, are behaving like MAGA Trumpers.  They are sewing the seeds of hatred and discord.in this country.  For them, those who disagree with their politics are "the enemy," not their opponents.  They do not want to find common ground with their "enemy" for the sake of the country.  They only want to dig up dirt on their opponents and call them names.

Trumpism is a fast-spreading cancer on the body politic.  It is metastatic 

- Joanne

Orillia and Stephen Leacock Home Photos

Last week I visited the beautiful city of Orillia, Ontario, about 30 kilometres (18 miles) northeast of Barrie in Simcoe County.  I photographed the sculpture of the great Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot.  Lightfoot was born in Orillia in 1938.  He passed away on May 1, 2023 in Toronto.  He was 84 years old.at the time of his death.

In addition ro Lightfoot's accomplishments as a singer and musician, Orillia is represented in the field of art by Franklin Carmichael of the Group of Seven, and in the field of literature by celebrated Canadian humorist Stephen Leacock.  Carmichael, known primarily for his water colours, was born in Orillia on May 4, 1890.  He died in Toronto in 1945 at the age of 55.

Carmichael in 1930

Stephen Leacock

Stephen Butler Leacock was born on December 30, 1869 in Swanmore, Hampshire, England, the third of the 11 children. of Peter Leacock and Agnes Butler.  When Stephen was six years old, he immigrated to Canada with his family.  They settled on a farm close to the village of Sutton, Ontario, near the shores of Lake Simcoe. In 1878, Stephen's father abandoned the family, leaving his mother to raise the faimily.  

Between 1915 and 1925, Leacock was the most well-known humorist in the English-speaking world.  In 1928, the success of Leacock's books allowed him to buy a summer estate.  He then spent the summer months at Old Brewery Bay, his home in Orillia, across Lake Simcoe, where he grew up.  It borders Lake Couchiching.  Leacock enjoyed boating and he was an avid fisherman.

Stephen Leacock died in Toronto in 1944 at the age of 74.  His summer estate was converted into a museum and was designated a National Historic Site in 1992.  I toured the museum and the boathouse.  Here are some photos.

  

The photo below shows Stephen Leacock's boathouse in the distance.

Below are chairs outside Stephen Leacock's boathouse.

 

- Joanne

Former Canadian PM seeks closer ties between Conservative Party and Hungarian quasi dictator

Has former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper been channeling his inner Donald Trump?  Is that why he wants his party to embrace a Hungarian quasi dictator who is viewed favourably by the former U.S. president and his Republican supporters.

Stephen Harper

Harper has called for closer ties between the Conservative Party of Canada and Viktor Orbán, Hungary's authoritarian leader.  That should give you a preview of what to expect from the Conservative Party should it form the government under its current leader Pierre Pollievre (Harper supported Pollievre for the Conservative leadership over his more moderate opponent, Jean Charest.).

Here is what you need to know about Hungary's authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán:

Viktor Orbán

He has extolled the value of racial purity, is vehemently anti-immigration, has cultivated close ties with Russia's Vladimir Putin and was a speaker at this week's Conservative Action Conference, known as CPAC, in Dallas,

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, 59, is widely criticized around the world for systematically dismantling his country's nascent democracy during his 12 years in power - but that hasn't stopped him from emerging as a darling of many on the right in America.

- Patrick Smith, NBC News Digital, August 6, 2022

A day after discussing migration with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyven in Brussels, Orbán made the following statement : "We don't think a mixture of Muslim and Christian society could be a peaceful one and could provide security and a good life for people." Has Orbán ever read the parable of the Good Samaritan?  

Numerous political scientists and watchdogs consider Hungary to have experienced a reversal of democratic rights during Viktor Orbán's time in power.  He has curtailed press freedom, eroded judicial independence and undermined multiparty democracy.  Furthermore, Orbán has criticized the polices of the European Union while accepting its financial support.  He has been accused of funneling that money to allies and family.

You should also know that between 2010 and 2020, Hungary fell 69 places in the Press Freedom Index and lost 11 places in the Democratic Index (The Economist). In addition, Freedom House has downgraded Hungary's democratic rating from "free to "partly free."  In 2003, The V-Dem Democracy indices ranked Hungary as the 96th electoral democracy in the world.

Orbán has characterized his policies as "illiberal Christian democracy."  He obviously has a skewed view of Christianity and democracy.  I shudder to think of the Conservative Party of Canada's foreign policy should Pollievre become prime minister.  After all, Stephen Harper supported the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.  In 2008, Harper grudgingly admitted that he was wrong about Iraq, after being goaded by then-Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe in a leaders' debate during the federal election  campaign that year.  

Thankfully, Jean Chrétien was PM in 2003 and he refused to send Canadian troops to aid the Americans in Iraq.  If Harper had been prime minister in 2003, Canada would have participated in the disastrous invasion.  At least Harper admitted that he made a mistake, which is more than once can say for Trump - but that's setting the bar extremely low.  Harper's support of Orbán demonstrates his continued lack of judgement in foreign affairs.

- Joanne

Canada Day Reflections

“My dream is for people around the world to look up and to see Canada like a little jewel sitting at the top of the continent.” 

~ Attributed to Tommy Douglas, Premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 and Leader of the New Democratic Party from 1961 to 1971

Canada became a nation on July 1, 1867.  Our country is 156 years old today and we have much to celebrate.  I am proud to call myself a Canadian.  This is not to say, "My country, right or wrong."  It is merely to say that in an imperfect world, with an abundance of war and strife, Canada is one of the best places to live.  To the cynics I say, Canadians try to acknowledge our mistakes.  We try to atone for our errors and the dark moments in our history, just as we celebrate our great achievements. - and there are many

The last few years of the COVID-19 pandemic and the residential school revelations have been difficult and challenging.  This nation may have been bent, but it has never been broken.  The Canadian spirit is very much alive. It is amazing that Confederation ever came about in the first place.  Yet this vast northern land was brought together peacefully.  Against all odds, a new country was formed, eventually stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Arctic Circle to the Great Lakes.  Canadians found a way to make it happen.  Immigrants from all over the world have made Canada their home.  

This country remains a beacon of hope  It is the land where Terry Fox made his dauntless run for cancer research.  It is the place where Frederick Banting and Charles Best, co-discovers of insulin, brought hope to diabetics around the world.  It is the home of artist Emily Carr of Victoria B.C. and author L.M. Montgomery of Prince Edward Island.  Our 14th prime minister, Lester B. Pearson, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for his part in ending the 1956 Suez Crisis.  Our 15th prime minister, Pierre Trudeau, was instrumental in patriating our constitution in 1982 and providing us with our Charter of Rights and Freedom.

In 1967, Canada wowed the world with Expo '67 in Montreal, as the country marked its Centennial.  There was a song that year that celebrated 20 million Canadians.  Our population has doubled to 40 million in the ensuing 56 years.  That is still a small population for a country with the second largest land mass in the world.  It is slightly less than than that of the state of California.  

Canadians have accomplished much, but there is still much more work to be done. Reconciliation with  Indigenous peoples is of the highest priority, as well as welcoming immigrants and refugees.  The meanness and cruelty of Trumpism and the far right must be soundly rejected.  

It is also important to know and understand our history.  As John Diefenbaker, Canada's 13th prime minister stated, There can be no dedication to Canada's future without a knowledge of its past. " I firmly reject the notion that Canadian history isn't interesting or exciting.  It just needs to be presented in a more interesting and exciting manner.  Our history is rife with fascinating stories.  They just haven't been told enough.  

A recent study by Leger found that just one in four Canadians (23%) would pass the Canadian citizenship test. The respondents answered 10 randomly selected question and the average score on the test was only 49%, significantly lower that the 75% required to pass.  That's not good enough.  We have to do better in making Canadians more aware of their history and their form of government.  

No country is above criticism, but Canada Day is a time to praise this nation.  This is a great country and we have the potential to be even greater by moving boldly into the future.

- Joanne

Remembering Canada's deadliest terrorist attack, the bombing of Air India Flight 182

Today is Canada's National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism.  It is observed in memory of the victims of acts of terror in Canada and abroad.  The observance takes place every year on June 23, to mark the anniversary of the bombing of Air India Flight 182, the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history.

Today is the 38th anniversary of the June 23, 1985 attack, which took the lives of 329 people. - 280  were Canadian citizens.  The airplane, a Boeing 747, operating on the Montreal- London-Delhi-Mumbai, route, was blown up by a bomb in Irish airspace.  It exploded off the coast of Ireland and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.  second bomb, intended to target another flight, killed two baggage handlers when it exploded at Narita International Airport in Tokyo, increasing the total number of victims of the attack to 331.  The attack was orchestrated by Sikh extremists.

Although flags across Canada are flown a half-mast on June 23, it seems that the majority of Canadians don't know the reason why.  Sadly, the results of an Angus Reid Poll (taken between June 19-21, 2023), are very disturbing.  Nine out of 10 surveyed admitted that they had little or no knowledge of the tragedy.  Only one out of five said they knew the incident was the worst act of terrorism in Canadian history.  Saddest of all, more than half of those below the age of 35, revealed that they had never even heard of the incident.  

The bombing of Air India Flight was Canada's 9/11.  It is disturbing that so little is known about it, especially among a younger demographic. Perhaps it is not really surprising if you recall that then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney called Indian president Rajiv Gandhi to express his condolences for India's loss.  He wasn't aware that it was Canada's loss and the most of the victims were Canadian citizens.  How embarrassing was that?

The tragedy of Air India Flight 182  will always resonate with me.  It hits home especially because I can put a face to one of the victims.  Her name was Vijaya Thampi, an employee of the Toronto Star.  Back then, I worked in the Star's library and Vijaya worked in Human Resources.  I didn't know her well.  I only spoke to her briefly, but 38 years later, I remember her as a pleasant woman.  I will certainly be thinking of her today, and the other victims of that doomed Air India flight, as will the family and friends of those who lost their lives in that 1985 aviation attack by terrorists.

- Joanne    

Whatever happened to Bridget Fonda?

“I wonder what kind of satisfaction I would have with where I am now if I wasn’t part of a family that has done such phenomenal work. I wonder what it would feel like to know that you’ve made it completely under your own steam. I sometimes wonder if I would be more at peace if I could know I made it by myself, instead of always wondering how many times my name got me in the door.”

- Bridget Fonda, cover story for Movieline, 1993

Bridget Fonda has an amazing acting pedigree.  In fact, one could say she was born into an acting dynasty.  Her grandfather was Hollywood great Henry Fonda.  Her aunt is Academy Award winner Jane Fonda.  Therefore, it is not surprising that Bridget followed in the footsteps of  the members of her famous kin.  At the age of 38, however, Bridget made a decision to step away from her acting career.  She simply disappeared from the spotlight after garnering some 49 film and television credits.

Bridget Jane Fonda was born in Los Angeles, California on January 27, 1964.  She is the daughter of actor Peter Fonda (1940-2019), Henry's son and Jane's younger brother.  Peter wed Susan Jane Brewer, an artist, in 1961.  The couple had two children, Bridget and her younger brother Justin (born July 9, 1966).

Bridget made her film debut at the age of five as an extra in 1969's Easy Rider, her father Peter's most well known movie.  She played the role of a child in the hippie community visited by motorcyclists played by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper during their journey across America.

Bridget attended the exclusive Westlake School for Girls in Los Angeles.  In high school, she landed a role in the school's production of Harvey, a well-known play by American playwright Mary Chase.

Bridget's parents divorced in 1974.  The following year, Pater Fonda married Portia Rebecca Crockett, the former wife of American author Thomas McGuane.  It was Crockett who raised Bridget and Justin, as well as their older stepbrother, Thomas McGuane, Jr.  

At the age of 18, Bridget enrolled at New York University, where she spent four years of her life.  She studied drama at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, the famed method acting school, as part of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts acting program.  Bridget graduated from NYU in 1986.  A few years after leaving NYU, she was cast in her first major film role, portraying Mandy Rice-Davies in the 1989 film Scandal, based on the 1963 Profumo scandal in Britain.  For her performance in Scandal, Bridget was nominated for a Golden Globe Award fir Best Supporting Actress.

Bridget had a breakthrough role as a journalist named Grace Hamilton in The Godfather Part III (1990).  She also appeared in  Frankenstein Unbound (1990), Doc Hollywood (1991) and she had the lead role in Single White Female, a 1992 thriller.  Bridget followed Single White Female with a role in another 1992 film, Cameron Crowe' ensemble comedy Singles, alongside Matt Dillon, Kyra Sedgwick, Campbell Scott, Bill Pullman and others.  Many critics called her Hollywood's new "It" girl.        

       

Bridget starred in Point of No Return, a 1993 an American remake of the 1990 French film Nikita.  In 1997, director Quentin Tarantino offered her the part of Melanie in the crime film Jackie Brown.  She went on to star in Lake Placid, a 1999 comedy horror film and to co-star with Jet Li in the 2001 action thriller Kiss of the Dragon.  She has not appeared in a feature film role since the 2001 romantic American-Canadian romantic comedy The Whole Shebang, co-starring Stanley Tucci and Giancarlo Giannini.

Bridget played the title character in the 2002 made-for-television film Snow Queen, based on the 1844 story The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen.  Snow Queen was Bridget's last acting role before she disappeared from the public eye.

Although Bridget appeared in a number of films in the late 1990s and early 2000s, she was not widely recognized by the public.  In 1992, she told the New York Times that nobody on the street recognized her.  "But I love that," she added, "because it gives you someplace to go."  

On February 27, 2003, Bridget was involved in a serious car crash in Los Angeles.  She suffered a fracture in her vertebra when she flipped and crashed her 1998 Jaguar XK8 sports car, along a Malibu stretch of highway.  That same year, Bridget became engaged to film composer, singer/songwriter Danny Elfman. In the early 1980s, Danny was the frontman for the new wave band Oingo Boingo.

Danny Elfman

Bridget and Danny married on  November 29, 2003.  They had a son, Oliver Henry Milton Elfman (born in Los Angeles on January 21, 2005).

After her engagement to Danny Elfman, Bridget Fonda stepped away from acting to concentrate on family life.  She has never returned to the screen.  These days, Bridget maintains a low profile and prefers to avoid the limelight.  

In January of 2021, Bridget was seen publicly in photographs for the first itime n 12 years (She was last seen in public in 2009 with Danny at the premiere of the film Inglorious Bastards.  On her 58th birthday, Bridget was spotted running errands.  She was barely recognizable without makeup, wearing glasses and  dressed in a black-and-white striped jersey top and black sweatpants.

END NOTES

* Bridget's father, Peter Fonda, passed away on August 16, 2019 at the age of 79.  He died of respiratory failure due to lung cancer.  Bridget's mother, Susan Brewer (born May 12, 1939) did not remarry after her divorce from Peter.

* The late Larry Hagman of Dallas fame was Bridget's godfather.

* From 1990 to 1998, Bridget lived with actor Eric Stoltz.  From 1999 to 2002, she dated country musician Dwight Yoakam.

* According to reports, Bridget was offered the lead role in the television series Ally McBeal 1997) She apparently turned it down because she wanted to focus on her movie career.  The role went to Calista Flockhart instead and the show became a popular and critical hit.    

* In December of 2001, Bridget as a Christmas lingerie model for H&M

* Bridget was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her performance as Anne in the 1997 television film In the Gloaming.  She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television for her role in the 2001 TV drama No Ordinary Baby (also known as After Amy).

* Bridget is a stepmother as Danny has two adult children, Lola and Mali, from a previous marriage to Geri Eisenmenger.

SOURCES: Newsner, "Why you don't hear from Bridget Fonda anymore," October 15, 2020; New York Post Page Six, "Bridget Fonda seen for first in 12 years on 58th birthday,," by Dana Kennedy, January 27, 2022; Wikipedia; Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

- Joanne

Toronto Blue Jays woefully thin in starting pitching

Alek Manoah

"Toronto’s pitching depth offers no hero, no knight in shining armor to ride in and save the day. Only Manoah can do that, which will take work. Now, it’s a question of where that work happens."

- Keegen Matheson, MLB News

It was bound to happen.  The chickens have come home to roost.  Alek Manoah's struggles have highlighted the Toronto Blue Jays' lack of pitching depth among starters. This problem has been obvious for quite a while and has not been satisfactorily addressed by Blue Jays' General Manage Ross Atkins.  Atkins, as GM, should be held accountable for allowing this to happen.

This season's Blue Jays have proven that the old saw is true.  You can never have enough pitching.  Even if Manoah had played well so far, the Jays would still not have had enough reliable starters.  They have been lucky that there hasn't been any serious injuries among the starters yet.  However, it's only June and there is a long way to go.  It is inevitable that there will be injuries.  What then?  It won't be pretty.

The Jays have been laser focused on building a strong defensive outfield.  They've done so.  However, the outfield hasn't made up for the lack of depth in starting pitching.  It is clear that this approach has not made up for the lack of reliable and consistent starters.

The Jays didn.t expect Alek Manoah to flame out.  They weren't prepared for this to happen, and now they are suffering the consequences.  It seems as if they will have to send Manoah down to Triple-A so that he can straighten himself out. 

Manoah's struggles are difficult for the man himself, who feels like he has let the team down.  He is understandably dejected.  Monday night, he recorded only one out.  He was removed from the game after allowing sis runs on seven hits, including a grand slam, in the Jays' 11-4 loss to the Houston Astros at Rogers Centre.  

Unfortunately, Manoah's struggles do not bode well for the Blue Jays.  There is no one to adequately replace him in the starting rotation.  Hyun-jin-Ryu is expected to return  after undergoing Tommy John surgery, in time for a playoff run - if the Jays even make  it to the post season, which seems less and less likely.  So, Ryu will not solve the problem.  There is simply no one who can  eat up as many innings as Manoah did last season.  This only means more pressure on the bullpen. There are no easy answers.  The rest of the 2022-23 seasons hangs in the balance.

- Joanne

EDITOR'S UPDATE:  On Tuesday, June 6, 2023, the Toronto Blue Jays optioned Alek Manoah to the rookie-level Florida  Complex League.  There is no timeline as to how long he will remain in the minors.

Why has no Canadian-based team won the Stanley Cup since 1993?

Last night the Edmonton Oilers were eliminated from Stanley Cup tournament by the Las Vegas Golden Knights.  The Oilers were the last Canadian-based team still standing.  With the other two Canadian-based teams (Toronto and Winnipeg) already sent packing, Edmonton's defeat ensures that the Cup will not return north for yet another year

There are now 32 teams in the inflated National Hockey League.  These are too many teams.  The regular season drones on for 82 games and the playoffs go on well into June.  However, it's all about money and that's all the NHL seems to care about.  The  integrity of the game is far less important to the league.

When the Toronto Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup way back in 1967, their victory occurred on May 2nd.  There were only two rounds.  Now there are four rounds.  This season, the Leafs were defeated in the second round by the Florida Panthers.  In both rounds, the Leafs played teams based in balmy Florida.

The Carolina Hurricanes will face the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference final.  The Las Vegas Golden Knights will ;play the winner of the series between the Seattle Kraken and the Dallas Stars for the Western Conference title.  Four of the five teams still alive are based in the southern U.S.  The Hurricanes are based in Raleigh, North Carolina.  The Dallas Stars are based in Texas.  The Las Vegas Golden Knights are based in the Navada desert. The only exception is the Seattle Kracken, which are based in the northwestern U.S.  

The Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kracken are recent expansion teams.  They do not have long and storied histories in the NHL.  The Kracken began play in the 2020-21 season, while the Golden Knights first competed in the 2017-2018 season.

Since there are currently 25 American-based teams in the NHL and only seven Canadian-based teams, the law of averages dictates that U.S.-based teams will win Lord Stanley's jug more often.  However, a drought of 30 years is surprising.  You'd think that in three decades, a Canadian-based team would have won the championship.  

To be fair, I am not putting forth any conspiracy theories.  I am not accusing the Gary Bettman and the American NHL owners of deliberately sabotaging the chances of Canadian-based teams.  However, there is no doubt in my mind that Bettman et al prefer an American-based team to win the Cup.  First and foremost, it's a matter of money.  The NHL commissioner and the majority of owners want a team from the larger U.S, market to win the Stanley Cup.  A Canadian-based team produces less TV advertising revenue.

Some hockey fans argue that the Florida Panthers, for example, have many Canadian-born players.  I have been reminded that the best player on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews, is an American from Arizona, although he has failed to impress in the playoffs, when everything is on the line.

Despite the number of Canadians playing on U.S.-based teams, those teams do not represent Canadian cities or regions.  Canadians seldom take part in Stanley Cup celebrations in American cities.  That's the reason why few Torontonians cheer for the Florida Panthers.

What irks me is that a beautiful, state-of-the-art arena in Quebec City is without an NHL franchise. Quebec City is a winter city, ideally suited to hockey.  From 1979 until 1995, the city was home to an NHL team called the Quebec Nordiques.  During those years, the Nordiques developed a provincial rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens.  Although the Nordiques were relocated to Denver, Colorado in 1995, you can still see Nordiques sweaters in shop windows in historic Vieux Quebec.  When the Phoenix Coyotes were on the verge of extinction, every effort was made to save that team. The same effort did not seem to be evident in the case of the Nordiques. While it is true that the Nordiques played in an old arena, such is not the case anymore.  

A new arena, the Vidéotron Centre, with over 18,000 seats. has replaced the old Colisée Pepsi as Quebec City's primary venue for indoor events.  The building opened in 2015 and it is the home of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League(QMJH).

The Pheonix Coyotes did not have an adequate arena either, when their future was in grave doubt.  Now known as the Arizona Coyotes, they are still waiting on a potential new arena in Tempe, Arizona.  In February of 2022, the Coyotes announced that they had reached an agreement with Arizona State University to play all their home games there through the 2024-25 season, with an option for the 2025-26 season.

It's unfortunate that the NHL headquarters did not remain in Montreal.  When the headquarters moved to New York, American's effectively gained control of the league.  Yes, I am well aware that Canadians are not the only skilled  hockey players.  We were really reminded of that as far back at the 1972 Canada-Soviet  Summit Series.  The NHL now includes many fine players from Sweden, Russia, the United States, Finland and other countries.  The same argument applies to baseball, which has always been considered part of American culture.

In the same way as professional hockey is no longer dominated by Canadian players, Major League Baseball is no longer dominated by U.S.-born players.  Just think of the huge number of Latin players from Mexico, the Dominican Republic, South America Puerto Rico.  Then there are also many good players from Japan and South Korea. Shohe Ohtani, arguably the best player in MLB, hails from Japan,

Yet, MLB headquarters will never move away from New York.  Americans will never relinquish control of their "national pastime."  I also doubt that a non-American will ever become MLB commissioner.  By the way, I have no objection to a non-Canadian being NHL Commissioner.

Paul Beeston, former president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, was president and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball from 1997 until 2002.  He was MLB's second ranking official.  However, Beeston, a Canadian, never became MLB commissioner.  Admittedly, I have no hard evidence that Beeston was never given the top job because of his nationality.  However, I doubt that his citizenship helped his chances.  

Beeston has remained mum on why he decided to step down from his position with Major League Baseball,  although frustration probably played a role in his decision.  By all intents and purposes, Beeston did an admirable job as an MLB executive during a difficult time with labour negotiations.  According to the Washington Post, baseball sources said Beeston's departure was not linked to the state of negotiations with the players union and that Beeston had indicated to associates that he intended to remain in his position until a collective bargaining agreement had been reached. Still, questions linger, as they do as to why a Canadian-based team has not won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens did the trick in 1993.

- Joanne

Beautiful Centennial Park Conservatory Photos

On Saturday, May 6, I spent part of the afternoon at the Conservatory at Centennial Park in Etobicoke, Ontario.  Here are some photos I took in the conservatory and surrounding area.  I'd  like to share them with you and I hope you enjoy them.

- Joanne

 

Florida Panthers unfair to Toronto Maple Leafs and Canadian hockey fans

The Florida Panthers have decided not to sell tickets directly to Canadians for their playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs.  This is patently unfair and the NHL should not allow it.  It is mean-spirited and inhospitable.  What do Florida fans fear from Leaf fans in the arena?  Are they concerned that some fights would break out?  Do they worry that the cheers from Leaf fans would be louder than the cheers of Florida fans?  Whatever the reason, this is no way to treat supporters of the visiting team.

Where would the Florida tourist industry be without Canadians?  Indeed, where would the Florida economy be without the Canadian snowbirds who descend on the Sunshine State every year.  In a 2018 Canada-Florida Economic Impact Study, the Canada Trade Commissioner Service estimated that about 500,000 Canadians travel to Florida during the winter months, with some spending up to six months there.  Those snowbirds were estimated to contribute about $6.6 billion to the Florida economy.  That's not chump change and Florida's economy would suffer greatly without it.

Many Canadians visitors are ardent hockey fans.  They spend money to attend the home games of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers when the Leafs, Montreal Canadiens or any other Canadian-based team comes to town, especially in a playoff series.  That is why this action by the Florida Panthers is so disappointing and so downright chintzy.

It is certainly true that many Americans are also avid hockey fans, but Canadians have a passion for hockey that is unmatched.  I do not travel to Florida in the winter, but I will declare my bias.  I'm from Toronto and my 2023 Stanley Cup dream final would be a matchup between the Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers.  It's not that I wouldn't be interested if the Leafs played an American-based team.  It's just that a Cup series between Toronto and Edmonton would be sweeter than wine.  There's still a long way to and a Leafs-Oiler series is a long shot.  However, it's certainly within the realm of possibility.

The fact is that no Canadian-based team has won the Stanley Cup since 1993, when the Montreal Canadiens defeated Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings.  That's a drought of 30 years.  As every devoted Leaf fans knows, the Maple Leafs have not won a Stanley Cup since 1967.  That's a drought of 56 years.  No fans are hungrier for Lord Stanley's jug than the long-suffering fans of the Blue and White.  

Those who love the Toroto Maple Leafs really love them.  How else could they have been so patient all these years?  Those who detest the Leafs really detest them.  There's not much in-between where the Leafs are concerned.  When U.S. President Joe Biden  addressed the Canadian House of Commons back in March, he poked fun at the Leafs, saying that he didn't like them because they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in January and his wife, Jill, is a Philly girl.  Biden received a standing ovation for those remarks.

I can guarantee one thing, though.  If the Leafs ever won the Stanley Cup, you would witness one of the biggest celebrations in the history of Toronto or anywhere else in the hockey world.  There would be more jubilation than in any other NHL city.  With the Leafs already down 2-0 in their series with the Florida Panthers, a parade in downtown Toronto seems increasingly unlikely.  Still, it's not over yet, and Leaf fans can dream, can't they?

- Joanne

EDITIORS UPDATE (May 19, 2023): The future of the Arizona Coyotes is in serious doubt.  On Mary 16th, residents of Tempe, Arizona voted down the organization's proposal to build a $2.1 billion entertainment district, including a new arena.

Vocabulary Quiz #9: Ten words beginning with the letter "Z"

 

Number 16 Vocabulary Quiz #9

Ten words beginning with the letter "Z"

Number 16 presents a multiple choice vocabulary quiz.  Choose the correct definition of each word listed.  There are ten words that begin with the letter "z."

1.  (noun) zither
'
A.  A magic spell

B.  A type of dress worn in Nigeria

C.  A musical instrument

D.  A dog breed

E.  A type of poetry with 10 lines

2.  (adjective) zealous

A,  Description of an eccentric person

B.  Characterized by fervent devotion to a person, a cause or an ideal

C.  Having an extremely jealous nature

D.  Having a cruel and vindictive personality

E.   None of the above

3.  (noun) zircon

A.  A kind of spaceship

B.   A sweet tasting liqueur

C.  A geometric figure

D.  A mineral sometimes used as a gem

E.  A kind of cheese

4.  (noun) zygote

A.  A bird found in Africa

B.  Someone who lives in a remote village

C.  A fertilized egg

D.  A single-celled organism

E.  A rare gene

5.  (noun) zymurgy

A,  A branch of applied chemistry that is concerned with fermentation processes (as in brewing or wine making)

B.  A dark blue mineral, similar to sapphire

C.  The process by which diamonds are mined.

D.  A branch of mathematics that involves geometric shapes

E.   In entomology, a scientific designation of a particular species of insects

6.  (noun) zucchini

A,   A kind of pasta

B.   An Italian soup

C.  A type of Italian sausage

D.  A cheese

E.  A dark green summer squash

7.  (noun) zwieback

A,  A kind of sandwich popular in Sweden

B.  A crisp, sweetened bread,

C.  A type of potato

D.  A tropical cocktail

E.  None of the above

8.  (noun) zenith

A.  A paradise or heaven

B.  A breed of cat

C.  The highest point or stage

D.  A witch in disguise

E.  The eruption of a volcano

9.  (noun) zebu

A.  A domesticated ox

B.  A kind of rifle

C.  A small clutch purse

D.  A newborn zebra

E.  A mountain goat

10.  (adjective) zany

A,  Having a dry sense of humour

B.   Undisciplined

C.  Loudmouthed

D.  Amusingly absurd or eccentric

E.  Quick witted

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

1.  C

zither (noun): A musical instrument consisting of a flat wooden box with numerous strings across it, placed horizontally and played with fingers and a plectrum (pick used for plucking strings of instrument}.  It is used especially in central European folk music.

2.  B

zealous (adjective); Marked by fervent partisanship for a person, a cause, or an ideal.  Filled with or characterized by zeal.  Example: zealous missionaries

3.  D

zircon (noun): A tetragonal mineral consisting of a silicate of zirconium and occurring usually in brown or greyish square prisons or sometimes in transparent forms which are used as gems.  Example: He analyzed the small amounts of uranium contained in the mineral zircon.

4.  C

zygote (noun): A fertilized egg; a cell formed by the union of two gametes (reproductive cells),; Broadly speaking, the developing individual produced from such a cell.

5.  A

zymurgy (noun): A branchy of applied chemistry that deals with fermentation processes (as in wine making or brewing)

6.  E

zucchini (noun): Botanically speaking, fruit; a smooth usually cylindrical dark green summer squash: also a plant that bears zucchini

7.  B

zwieback (noun): A usually sweetened bread enriched with eggs that is baked and then sliced and toasted until dry and crisp

8.  C

 zenith (noun): The highest point or pinnacle  Example: She is at the zenith of her career.

9. A

zebu (noun): Any of various breeds of domestic oxen developed in India, characterized by a large fleshy hump over the shoulders

10.  D.  

zany (adjective): Very eccentric, or absurd, often in an amusing way,  Example :A zany comedy

- Joanne