SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2010

QUOTE OF THE DAY

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

- William Busch
From "Julchen" {1877}

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


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


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

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

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

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

SPORTS

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

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

- Joanne