JOANNE'S JOURNAL
Editon No. 6
Quote of the Day
Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.
- Pete Seeger (1919 - American folk singer and songwriter
From L. Botts, Loose Talk [1980]
ON THIS DAY
If you were born on this day, you share a birthday with one of the greatest artists this world has even known. Michelangelo di Lodvico Buonarroti Simoni was born on March 6, 1475 in Capese, Republic of Florence (present-day Tuscany, Italy). He died in Rome on February 18, 1564 at the age of 88. It is noteworthy that men of that era rarely lived to the age of 88. It is also noteworthy that Michelangelo died the same year that William Shakespeare came into the world. Shakespeare was born in April of 1564, a few months after Michelangelo's death. One genius left the world and another was born soon after.
THREE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MICHELANGELO
1. He completed two of his greatest works, The Statue of David and The Pieta, before the age of 30.
2. The Pieta was the only one of his works that he ever signed.
3. During his lifetime, Michelangelo was called Il Divino ("the divine one").
GUN CRAZY U.S.A.
On February 22, 2012, a nine-year-old boy inadvertently shot his classmate at Armin Jahr Elementary School in Bremerton, Washington. According to police, the boy had brought a .45 caliber handgun to school in his backpack. The gun fired accidentally when he slammed his backpack down and eight-year-old Amina Kocer-Bowman was shot. Amina remains in critical condition. HeraldNet reported that she requires a ventilator to help her breathe.
The boy, a Grade 3 student, pleaded guilty to three charges - possession of a gun, bringing a dangerous weapon to school and reckless endangerment. The Seattle Times reported that he told a Washington court that he was sorry after pleading guilty to the charges. Under a plea agreement, he will serve a year of probation followed by 48 hours of community service. His mother and her boyfriend have been accused of allowing him access to the gun. Meanwhile, his classmate, the unfortunate Amina Kocer-Bowman, will never be the same - if she survives.
Is this the kind of society the National Rifle Association envisions for America? Do Americans really want pistol-packing nine-year-olds? Is it too difficult to understand that the easier it is to obtain guns, the more likely they will fall into the wrong hands?
WITTY DEFINITIONS
Atom Bomb: An invention to bring an end to all inventions.
Conference: The confusion of one person multiplied by the number present.
RIDDLE ME THIS
What was written on the hypochondriac's tombstone?
ANSWER
"I told you I was sick!"
Hockey
I've never been a great fan of Ron Wilson and I can't say I'm disappointed that he's no longer the Leafs' coach. He was, however, the scapegoat for failure of the Toronto Maple Leafs to make the playoffs during his four-year tenure. Although Wilson bears a great deal of responsibility for the teem's fecklessness, he is not the only culprit. General Manager Brian Burke and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment share some of the responsibility for the mediocre performance of an iconic hockey franchise. Ron Wilson failed to motivate the players and handled his goaltenders miserably. Although to be fair, he didn't have great goaltenders in the first place. As for new coach Randy Carlyle, I wish him the best of luck. He'll need it.
Baseball
The Toronto Blue Jays have to improve their 5-man pitching rotation. It is not deep enough and there are too many question marks. Of course, the party line is that the team can contend with the starting pitchers it has now. What will happen if Ricky Romero or Brandon Morrow gets injured, though? Then what? There's not enough depth to carry the team if one of those pitchers should sustain a serious injury, especially one that requires surgery and a lengthy convalescence. The Jays have built an impressive bullpen. If the starting pitching flounders, the bullpen will be overused and overtired.
Where is free agent Roy Oswalt headed? Would he play for the Jays for one season? Until the Jays start contending, they'll continue to have problems attracting players such as Oswalt to the city. Too bad! He would really bolster the starting rotation. I wouldn't rule out Oswalt in a Jays uniform, but he's most likely to end up in Boston or Arizona.
- Joanne
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