Americans need to take a good hard look at themselves

Many people around the world are scratching their heads.  They can't believe it.  American voters have rejected Kamala Harris' message of hope and optimism.  They have elected as their president a man who behaves in a manor that is absolutely disgusting and obscene.  Still, over 78 million Americans voted for Donald Trump.  Over 78 million Americans voted for a convicted felon, a racist, a misogynist, a climate change denier, a conspiracy theorist, and an authoritarian,  Oh yes, he's also civilly guilty of sexual assault.  I shudder to think that's who you really are, America.

Never forget January 6, 2021, a shameful  day that will live in infamy, just like Pearl Harbor Day and September 11, 2001.  Trump encouraged an unruly mob of white supremacists to attack the Capitol in Washington, D.C., causing death and mayhem.  He regards the January 6th mob as "patriots," and he intends to pardon them.  

On November 5, 2024, Trump did not win a landslide victory.  He did not receive an overwhelming mandate, though, of course, he will always claim that he did.  This was not Johnson versus Goldwater in 1964 or Nixon versus McGovern in 1972.  According to the latest stats from Reuters (November 20), Trump won 49.9 per cent of the popular vote (76,807,906), while Kamala Harris won 48.3 per cent.(74.250,975).  Trump received 312 Electoral College votes, while Harris received 226.  Yes, Trump won the election, but it was by no means a landslide.

Honestly, I didn't see this disaster coming.  Now that I've had some time to reflect, I can better understand what happened, and why.  Here are some points that I would like to make.

* American voters received false information from social media. They falsely blamed Joe Biden and the Democrats for the inflation that he didn't cause.  It is not Joe's fault.  Inflation is a problem all over the world, and it was worsened by the pandemic.

* Trump had a huge lead among male voters.  He's conned them into believing true manhood means acting tough and bullying others.  Also, even in the year 2024, some American voters (and that includes women) cannot bring themselves to vote for a woman, especially a woman of colour.

* Trump had billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Rupert Murdoch giving him support and money.  He also had Big Pharma, Big Oil and the insurance companies behind him.

*Trump went on all the podcasts popular with white males.

*  Many Americans falsely believe that the economy was better under Trump.  In fact, Joe Biden had to clean up Trump's mess.  Trump increased the deficit with his tax breaks for the wealthy.  If American voters had taken a good look at the economic statistics, they would seen that the U.S. economy is doing very well under Biden.  Trump plans to damage the U.S. economy with his ill-advised tariffs.

*Many Americans falsely believe that Trump is a good businessman.  He is not.  Six of his business ventures have gone bankrupt, including his casinos in Atlantic City.

" Trump has allowed racist Americans to vent their spleen.  He's allowed them to blame "illegal aliens" (Should be undocumented immigrants.  They are human beings, not creatures from another planet).

* The mainstream corporate media were much easier on Trump than Kamala.  Americans kept being told that they didn't know enough about Kamala.  Trump's behaviour was normalized because "it was just Trump being Trump."  The Democrats should stop pointing fingers,  Kamala ran a good campaign.  She offered good policy such as tax credits for first time home buyers and those who want to start small businesses.

As brokenhearted as I am about the election, there is not much I can do.  I can only write my opinions.  I have to get over the disappointment and move ahead with my life.  The unfortunate result of the election can not be undone.  Sadly, the United States and the world are stuck with Trump for four more years, and maybe longer if he messes with the constitution and becomes a dictator.  I just hope that somehow we can all get through the next four years.  It's a shame, but it's not under my control.  Maybe in two years, Americans will realize the horrible mistake they have made and elect Democrats in the 2026 midterms.

Trump cannot evade justice forever.  He is not invincible and he will eventually face the long arm of the law.  This too shall pass.  Someday Trump will be a consigned to the annals of history.

- Joanne

Toronto has a championship team. Congratulations Toronto Argonauts!

 

The Toronto Argonauts won the Grey Cup yesterday, but I didn't hear any horns honking.  I didn't notice much celebrating.  Too bad, because the Argos are a winning team.  They have won two of the last three Grey Cups.  The Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967 - 57 long years ago.  In recent years, they have been getting knocked out of the playoffs early.  

The cost of attending a Leaf game is exorbitant. and it will continue to rise.  It is beyond the grasp of many families.

Winning the Stanley Cup is a grind.  The NHL is fueled by pure greed.  There are two many teams and too many games.  The post season drags on until the end of June.  

The Toronto Blue Jays won back-backWorld Series in 1992 and 1993 - over 30 years ago.  In 2022 and 2023, they failed to win a post season series..  In 2024, they finished last in their division, the American League East.  What are the odds of the Jays winning the World Series or even making the playoff in 2025?  I am a fan, but I have to be honest.  Zilch.  The team just isn't good enough and there are too many question marks.  Meanwhile, the cost of Blue Jays tickets continues to rise.

Yesterday, the 111th Grey Cup took place in Vancouver.  It was steeped in Canadian tradition.  Where else can you see members of the Royal Canadian  Mounted Police present the venerable trophy to the champions of Canadian football?

The CFL doesn't have the glitz and the glamour of the NFL and the Super Bowl.  It is certainly more homey and more community oriented.  Grey Cup games are still reasonably affordable, unlike the cost of a Super Bowl ticket.

Unfortunately, the CFL is underappreciated in this country, especially in Toronto.  Some NFL fans take delight in maligning the CFL.  It's their business if they greatly prefer the NFL, but they should keep in mind that the CFL brings much enjoyment to many people.  It shouldn't be denigrated.

Congratulations and thank you Toronto Argos for bringing a championship to our city.  Thank you for making my Sunday brighter. The Grey Cup tradition will continue next year in Winnipeg.

- Joanne

Cass Elliot and Keith Moon died in the same apartment

        

A former work colleague of mine was travelling in Europe and he posted photos of this London apartment on Facebook.  He explained that Mama Cass Elliot of The Mamas and the Papas and Keith Moon of The Who both died there, four years apart.  I was unaware of this, and I became curious.  I decided to do more research.  

The apartment is located on the corner of Curzon St and Curzon Square, in the Mayfair area of London.  At the time of her passing, Cass Elliot occupied Flat 12, owned by American pop star Harry Nilsson.  The flat was Cass Elliot's temporary home in the city.  When Nilsson purchased the place in the 1970s, its location was ideal for him, because of its proximity to Apple Records (he was a good friend of the Beatles).  There were also nearby nightclubs frequented by celebrities.  However, the singer-songwriter was often on the road in the United States.  He rarely had a chance to spend time at his London home, so he rented it out to his musician friends.

When Cass Elliot was found dead in her London flat on July 29, 1974, rumours quickly spread that she had choked on a ham sandwich.  It was later revealed that the 32-year-old singer had passed away in her sleep, and her death was ruled accidental.  On August 5, 1974, Dr. Keith Simpson, a British pathologist, and Gavin Thurston, a London coroner, issued a report that ruled out the theory that Cass had choked on a sandwich.  They found that there was no food in her windpipe, and no drugs in her system at the time of her passing. Simpson's autopsy revealed that her death was due to a "left-sided heart failure" and that she had suffered "a heart attack which developed rapidly.  Cass had been overweight her whole life, and her crash diets likely weakened her heart.

Cass Elliot

Born Ellen Naomi Cohen in Baltimore, Maryland on September 19, 1941, Casa rose to fame with the hippie era California-based folk rock vocal group the Mamas and the Papas.  The Mamas and the Papas performed and recorded from 1965 to 1968.  The group had a brief reunion in 1971 with the album People Like Us, but split up again soon after the album was released. 

The Mamas and the Papas consisted of Americans John Phillips, Cass Elliot, Michelle Phillips, and Canadian Denny Doherty.  The songwriter and leader of the group was John Phillipa.  It was Phillips who arranged the group's vocal harmonies.  The quartet was enormously successful in the turbulent 1969s,  It released five studio albums and 17 singles, six of which made the Billboard top ten, producing such hits as "California Dreamin', "Monday, Monday" and "Dedicated to the One I Love."

Cass Elliot was the last member to join the Mamas and the Papas.  Cass had been Doherty's bandmate with the Mugwumps, an American group formed in New York City in 1964.  The group had released one single before breaking up in late 1964.  Despite her association with Doherty, Cass did not have an easy time in joining the Mamas and the Papas.  John Phillips, had reservations about her becoming a member of the group.  Phillips was deeply concerned that her voice was too low for his arrangements, that her obesity would be a detriment to the band's success, and that her personality was incompatible with his.  Somehow, Cass overcame those obstacles and joined the group.

In May of 1968, the Mamas and the Papas released an album entitled The Papas & The Mamas.  It was the band's first album not to go gold or reach the top 10 in the United States.  Against John Phillip's wishes,  Dunhill Records decided to release Cass's solo from the album, a remake of "Dream a Little Dream of Me," as a single credited to "Mama Cass with the Mamas & the Papas.  The song reached No. 12 in the United States and No. 11 in the United Kingdom.

Mama and the Papa on Ed Sullivan Show 1967

Cass's death came just after she had established herself as a solo artist.  Her goal had been to rid herself of her "Big Mama" image.  After years of struggle, she was finally on the way to achieving her objective.  She was shifting her image from "Mama Cass" to Cass Elliot.  In fact, the last album she released before her death was entitled Don't Call Me Mama Anymore (September, 1973).

     

On that fateful July 27, 1974, Cass had just completed a successful two-week stint at London's Palladium, where she had received nightly standing ovations.  Her stage manager, Bobby Roberts, stated that that "was one of her lifetime ambitions."  Producer Lou Adler recalled her final performance.  "She was really up," he said.  "She felt she was opening a new career, she'd finally got together an act she felt good doing - not prostituting herself, but middle-of-the road people enjoyed it and she enjoyed doing it."  Sadly, Cass passed away just as she was hitting her stride.  In London, she had enjoyed the taste of a successful solo career, but it was not destined to be long term.  

In 1978, Keith Moon, the eccentric drummer for The Who, occupied the flat where Cass had died four years previously  Harry Nillson was initially reluctant to grant Moon's request to use the flat because he apparently considered the place to be 'cursed.'  However, Who guitarist Pete Townshend convinced Nillson that lightning doe not strike twice in the same place."  As it turned out, Moon died in the very same bed in which Cass Elliot had passed away.  The 32-year-old British rock star was also the same age that Cass had been at the time of her death.  

Keith Moon

On September 7, 1978, Keith Moon and his girlfriend , Annette Walker-Lax returned home after attending a midnight showing of the film The Buddy Holly Story at the Odeon, Leicester Square. 

They were guests of Paul McCartney, who had  purchased the international rights to more than 40 of Holly's songs.  Inside the cinema, Keith was agitated.  He was restless.  According to Annette, he wanted to leave an hour into the movie.  

Moon, had long struggled with alcohol abuse.  Ironically, the cause of his death was an overdose of  clomethiazole, a prescription drug intended to treat or prevent symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.  A month prior to the rock star's death, The Who released Who Are You, the group's first new album in years.  However, Keith's drinking and drug use had affected his performance and his appearance.  On the cover photograph of the album, he posed in a a way that his paunch was concealed.  Due to their drummer's condition, The Who were in no position to tour, which left him feeling anxious.

Annette spoke to Tony Fletcher, author of Keith's biography, Moon: The Life and Death of a Rock Legend, about the night he died.  She remembered Keith "taking his usual glass of water and bucket of pills" before falling asleep about 4 a.m.  Moon had been taking more than his prescribed dose of clomethiazole, in the manner he generally abused drugs.  Annette did not realize quite how many pills of the powerful sedative he was consuming

According to Annette, Keith awakened at 7:30 a.m. and asked for food.  He was in a foul mood and they argued.  Nevertheless, Annette served him some lamb.  After finishing his meal, Moon ingested some more clomethiazole and fell asleep again.  Annette was disturbed by his snoring, so she slept on the sofa.  When she returned to the bedroom, she discovered Moon lying on his stomach with his left arm hanging over the side of the bed.  "I couldn't hear him breathing," she told Fletcher.  "Right there and then I knew something was wrong.  I went into a panic."  Annette phoned Dr. Geoffrey Dymond, the physician who had prescribed the  clomethiazole.  Dr. Dymond called an ambulance, but it was too late.  Keith had been dead for some time, but it wasn't until 5:50 p.m. that he was officially pronounced dead.

On Moon's death certificate, the official cause of death was listed as "Clomethiazole overdose, self-administered but no evidence of intention."  It was later revealed that Keith had had 26 undissolved clomethiazole tablets in his body when he passed away.  

Harry Nilsson was truly devasted by the deaths of his two friends, Cass Elliot and Keith Moon, at his apartment.  Nilsson felt that he could no longer live at that  'cursed'' flat, so he sold the place and and moved permanently to Los Angeles.  The buyer was none other than Pete Townshend, Keith Moon's bandmate with The Who.

It seems to me that Cass Elliot and Keith Moon were like bombs waiting to go off, Cass with her obesity and Keith with his alcoholism and drug abuse.  It happened that the bombs went off in the same place.

END NOTES

* Cass Elliot's daughter, Owen Elliot-Kugell wrote a memoir of the life and death of her mother.  The book is entitled My Mama, Cass.  It was published in May of 2024 by Hachette Books, 50 years after Cass's death.  After Cass's passing, her daughter Owen was raised by Cass's sister, Leah Cohen, and her husband, drummer Russ Kunkel.

Born on April 26, 1967, Owen was just seven years old when Cass die.  She was unable to spend much time with her mother, but she is dedicated to making sure that Cass's life and her musical legacy are not forgotten.  

For years, Owen had to endure jokes and innuendo that her mother died after choking on a ham sandwich.  In the course of researching her book, Owen spoke to her mother's close friend Sue Cameron.  It was Cameron who had written in her book Hollywood Secrets and Scandals that Cass had died from choking on a ham sandwich.  

Cameron revealed to Owen that she had called Cass's London apartment and had spoken to her manager Allan Carr, who told her that Cass had died.  Carr was upset and in a panic.  According to Cameron, he said, "There's a half=eaten sandwich on the nightstand.  You have to do this.  Just say she died choking on the sandwich." Carr wanted to counter any other rumours that might arise, especially concerning drugs.  So many of Cass's contemporaries, such as Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. had died from drug overdoses.  Owen believes that "Allan was afraid they'd make the same assumption" about Cass. Although no drugs were discovered in Cass's at the time of her death, Owen isn't certain that earlier drug use didn't play a part in her mother's untimely demise.

If she were alive today, Cass Elliot would be a grandmother.  In 1991, Owen married Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer Jack Kugell.  They have two children, a son Noah and a daughter Zoe.  They reside in the San Fernando Valley in California.

* On October 22, 2022, Cass was given a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  The ceremony was attended by her daughter Owen.

* The Mamas and the Papas were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.  The group  reunited for the second and final to perform at the induction ceremony.  Own filled in for her deceased mother.

* John Phillips passed away in 2001 at the age of 65.  Denny Doherty died in 2007 at the age of 66,  Michelle Phillips, born June 4, 1944, is the only surviving member of the Mamas and the Papas..

* In early 2023, Cass's 1969 song "Make Your Own Kind of Music" went viral on TikTok.

* In 2011, Rolling Stone readers voted Keith Moon the second-greatest drummer in history.  In 1990, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Who.

SOURCES:  ati (allthatsnteresting.com), "The Truth About :'Mama' Cass Elliot's Death And The Urban Legend That Followed," by Marco Margaritoff, October 14, 2021, updated March 8, 2024;  Living London History (livinglondonhistory.com), "Death in Mayfair: The 'Cursed' Flat Of Curzon Square," December 8, 2021; People magazine, "All About Cass Elliot's Daughter Owen Elliot Kugeel, by Kara Nesvig, May 1,  2024; Louder (loudersound.com), "What really happened the night Keith Mood died?" by Mark Blake, September 6, 2022; Wikipedia

- Joanne

American nightmare: The aftermath of Election 2024

Did I wake up from a nightmare, or is it really true?  Sadly, it wasn't a bad dream.  It really did happen, and I am truly devastated.  I am still in shock.  The United States of America has elected a vulgar, racist criminal as its president.  America has chosen a misogynist who thinks of women as playthings, a man who has been found liable to sexual abuse, a man who has told women that he will protect them, whether they like it or not.  Yep, you've come a long way, baby!

To be honest, I am heartbroken.  Donald Trump and his MAGA movement are the embodiment of everything I oppose, everything I find repugnant.  Trump supporters say that they vote for him because he's similar to them.  They claim that he speaks to them in the same way they speak to their friends.  Is this true?  Are Americans really so crude and hateful?  Do they lack empathy?  Some do.  However, a great many have been deceived and misinformed.  The American economy is strong.  It is humming along right, thanks to President Joe Biden.  Biden has never received the credit he deserves for that.  He took the mess Trump left him and turned it around.  Yet, many Americans falsely believe that Trump was good for the economy.  They falsely blame Biden for high inflation, which he did not cause, and for which he did everything possible to bring down.  

Thanks to Fox News and right-wing extremists s such as Tucker Carlson, many Americans are convinced that January 6th was just a walk in the park in which no lives were threatened or lost.  They don't see it as a violent attempt to overthrow the 2020 election.  They do not believe that Trump and his followers threatened to hang Vice President Mike Pence.  When asked about Pence, Trump replied, "So what!."  The life of his vice-president, a fellow human being, meant nothing to him.

Donald Trump inherited a good economy from Barack Obama and took credit for it.  Now he will inherit a good economy from Biden and will happily accept responsibility for that, too.  Trump will then impose his ill-advised tariffs, and tax breaks for billionaires such as Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch and Jeff Bezos.  He will eventually ruin the economy.  Sadly, corporate media are controlled by a cabal of billionaires.  They held Kamala Harris to a much higher standard than Donald Trump.  Trump's bizarre behaviour was dismissed as just Trump being Trump, but Americans were told that they didn't know enough about Kamala Harris.  This, despite her many speeches about her family background and her qualifications for the job of president.  She has been a prosecutor, a district attorney for San Francisco, Attorney General of California, a United States senator and vice president of the United States.  

When Donald Trump became president in 2017, he had held no political office.  He was a shady businessman with six bankruptcies under his belt, and a realty show host on NBC.  Trump has always presented himself as a tough guy and he is a quintessential bully.  Underneath his tough guy veneer, he is full of jelly and as soft as a pillow.  Many males support him because they like his macho attitude and his Alpha Male personality.  They are unaware of his insecurity and his incessant need for his ego to be stroked.  Real men are courageous and empathetic.  They are confident and self-assured.  They don't need to put others down in order to raise themselves up.  They are comfortable in their own skin.

Lower income Americans do not realize that in voting for Trump, they have voted against their own interests.  Big Oil, Big Pharma and Big Insurance are thrilled with the return of Trump.  They will make billions of dollars by spewing greenhouse gases, keeping the price of prescription drugs high, and destroying Obamacare.  Americans with pre-existing conditions will lose their health care coverage.  Trump intends to replace Obamacare with a "concept of a plan."

Non-white immigrants and migrants have no place in Trump's America. even if they are legal citizens  Undocumented immigrants are less than human in Trump's America.  All that ails America is caused by immigrants.  They are "illegal aliens," no better than vermin.  He and JD Vance promise mass deportations.  Doesn't that sound horrifying?  In Trump's America, non-white immigrants are the great scapegoats.  If they work hard, they are taking jobs from "real Americans" (i.e. white), even if they are citizens of the United States.  If they are unemployed, they are lazy.  They are living off welfare.

Make no mistake, the United States will never be the same again.  With Trump at the helm, it will sink into authoritarianism.  He has no guardrails now.  He will only listen to those who tell him what he wants to hear.  This is a profoundly sad day.  I am Canadian, but the effects of this elections will reverberate in my country and throughout the world.  I can't sugarcoat what has happened.  Donald Trump is unstable and he has fascist tendencies.  He is obviously in cognitive decline. 

Until now, I believed that the American electorate would always chose hope and optimism. Americans voted for Franklin Roosevelt over Herbert Hoover in the depths of the Great Depression.  FDR's message was that "Happy Days Are Here Again."  In 2024, the stage seemed set for the election of the first female president of the United States.  Kamala Harris ran a great campaign.  She exuded energy.  She had momentum.  She had  a message of hope for the future.  Yet, her vision was rejected for some 1950s vision of the past, when women never worked, white men were in control, and Blacks, Latinos, Asians and Muslims were marginalized.

Now, Americans and people around the world must face the dire consequences of Trump's return to the White House.  He will help his buddy Vladimir Putin take over Ukraine.  Somewhere in the Kremlin, Putin is sipping vodka in celebration, setting the groundwork for invading another country.  As for climate change, which is arguably the most important issue facing humanity, it was hardly mentioned during the 2024 U.S. election campaign.  Trump thinks it's a hoax.  He thinks wind turbines cause cancer.  Meanwhile, Florida has just been ravaged by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene has caused widespread destruction and many fatalities across the Southeastern United States.  Spain has just been hit by devastating floods.  This past summer, beautiful Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada was severely damaged by wildfire.

Kamala Harris will graciously accept the results of this election. On January 20th, there will be a peaceful transfer of power.  Biden and Harris will not claim that this election was rigged.  Today is a dark day, but I will continue to search for reasons to hope.  I still believe that the world can never give up on democracy and freedom.  We can never give up on humanity.  America, it's time for some soul searching and deep reflection.  What kind of a society have you become?

- Joanne

it's Decision Day in the USA

November 5th has finally here.  Election day has finally arrived in America.  It seems as if this campaign has lasted for an eternity.  For me, this day is bittersweet.  As I write this, I truly believe that Kamala Harris will be the next president of the United States.  Her campaign has been full of hope and optimism, as compared to the dark, dystopian vision of Donald Trump.  After suffering through a terrible pandemic, Americans are in search of a brighter tomorrow.  They do not need to hear a prospective president insulting women and Puerto Ricans.

What saddens me is that so many Americans, especially men, will cast their vote for a racist, misogynistic wanna be dictator.  The United States would never be the same if  Donald were to end up in the Oval Office.  Trump is a very sick man, physically and mentally.  He should not be running in this election in the first place.  It has become more and more apparent that he has some form of dementia or cognitive decline.  It has already been documented that he slurs his words and can't speak coherently.  

Most Americans are sick and tired of all the chaos, hate, division and rancour surrounding Trump and his supporters.  It's time to move on.  Kamala represents the future.  Donald Trump represents an oppressive past dominated by white males.  As Kamala says, it's time to turn the page.

By the way. I am certain that Kamala will win the popular boat.  The only chance for Trump is the unfair, out-of-date Electoral College system.  The majority of Americans prefer Kamala.  They would like to move forward, not backward to the 1950s.

I  live in Canada.  As a Canadian citizen, I am unable to vote in this election.  However, the whole world has a stake in this election.  If democracy is lost in America, it will be a tragedy.

-- Joanne

The Washington Post and Jeff Bezos should be ashamed

Jeff Bezos

 
"I really disagree. The Post thought, it has a news side and an editorial side. It's one institution. During Watergate — can I go back 50-plus years to talk about? When Carl Bernstein and I wrote stories that were denied, the Washington Post editorial department stood squarely behind us all of the way."

- Bob Woodward on ABC's The View

The Washington Post, the newspaper that uncovered the Watergate scandal, should be ashamed of itself.  It has refused to stand up for democracy.  It has refused to endorse a candidate in the 2024 election.  How disgraceful!  There is a clear choice in this election between a man who will not recognize the peaceful transfer of power, who is a misogynist and racist, and a woman who want to lift everyone up.  Kamala Harris does not consider her political opponents to be enemies.  

The Washington Post has traditionally backed candidates since the 1980s.  However, owner Jeff Bezos declared that the tradition had ended, despite the fact that a written endorsement for Harris had been in the works.  It is estimated that about 200,000 subscribers cancelled their subscription to The Post after Bezos announcement.  Furthermore, three members of the editorial board resigned from their posts in protest.

Frankly, I'm not surprised at Bezos' decision.  He's a billionaire, the founder of Amazon.  Trump is known to be favoured by billionaires.  When he was president, he gifted them with tax breaks.  He will do it again if he should return to the White House.  Let me be clear.  I don't believe that billionaires should be soaked.  I strongly believe, however, that they should pay their fair share.  They control too much of the wealth of America.  Some, like Elon Musk, are greedy Trump supporters.  They want to Medicare and repeal the Affordable Care Act.  They know that Trump will do their bidding.  Trump and his friends do not care about ordinary people who have suffered through a pandemic and are trying to support their families  

The Los Angeles Times and USA Today have also opted not to support Vice President Harris or former President Donald Trump.  Are these publications too cowardly to take a stand?  Are they afraid that if they do not support Trump, he will regard them as "enemies of the people" should he win the election?

- Joanne

Save Etobicoke's Queensway Cineplex Cinemas

As a film fan, I am very distuurbed about the potential closing of the Queensway Cinemas.in south Etobicoke area in the west end of Toronto.  There is a proposal to demolish the Queensway for yet another multi-tower condo complex.  There is no indication that it will be replaced by another movie theatre or entertainment option.  If the Queensway is destroyed by a wrecking ball, Etobicoke will lose another community hangout, a sense of neighbourhood.  If we lose the Queensway, all that will be left is the Kingsway Theatre - one movie theatre to serve all of Etobicoke.  The Kingsway is not large enough to serve this area.  It only has only one theatre and a screening room.  

Without the Queensway, many residents of Etobicoke will stay home and watch films on Netflix, abandoning  a source of contact with others.  Enough is enough!  It's about time that people won a victory over unbridled development.  It's time that a more value was placed on sense of community, rather than profit and greed.  I am sick and tired of the rubber stamping of development over the needs of the community.  People should come first.  We should have some say in what happens to our neighbourhood.

Please sign a petition to save the Queensway Cinemas.  Even if you do not attend films at the Queensway Cinemas,, your name on the petition will help those who do.  You will be making a statement on behalf of those who oppose uncontrolled development.  Click on the link below.  We must stop this before it's too late.

SIGN THE PETITION BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW.

Petition · Save Cineplex Cinemas Queensway ( Etobicoke ) from being demolished! - Toronto, Canada · Change.org

- Joanne

What happened to Harold Holt? The Disappearance of an Australian Prime Minister

Let's go Down Under, shall we?  The year is 1967 and Harold Holt is prime minister of Australia.  Let's take a look at his mysterious disappearance.  First, some background.  Holt was a lawyer and politician who served as Australia's 17th PM, and the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.  He became the third Australian prime minister to die in office, following Joseph Lyons in 1939 and John Curtin in 1945.

Harold Edward Holt was born in Stanmore, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, on August 5, 1908.  He was the eldest of the two sons born to Thomas James Holt, a schoolteacher, and his wife, Olive May, née Williams.  Harold's  younger brother, Clifford was born in 1910.  His parents eventually separated, and his mother died in 1925 when Harold was 16.

In 1920, Holt began boarding at Wesley College in Melbourne.  In 1927, he started studying law at the  University of Melbourne, where he lived at Queen's College.  He excelled in sports, especially cricket, and football (soccer)/and he was also active in student activities and debating.  His fine oratory skills and essay writing won him prizes.

In 1930, Holt graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree.  As a young lawyer in Melbourne during the early 1930s, he developed an interest in politics.  He joined the United Australia Party (UAP), the forerunner of the Liberal Party, and was elected to the federal Parliament in 1935 in the secure UAP seat of Fawkner.  Holt was 27 years old when he entered Parliament as its youngest member.  According to the Australian Dictionary of  Biography, the new member for Fawkner "was a dashing figure: of middle height, fit and handsome, with thick black hair swept back, well-tailored clothes, ready smile and a natural charm."

Holt as a young man in the 1930s

In 1939, Holt's mentor, Sir Robert Menzies, became prime minister and Holt was appointed a minister without portfolio.  In 1941, under Prime Minister Menzies, Holt organized the Department of Labour and National Service for wartime mobilization.  However, Menzies' government was defeated that year and the UAP was sent into opposition.  

Holt joined the new Liberal Party upon its creation in 1945.  When the Liberals came into office in 1949, Holt became a senior cabinet minister for the new government.  From 1949 to 1956, he held the important position of Minister for Immigration.  During his tenure as Minister for Immigration, Holt dealt with post-war immigration to Australia.  He relaxed the White Australia policy (based on the  Immigration Restriction Act of 1901) for the first time.

Holt's reforms evened the playing field between Europeans and non-Europeans seeking citizenship, setting a 5-year wait time for both groups.  The criteria for non-European migrants applying for permanent residence.  

From 1949 to 1958, Holt served as Minister of Labour and National Service, where he took care of labour disputes.  In 1956, he was elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party.  After the 1956 election, he also became Treasurer.  

Harold Holt was the most experienced cabinet minister in the Australian government, and the heir apparent to Robert Menzies.  Upon Menzies' retirement, Holt was elected unanimously as Liberal Party leader.  On January 26, 1966, Holt succeeded Menzies as prime minister.

Holt's new government continued to tear down the White Australia policy, which restricted immigration based on race, and his government also assumed responsibility for indigenous affairs.  Sadly, Holt never completely dismantled the racist White Australia policy, but his initiatives were absolutely instrumental in bringing about its end, since it was formerly abolished in stages.  Prime Minister Gough Whitlam definitively renounced the policy in 1973, and its last vestiges were finally removed in 1975 when the Racial Discrimination Act was passed.

Harold Holt promoted a stronger relationship with Asia and the Pacific and made several visits to East Asian countries.  As prime minister, Holt developed a close relationship with the United States.  He created controversary by increasing Australian troops in aid of the South Vietnam.  Holt strongly supported American policies in Vietnam, stating that "without the American shield, most of us who live in Asia and the South Pacific would have a continuing sense of insecurity."

Under Holt's leadership, Australia's co-operation with the Americans went beyond support for the Vietnam War.  He approved the construction of several Earth stations to be used by NASA and U.S, intelligence agencies.  According to Tom Frame, Holt's biographer, Australia became "the most substantial centre for American missile and space operation outside the continental United States."

Harold Holt was a personal friend of U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson.  They were the same age (both men having been born in August of 1908.  The two first met in 1942 during World War II, when Johnson served as a member of the U.S. Naval Reserve in Australia and New Zealand.  During a July 1966 White House visit, Holt famously declared that he was "all the way with LBJ," a slogan Johnson used during the 1964 presidential election campaign.  

Holt also sponsored LBJ's October 1966 visit to Australia.  Johnson was the first American president to travel Down Under while in office, but his visit was fraught with tension over the Vietnam War.  Protests took place during several appearances by the U.S. president, including throwing paint at, and lying in front of Johnson's car.

Holt with LBJ in 1966

In the federal election of  November 26, 1966, Harold Holt's Liberal-Country coalition government won an increased majority in the House of Representatives in a landslide victory over the opposition Labor Party.  1966 was a good year for Holt, but things started to go wrong for him personally and politically in 1967, including the death of his brother Cliff and the emergence of Gough Whitlam, a tough challenger, as leader of the opposition.  Gough's Labor Party won by-election victories in July and September.

On Friday, December 15, Holt left the Australian capital of Canberra for a much-needed restful weekend at the holiday home he owned in Portsea, Victoria on Mornington Peninsula, on the outskirts of Melbourne.  His wife, Zara, did not accompany him.  She stayed behind in Canberra.  Holt intended to return on Monday for ministerial changes in the New Year.

On the fateful day of December 17, 1966, Harold Holt decided to go to the local beach.  The Prime Minister had just finalized his last cabinet meeting for the year, and he was was eager to relax and unwind.  So, he headed out to Cheviot Beach near seaside home he owned.

On the afternoon of December 17, Holt  and a group of four other adults arrived at Cheviot Beach.  It was a Sunday afternoon and Christmas celebrations were in full swing.  Holt  and his companions strolled along the Bass Strait, enjoying the sunshine. 

Harold Holt was an outdoorsman and and an enthusiast of water sports.  He enjoyed swimming, spearfishing and snorkeling.  However, the PM wasn't in perfect health as he had undergone shoulder surgery on Friday and had been advised by his doctor to take it easy after the operation.  Disregarding his his doctor's advice, he had played tennis with friends on Saturday.                

Despite the high tide, he was eager for a swim, so he changed into his swim suit, claiming that he knew the beach like the back of his hand.  He then walked into the surf and began swimming away from the beach.  It was a gusty afternoon and Holt disappeared from sight in the rough waters.  Holt's four companions climbed a rocky cliff and search for signs of him, but to no avail.  

When Harold Holt disappeared, Australia launched one of the largest search operations in its history, Two hours after he went missing, dozens of police, search and rescue squads had already converged on Cheviot Beach.  Despite their best efforts, no trace of  Holt's body was ever found, and he was presumed to have drowned.  On December 10, 1967, Governor General Lord Casey terminated Holt's commission as prime minister.  The search exhaustive search was finally called off on January 6th.  All that was left was a pile of Holt's clothes on the sand at Cheviot Beach.   

Search party combing Cheviot Beach

The news of Harold Holt's disappearance and presumed drowning sent shock waves throughout  the Australian nation.  Television and radio broadcasters across the country proclaimed, "It is feared the prime minister has drowned."  The question of security was raised, since Holt's death had occurred just four years after John F, Kennedy's assassination.  It was difficult to believe that the prime minister, who had a sore shoulder, could have acted so foolishly as to enter dangerous waters.

After Holt's death, a number conspiracy theories surfaced.  The lack of a formal inquiry added fuel to the notion that there had been a coverup.  Tom Frame, Holt's biographer,, told CNN that the conspiracy theories "have become so well-known and almost part of Australian folklore on there own."  According to John Warhurst, emeritus professor of politics at the Australian National University, there was wild speculation in the media that Holt had committed suicide.  Some theorized that he was upset over his allegedly rocky marriage or worn out by the rigours of his job.  

Since this was the Cold War era, there was speculation that a foreign power, probably Russia or China, was involved Holt's disappearance.  A book titled The Prime Minister Was A Spy, by British journalist Anthony Grey, was published.  Grey alleged that Holt had been a Chinese spy and that he had evacuated to a Chinese submarine at the completion of his mission.  The book was received with mockery and disdain.  Years later, Zara dismissed the theory saying, "Harry?  Chinese submarine?  He didn't even like Chinese cooking."

Harold Holt's funeral service was held at St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral in Melbourne.  The service was attended by President Lyndon Johnson, Prince Charles, and U.K. Prime Minister Harold Wilson, and senior representatives of 12 Asian nations.

It wasn't until 2005 that a Victorian coroner opened a formal inquiry into Harold Holt's disappearance.  State Coroner Graeme Johnstone concluded that Harold Holt had drowned at Cheviot Beach and that his remains had been either swept out to sea or taken by sharks.

END NOTES

* On October 8, 1946, Harold Holt married Zara Dickins Fell in her parents' home in Toorak, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.  Holt was first was introduced to Zara in 1926, through a university student she was dating at the time.  Zara and her friend Betty James opened a dress shop called Magg in Melbourne in 1929.  After about a year, Betty left the partnership to get married.  Zara continued alone for another year until, at her mother's insistence, the shop was closed.  

During World War II, Zara worked for her father's food manufacturing business.  In 1949, Zara and Betty resumed their partnership, opening a new shop in Toorak, a suburb.  Two more shops Magg shops were opened and the two women became successful fashion entrepreneurs.  Zara was the head designer, while Betty took care of business matters.

Zara's first husband was Colonel James Fell, with whom she had three children.  She and Fell wed in 1935 and Zara gave birth to three sons, Nicholas in 1937 and twins Sam and Andrew in 1939.  The couple divorced in 1946 and Zara married Harold Holt.  Holt legally adopted Zara's children and gave them his surname.  According to Tom Frame in his book The Life and Death of Harold Holt, Holt was the twins' biological father.

In June of 1968, Zara was created a Dame Commander of the British Empire for her "devotion to the public interest."  On February 19, 1969, about two years after Holt's drowning, she married Jeff Bate, a farmer and Liberal politician.  Thereafter, she became known as Dame Zara Bate.  After Bate's death, Zara retired to the Gold Coast of Queensland Australia, She died there on June 14, 1989, at the age of 80.

Zara in 1966

* Harold Holt's nickname was "Gunner."  In May of 1940, holt enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and trained as a gunner.

SOURCES: Enccylopaedia Britannica; CNN, "Hoe Australia's PM went swimming 50 years ago and vanished forever," by Ben Westcott, December 17, 2017; ABC News, "Inside the disappearance of Harold Holt- one of the largest search operations in Australian history," by Bridget Judge for RetroFocus, October 31, 2020; Wikipedia; Australian Dictionary of Biography; National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, "Holt Hosts Australia'a First Presidential Visit

- Joanne

November 5th: The most important election in American history

Donald J. Trump is a sick man.  One doesn't have to be a doctor to realize that he is in serious cognitive decline.  The evidence is overwhelming and becoming clearer every day.  The man does not speak coherently.  He slurs.  His thoughts wander and he cannot complete a sentence without going off on a tangent.  His behaviour is becoming increasingly bizarre.by the day.  He has imitated duck sounds.  He continues to spout nonsense about Hannibal Lector and immigrants eating cats and dogs.  He's made vulgar comments about Arnold Palmer's genitalia.  This is not just "Trump being Trump."  This is an unstable 78-year-old man who is running for the highest office in the United States.  Can you imagine if Kamala Harris or Joe Biden behaved in this manner?

Trump's own niece, Mary Trump is a clinical psychiatrist.  As a member of the Trump family, she grew up with him.  She understands why her uncle is the way he is, and she has repeatedly called him out.  Why doesn't the corporate media do the same?  Why has his conduct been normalized.  The president of the United States must think clearly in order to protect American citizens.  An unhinged man such as Donald Trump is not capable of doing so.  He poses a grave threat to America and to the free world, including concerned Canadians like myself.  

Of course Trump denies that he has cognitive issues.  He sees it as a weakness and he won't admit the truth.  That's why he refuses to be transparent about his health.  He spouts nonsense about having aced two cognitive tests.  His family has not intervened.  They should show concern about his health, but they won't.  Perhaps they are too afraid of the consequences of defying him.

I have not even mentioned yet the danger Trump would pose to the world order with his admiration for dictators such as Vladimir Putin of Russia and Kim Jong Un of North Korea.  His authoritarian tendencies are clear.  He does not believe in democracy.  That's why conservative Republicans must put country ahead of party.  This is not a normal election.  It is not a campaign between right wing and left wing.  It is a contest between democracy and autocracy.  It is a test of the strength of America's democratic ideals.  The stakes are extraordinarily high.  

The November 5th election is just around the corner.  It will be the most consequential election in American history.  Early voting and mail-in voting has already begun.  I urge my American friends to get out and vote to preserve American democracy.  I urge male voters not to be fooled by Trump's image as a tough macho man.  Like any bully, he is weak inside, where it really counts.  He has to put others down to raise himself up.  He must be defeated at the ballot box.

- Joanne

Autumn reading

 Greetings to Number 16 readers,

If you are looking for some fun reading this fall, may I suggest my novel The Missing Reporter.  I think you will enjoy it.  It's suspenseful and it's an easy read.  If you are interested, click on the link below the book cover image  to view my author's page.

The Missing Reporter is full of mystery and intrigue.  Set in 1989, it is the story of Sandra McKay, a crime reporter from Prince Edward Island.  Why did she suddenly vanish after starting a new job?  Is her disappearance linked to the death of prominent dental surgeon Lawrence Somerville, whose brother works for a mob boss.  Intrepid private detective Norm Trapper ion on the case and he is searching for answers.

Here is the link to my author's webpage.  

https://joannemadden.ca/

By the way, I am working on my third novel, a sequel to The Missing Reporter.  

Thank you for your support.  It is much appreciated.

- Joanne

Niagara-on-the-Lake photos

Recently I visited my favourite small town in Ontario - Niagara-on-the-Lake.  It is postcard pretty with beautiful flowers and greenery.   It is not overrun by tacky souvenir shops and flagrant commercialism.

- Joanne

Here are some photos of some of the places I visited in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Niagara region..

Below is a statue of one of my favourite playwrights, the great George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950).  It is located just outside the Shaw Cafe & Wine Bar in Niagara-on-the-Lake, right on the town's main street at 92 Queen Street.  Niagara-on-the-Lake's theatrical festival, the Shaw Festival is named after him.

While in Niagara-on the-Lake, I spotted this antique Ford with a Massachusetts licence plate.  I think it is a Model T, but I am not certain.  

Below are photos of The Olde Angel Inn.  It was built circa 1789 and burned down during the War of 1812.  However, it was rebuilt in 1815.  The inn consists of five historic guest rooms and the pub serves British fare, and of course, draught beer.  There is a sine bar as well.

VOICES OF FREEDOM PARK, NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE

I visited Voices of Freedom Park in the heart of the Old Town, which celebrates Black history.  It is described on its website as "an experimental installation designed to engage, educate, and challenge visitors about his most important aspect of our history.  Voices from the past will tell their stories, enriching visitors; understanding of how they shaped our town and nation."  The park opened in 2018.

ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE

A photo of the Royal George Theatre where I saw a production of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution.

NIAGARA RIVER AT QUEENSTON HEIGHTS

Is Donald Trump too unwell to be president?

"I do the weave. You know what the weave is? I’ll talk about, like, nine different things that they all come back brilliantly together. And it’s like friends of mine that are like English professors, they say: ‘It’s the most brilliant thing I’ve ever seen,’” 

- Donald Trump

It is unspeakably dangerous for the president of the United States to be mentally and physically unwell.  It is obvious that Donald Trump is both.  He is a threat to the security of Americans and to the world.  Why isn't corporate media questioning Trump's fitness to be president more strongly?  The Republican presidential nominee is not funny and he's not entertaining.  He is downright scary, and yes, weird.  It is frightening that so many American's are willing to support such a man.  It's as if his behaviour has been normalized.

Trump's speeches have become more and more bizarre, and increasingly more incoherent. They are longer and more rambling. Trump realizes this himself, as you can tell from the quote above.  He is in no shape to be president.  To be blunt, he is losing it.  He does not have all his mental faculties, and he is only going to get worse.  If, heaven forbid, Trump should ever win the election because of the electoral college and the right wing Supreme Court, he will be a complete and utter disaster.

Nevertheless, Trump has the backing of the Republican Party.  Sadly, the party of Lincoln is no longer a real political party.  It is a cult party, completely controlled by a severely ill 78-year-old man.  Trump is in no condition to be anywhere near the nuclear codes.  He is in no condition to deal with Vladimir Putin or the war in Gaza.  He should never set foot in  the Oval Office again.

If you doubt me, just take a look at Trump's physical appearance.  He doesn't look healthy with his orange-toned puffy face.  He spouts incoherent gibberish about Hannibal Lector, Al Capone and sharks.  When Joe Biden appeared unwell during a debate with Trump, the pressure was immediate and relentless for  him to bow out of the presidential race, which he eventually did.  

Donald Trump did not expect President Biden to bow out, simply because he can't conceive of a politician voluntarily relinquishing power.  Trump doesn't understand why Biden put his country above himself.  He has no comprehension of sacrifice or loyalty to anything or anybody but himself.

There is clearly a double standard in America.  Much of the mainstream media are not focusing on Donald Trump's mental state and his obvious cognitive decline.  Why not?  Joe Biden was considered not fit for the office of the presidency.  Donald Trump is a great deal less fit to be president than Joe Biden.  Biden, who is only three years older than Trump, struggles with age-related issues.  However, Biden is not a sociopath.  He would never attempt to overthrow a democratically elected government, as Trump did on January 6, 2001.  Biden is not a convicted felon, as Trump is.  He is neither a racist nor a misogynist.  Unlike Trump, Biden believes in democracy and wants to preserve it.

There have been several American presidents who had serious health issues.  Abraham Lincoln suffered from depression.  Today he would have been prescribed Prozac.  Lincoln's depression was not anywhere near as serious as Trump's mental issues.  Lincoln was 56 years old when he was assassinated in 1865.

Lincoln

Woodrow Wilson had a near-fatal stroke on October 2, 1919, which left him incapacitated.  The severity of Wilson's condition was hidden from Congress and the American people.  All messages to him were relayed directly to his wife, Edith.  Wilson finished his term in office in 1921.  He died on February 3, 1924.

Wilson

In February of 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt was very ill when he met Josef Stalin and Winston Churchill for a conference at Yalta, a Russian spa on the Crimean coast.  FDR died about two months later on April 12, 1945, without completing his fourth term as president.  

FDR

In September of 1955, Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered an acute heart attack while vacationing in Denver, Colorado.  Eisenhower ran for a second term in office in 1956.  He won, defeating the Democratic candidate, Adlai Stevenson.

Eisenhower

In 1972, Democratic Senator George McGovern chose Senator Thomas Eagleton of Missouri as his vice-presidential running mate.  It was revealed that Eagleton had received electroshock therapy for clinical depression during the 1960s.  The senator was later diagnosed with bipolar II.  

McGovern initially backed his running mate "1000 percent"  However, after confidentially consulting with prominent psychologists, McGovern was told that a recurrence of Eagleton's depression was possible and could imperil the country should he become acting president.  At McGovern's request, Eagleton then withdrew his candidacy for vice president.

Eagleton was replaced by Kennedy in-law Sargent Shriver.  The addition of Shriver, a diplomat, and the driving force behind the creation of the Peace Corrps, was not enough to save the McGovern campaign.  He and Shriver were defeated by Richard Nixon in a landslide victory for the Republicans.

Eagleton

Eagleton was much younger that Donald Trump when he was forced to remove himself from his candidacy for vice president.  He was in his early 40s, while Trump is 78 years old.  Eagleton did not ramble incoherently.  He did not slur his speech.  Trump's mental state is so much worse that Eagleton's.  Yet the spineless Republicans still anointed him as their 2024 candidate for president.

Many of Trump's most ardent supporters are billionaires.  They desire the tax breaks he will give them if he becomes president again.  They don't care if it means a deranged man is the leader of the United States of America.  How this race is even close is beyond me.  In the United States, all are supposed to be equal before the law.  Trump has been able to evade justice at every corner, either by delaying tactics or intimidation and bullying.  On November 5th, the American people are going to have deliver the verdict on democracy in America.  If Trump wins, he will not allow another free election in the United States.  He will permit his friend and fellow alpha male, Putin, to run roughshod over Ukraine.  By the way, Putin and Trump may act tough on the outside, but like all bullies, they are mush on the inside.

I urge Americans to rise up and use your vote to prevent Donald Trump from regaining the presidency. The American judiciary system has failed to stop this deranged demagogue.  It will take the power of the people on November 5th to keep him away from the White House.  It will take the power of the electoral ballot to bring Trump down.

- Joanne