RFK Jr., Trump, measles and fluoride

Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. has sold his soul for a powerful position in the Trump administration.  Thanks to his allegiance with Trump, he is now the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.  His father, who was a man of integrity, would be ashamed of his son's conduct.  RFK Jr., born January 17, 1954, was just 14 when his dad was slain in Los Angeles by an assassin's bullet.  The late Bobby Kennedy fought for civil rights and social justice.  Sadly, his namesake has made a Faustian deal with a wanna-be dictator.

RFK Jr. is a big proponent of eating healthy foods, as a health secretary should be.  He laments that Americans are too obese.  To his credit, he has been very vocal about that.  Not so long ago, Michelle Obama did the same thing.  When she was First Lady, she launched her "Let's Move" campaign, which tried to combat childhood obesity by promoting healthier eating and physical activity among kids.

The former First Lady's campaign had mixed results.  Combatting obesity is a daunting task, especially when both children and adults are glued to their computers and cell phones.  Furthermore, it is difficult for lower income families to afford healthy foods.  Fast foods are far less expensive.  Maybe if the Trump administration would stop making cuts to programs that help struggling families, low income earners would be able to afford healthier foods.

RFK Jr. deserves credit for promoting healthy diets, except that he has aligned himself with Donald Trump, a man who is not exactly known for eating healthy foods.  Trump has made no secret of the fact that his favourite foods are steak, meatloaf and burgers.  Although he avoids coffee, alcohol and the dough in a slice of pizza, he  enjoys consuming fast foods and sipping diet cola. It is not surprising that he is overweight and unfit.  I wonder why RFK Jr. doesn't tell his boss to pursue a more healthy diet and to exercise, although that wouldn't make any difference to Trump.  Trump would never give up fast food or exercise.  He won't even walk on the golf course.  He rides a golf cart all the time.  

How can RFK Jr. promote healthy eating when the president is setting such a poor example?  How can he tell people to avoid McDonald's when his boss delights in eating cheese burgers and sipping soft drinks?  It's a monumental task, like circling a square.

Trump feasting on McDonald's food.

RFK Jr. is an environmental lawyer.  Yet, he has supported a man who thinks climate change is hoax.  How can he reconcile his concern for the environment with Trumps promotion of fossil fuels such as coal, his "Drill baby drill!" slogan, his removal of environmental regulations, his statements that wind turbines, which he calls "windmills," cause cancer?  How can someone who truly cares about climate change work for a man who shows no concern for the environment?

Then there is RFK Jr.'s anti-vaxxer beliefs.  He is also a proponent of conspiracy theories.  This is a man who has talked about worms eating his brain.  This is a man who has spread false claims for years.  For example, he has promoted the theory that the preservative thimerosal, which has mostly been phased out of modern vaccine formulas, seems to be instrumental in a rise in autism cases..  In 2006, Kennedy wrote in Rolling Stone and Salon magazines that the government was aware, but "knowingly allowed the pharmaceutical industry to poison an entire generation of American children."  Certified health organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and others, have debunked RFK's Jr.'s claim.  They were unable to find any credible link between vaccines and autism.

Is it any wonder that there has been a sudden outbreak of measles in the United States and Canada when it was once thought that the childhood disease was a thing of the past?  Some parents have been avoiding the vaccine for fear of their children becoming autistic. 

 On April 6, 2025,, RFK Jr. attended the funeral of the second child who died from the West Texas measles outbreak. The child was an unvaccinated 8-year-od girl.  Kennedy wrote on social media that he was in Texas to team up with the state's heath officials with the goal of preventing the spread of the highly contagious respiratory virus.  He noted that "the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine"  However, just a few hours later, Kennedy praised "extraordinary healers" Dr. Ben Edwards and Richard Bartlett, "who have treated and healed some 300 measles-stricken Mennonite children with aerosolized budesonide and clarithromycin."  

Edwards and Bartlett are controversial figures.  Both have reportedly promoted alternatives to vaccines to treat disease.  The truth is that if the Mennonite children had been vaccinated in the first place, they wouldn't have contracted measles, and they wouldn't have needed healing from the likes of Edwards and Bartlett.

Kennedy Jr. has also been taking aim at fluoride in public drinking water, much to the dismay of scientists and dental health organizations.  They have warned that such a move would be disastrous.  It would prove detrimental to public health.  

Kennedy disagrees with the opinion of experts.  He thinks he knows better.  He has supported claims that fluoride contributes to several physical and mental health issues, including ADHD, hypothyroidism and lowering of IQ.  Dentists and epidemiologists have argued that his claims are scientifically unproven.  They contend that removing fluoride from water systems could have an adverse affect on public health.  In fact, Brett Kessler, president of the American Dental Association described Kennedy's claims that fluoride is harmful and unwarranted as a "myth."  "When government officials, like Secretary Kennedy, stand behind the commentary of misinformation and distrust peer-reviewed research, it is injurious to public health," he said. 

During a recent visit to Salt Lake City, RFK Jr. declared that fluoride "should not be in our water."  He praised the state of Utah for passing a first-ever ban on fluoride in public water.  The ban takes effect next month.  "I'm very, very proud of this state for being the first state to ban it, and I hope many more will come," he stated.  

The health secretary didn't stop there.  After the news conference, he informed the Associated Press that he will tell the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to cease recommending that cities and states add fluoride to public water systems.  Fluoridation is not mandatory by law.  How many will have to suffer tooth decay and cavities due to the removal of fluoride before the madness of RFK Jr. ends?  How man children will die form measles?  

SOURCES: Independent, "RFK Jr. praises anti-vaxxer hours after attending funeral for 8-year-old who died from measles," by Julia Musto, April 7, 2025; USA Today, "RFK Jr. to go after fluoride in tap water as dentists warn of disastrous health impacts," by Cybele Mayes-Osterman, April 19, 2025; Wikipedia

- Joanne

Blue Jays finally sign Vladdy. Is it enough?

 
So, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. isn't going anywhere.  According to MLB insiders, the 26-year-old slugger and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a lucrative 14-year, $150 million US deal.  It's the largest contract in franchise history  According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the deal has no deferrals, a signing bonus and a no-trade clause, effectively making Guerrero a Blue Jay until the age of 40.

The Vladdy signing is good news for the team, but you'll have to excuse me if I don't rush to congratulate Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins for finally getting the deal done.  They don't deserve any medals for doing what they should  have done long ago.  Why wasn't Guerrero locked up sooner?

Better late than never, of course, but the deal should have been done a few years ago.  Instead, the Jays left Vladdy in limbo while they the chased the impossible dream.  They pursued Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, even though those two were never going to come to Toronto.  The Jays should have concentrated on signing on Vladdy because he wanted to remain in the city.  Shapiro and Atkins are fortunate that they managed to come to terms with Vladdy at the 11th hour, but they would have been able to pay him less had they signed him earlier.

Perhaps the last minute deal was made out of desperation on the part of Blue Jay management.  The Vladdy signing saga was becoming a distraction.  There was going to be constant speculation about where Guerrero was headed in free agency.  The uncertainly was upsetting the fan base.  There was concern about the future of the team.  With Vladdy gone, fans feared that there be years of rebuilding. 

The signing of Vladdy does not solve all the Blue Jays' problems.  They still do not have enough power hitting.  Management has paid too much attention to defence and not enough to offence.  The Jays won't be able to really contend until they hit more home runs.  The long ball isn't everything, but it sure helps. 

Now that Vladdy has been signed, where does that leave Bo Bichette?  He seems likely to pursue free agency, but will the Vladdy agreement influence the shortstop to stay?  Even if Bo wants to remain in Toronto, the Jays may not be able to afford him after paying all that money to his teammate.  Bo's future is another question mark for a team that has too many question marks surrounding it.  However, at least the team has settled things with Vladdy.  That's a start.

- Joanne

Prime Ministers of Canada Quiz

 
On March 14th, 2025, Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada's 24th prime minister.  If you  think you know your Canadian history, why not take this quiz on Canada's prime ministers.  Good luck.

THE GREAT CANADIAN PRIME MINISTERS QUIZ

1.  To date, who was sworn in as Canada's youngest prime minister?

A.  Stephen Harper

B.  Joe Clark

C.  Kim Campbell

D.  Alexander Mackenzie

E.  Justin Trudeau

2.  Who was Canada's prime minister during the darkest years of the Great Depression - from 1930 to 1935?

A.  Louis St. Laurent

B.  Arthur Meighen

C   William Lyon Mackenzie King

D.   R.B. Bennett

E.  Sir Robert Borden

3.  Who was the only Canadian prime mister born in British Columbia?

A.  Kim Campbell

B.  John Turner

C.  Paul Martin

D.  John Diefenbaker

E,  Brian Mulroney

4.  Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, was born in Glasgow, Scotland.  Did he speak with a Scottish accent?

A.  Yes, he spoke with a Scottish accent.

B.  No, his family moved to London, England when he was five years old, so he spoke with an English accent when he left England at the age of 19.

C.  His family immigrated to what is now Kingston, Ontario in 1820 when he was five years old.  So, he did not speak with a Scottish accent.

D.  His family moved to Wales when he was five years old, so he spoke with a Welsh accent when he left Wales at the age of 18.

E.  None of the above.

5.  Who was the only Canadian prime minister to win a Nobel Peace Prize?

A.  Pierre Trudeau

B.  William Lyon Mackenzie King

C.  Louis St. Laurent

D.  Sir Robert Borden

E.  Lester B. Pearson

6.  Louis St. Laurent was Prime Minister of Canada from 1948 until 1957.  What was St. Laurent's nickname?

A.  Lucky Louis

B.  Uncle Louis

C.  Liberal Louis

D.  St. Lawrence

E.  None of the above

7.  W.L. Mackenzie King's Liberals defeated R.B. Bennett's Conservatives in the 1935 election.  What was the slogan King used in that election campaign?

A.  King and Country

B.  Canada's King

C.  Conscription if necessary, but not necessarily conscription

D.  King or Chaos

E.   A better Canada

8.  R.B. Bennett was the 11th Canadian prime minister.  What do the initials R.B. in R.B. Bennett stand for?

A.  Richard Bedford

B.  Robert Bradshaw

C.  Randolph Byron

D.  Raymond Barkley

E.  Russell Blake

9.  Two Canadian prime ministers have died while in office.  Sir John A. Macdonald died of a stroke on June 6, 1891, while still in office.  Can you name the other Canadian PM who died while in office?

A.  Sir Charles Tupper

B.  Arthur Meighen

C.  Sir John Sparrow David Thompson

D.  Louis St. Laurent

E.  William Lyon Mackenzie King

10.  Which Canadian prime minister proclaimed that the 20th century would be Canada's century?

A.  Sir Robert Borden

B.  Sir Wilfrid Laurier

C.  Arthur Meighen

D.  William Lyon Mackenzie King

E.  Sir John A. Macdonald

11.  Which Canadian prime minister owned Irish Terriers?  He named his dogs "Pat."

A.  Pierre Trudeau

B.  John Diefenbaker

C.  Joe Clark

D.  Brian Mulroney

E.  W.L. Mackenzie King

ANSWERS

1,  B       

Joe Clark in 1979

Joe Clark was born High River, Alberta, on June 5, 1939.  He was sworn in as prime minister on June 4th, 1979 at the age of 39.

2.  D.

R.B. Bennett was prime minister during the most difficult years of the Great Depression - from 1930 to 1935.  Bennett was born in Hopewell Hill, New Brunswick.  He retired two years after his party was hit by a crushing defeat in the 1935 election.  He then moved to England where he served as a member of the British House of Lords as Viscount Bennett, from 1941 to 1947.  On June 27, 1947, R.B. Bennett died of a heart attack in Surrey, England.  He is the only Canadian PM not buried in Canada.  In 1935, during his time as Canada's prime minister, the Bank of Canada and the Canadian Wheat Board were created.

  

3.  A

Kim Campbell was the first female Prime minister of Canada and the first to be born in British Columbia.  She was born on March 10, 1947 in Port Alberni, B.C.

4.  C

Sir John A.'s family immigrated to what is now Kingston, Ontario in 1820 when he was five years old.  So, he did not speak with a Scottish accent.

5.  E

Lester Bowles "Mike"  Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for devising a peacekeeping formula that settled the Suez Crisis of 1956.  Pearson was a successful diplomat.  In 1945, As Canada's Ambassador to Washington, he played a significant role in establishing the United Nations.  In 1948, he became Canada's External Affairs Minister in the government of Louis St. Laurent.  Pearson became leader of the Liberal Party in 1958 and Prime Minister of Canada in 1963  He led the party through two minority Parliaments.  He resigned as party leader in December 1967 and Pierre Trudeau was chosen to succeed him as Liberal Leader   Although Pearson never led a majority government, it was during his time as PM that the Canada Pension Plan was introduced, the distinctive Canadian Maple Leaf flag officially replaced the red ensign (February 15, 1965) and the Canada-U.S. Automotive Agreement  (Auto Pact) was signed (January 1965).  Lester Pearson died in Ottawa in 1972 at the age of 65.

6.  B

Lous St, Laurent's nickname was Uncle Louis.  St. Laurent was instrumental in building the St. Lawrence Seaway in co-operation with the United States.

7.  D

In the 1935 election, W.L. Mackenzie King's Liberals used the slogan "King or Chaos."  The Liberals won a majority government, defeating R.B. Bennett's Conservatives.  The central issue was the economy , which was still in the depths of the Great Depression.  

8.  A

The initials R.B. stand for Richard Bedford.

9.  C

Sir John Sparrow David Thompson, Canada's fourth prime minister, died while in office, on December 12, 1894.  Thompson, a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, suffered a heart attack at a luncheon at Windsor Castle in England.  He had just been sworn in as a member of the Imperial Privy Council by Queen Victoria.  As a measure of respect, the British government sent his body home to Halifax in a battleship.  He was 47 years old at the time of his passing.

10,  B

On October 14, 1904, Sir Wilfrid Laurier boldly predicted that the 20th century would be Canada's century.  In a speech at Toronto's Massy Hall, Laurier said the following: "Let me tell you, my fellow countrymen, that all the signs point this way, that the 20th century shall be the century of Canada and Canadian development . . .. For the next 100 years, Canada shall be the star towards which all men who love freedom and progress shall come."

11.  E

Mackenzie King and dog "Pat"

W.L Mackenzie King was Canada's tenth prime minister.  He served as PM for three terms - 1921-1926. 1926-1930 and 1935-1948, and he led Canada through World War II.  A lifelong bachelor, King was a solitary man, and quite eccentric.  After King's death, the public learned that he had visited mediums to try to communicate with Laurier, FDR, his diseased mother (Isabel Mackenzie), and others.

In 1924, a six-month old Irish Terrier was given to King as a gift.  The dog became his constant companion.  He named the dog "Pat," the same name that he would call the two other Irish Terriers that he owned following the original Pat's death.  King doted on "Pat" and according to accounts, he believed that the dog was inhabited by the spirit of his late mother.  The first "Pat" lived for 17 years and died in 1941  The second Pat was acquired in 1941, but only lived for six years.  The third "Pat" survived Mackenzie King's death in July of 1950.

- Joanne Madden

The tragic death of Alec Smith

Health care is a human right.  It is not a privilege for those who can afford it.  What happened to Alec Smith is shameful and inhumane.  Not only is it a tragedy, but it is an indictment of American's health care system and Big Pharma.  Alec would be alive today were it not for the shortcomings of the U.S. health system and the greed of Big Pharma.

Alec's mother, Nicole Smith-Holt, made the following comment to The Independent:  "I didn't know anybody else who was in the same situation.  It wasn't until I gave my first interview, a couple of months after Alec passed away, that people started messaging me . . . it made me feel like Alec's death was not an isolated situation.  It made me open up my eyes that this is a crisis.

Alec suffered from Type 1 diabetes.  His is body did not produce the hormone insulin, which is necessary to regulate blood sugar.  In the case of Type 2 diabetics, however, the body is able to produce insulin, but other cells have developed a resistance to it, which causes similar problems.  Alec was 24 when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.  His mother was aware that it was called "juvenile diabetes."  She assumed that the diagnosis was incorrect because Alec was not a juvenile.  She did some research and learned that one can be diagnosed with Type 1 at any age.

On June 1, 2017, when Alec Smith turned 26, he faced a crisis.  He was no longer covered by by his mother's insurance. He had been working as manager at a family-owned restaurant in his hometown of Richfield, Minnesota,  The business was not large enough to provide insurance under the Affordable Care Act.  Alec earned a salary of $35,000 a year.  The best health insurance plan he could find cost $450 a month, on top of $7.600 a month deductible - the amount that patients are required to pay out of their own pockets each year until insurance comes into effect.  

Alec Smith found himself caught in a classic Catch 22 situation.  His salary was too high to qualify for Medicaid but not enough where he could always afford his insulin.  Although Alec was working full time, he could not afford the insurance needed to pay for his health care  He chose to pay for what insulin he could afford until he found a job with benefits.  Unknown to family and friends, Alec couldn't even afford a month of his insulin.  He decided to beginning rationing out his injections. 

Alec did not inform his mother of his dire predicament.  Nicole, a financial aid administrator for a  community college, said she would have had to "break the bank" to help her son.  "We found out that he had gone to the pharmacy about a week before his paycheque was coming, and when he found out how much it was going to be he didn't have cough money in the bank, so we felt that he was stretching it to last until the next paycheque, his mom told People magazine.  She felt that Alec did not tell her about his situation, because he felt he wanted to avoid moving back home.

On June 27, 2017,  Alec Smith was found dead, slumped down and alone in his new apartment.  The official cause of death was ketoacidosis (an insulin deficiency due to a life-threatening complication of Type 1 diabetes).  His heartbroken mother, who had never been politically motivated, became an advocate for diabetics.  She went before the vice president of a prominent American pharmaceutical company and told him that the real cause of her son's death was the price of life-saving insulin  and drugmakers' "greed."

Fortunately, Alec's mother and her supporters have managed to make some progress, although not nearly enough.  Due to their efforts, the state of Minnesota has passed Alec's Law, which makes it mandatory for insulin makers to supply 30 days' supply at $35 to people in emergencies or 90 days for 50 to those on low income.  Other states, such as Colorado, Maine and Utah, have passed similar laws, according to T1 International, a patients' group.

At the federal level, former President Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill included a $35 price cap on what insured Americans can pay for insulin.  Yet, the bill offered no help for the millions of Americans who lack health insurance,  They remained vulnerable.  

Jazmine Baldwin, whose sister Jada, also a Type 1 diabetic,  passed away in 2019 because she couldn't afford her insulin, has stated that much more is needed.  She pointed out that even if the Build Back Better bill had been in effect when her sister died, it wouldn't have saved Jada's life.

Jada worked at a cinema in Virginia.  She worked 30 to 50 hours per week, doing everything from selling tickets to helping in the kitchen.  However, she was still considered a part time worker and did not qualify for health insurance.  Without health insurance, her insulin cost $300 per vial.  In hospital, Jada confided to her sister that she felt uncomfortable about asking relatives for so much money.

We cannot be sure how many Americans have died since 2017 because they could not afford insulin, but it is doubtful that Alec Smith and Jada Baldwin are the only ones.  According to The Mirror, a British newspaper, at least a dozen young Americans have lost their lives since 20917 because they could not pay the high cost of insulin.

Sadly, with Donald Trump and his Maga team back in the White House, it is highly unlikely that that the situation for diabetics will improve anytime soon.  Trump has appointed the unelected Elon Musk to be in charge of the department of government efficiency (DOGE).  With Trump's approval, the richest man in the world intends to make cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.  Ordinary Americans, who can't afford insulin, will continue to suffer and die.  Trump and Musk don't care.  They have no empathy.  

END NOTES

I checked my facts about Alec Smith with a Snopes fact check (www.snopes.com) by David Emery.  Emery rated the basic facts of the original meme about Alec on the Occupy Democrats Facebook page as mostly accurate, although Smith's given name was Alec, not Alex, and he died in 2017, not "this year" as the text of the 2018 meme claimed. 

Scopes also confirmed the case of Shane Patrick Boyle, an uninsured Type 1 diabetic who died of ketoacidosis soon before launching a GoFundMe campaign to raise enough money for a one-month supply of insulin.

SOURCES:  The Independent, "How a Minnesota man who died from soaring inulin prices could change US diabetes care forever." by Io Dodd, December 10, 2021; People magazine. "Mom Fights for Lower Insulin Costs After Her Diabetic Son Died from Rationing His Medication," by Julie Mazziotta, May 24, 2018; The New Republic, "How Insulin Became the Foster Child for Medicare for All." by Natalie Shure, February 27, 2020

- Joanne

Riddles and jokes for the first day of spring

 

Today is the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.  We live in difficult times and you probably need a break from all the bad news in the world.  I know I do.  That's why Number 16 is posting riddles and jokes to celebrate the first day of spring.  I hope this lifts your spirits because laughter, as they say, is the best medicine.  I would really like to brighten your day.

- Joanne

RIDDLES AND JOKES FOR THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING

Before my surgery, my anesthetist offered to knock me out with gas or a boat paddle . . . It was an ether/oar situation.

What did the clock ask the watch? . . . Hour you doing?

What musical instrument is found in the bathroom? . . . A tuba toothpaste.

Why don't oysters share? . . . Because they're shell-fish.

What begins with T, ends with T, and has T in it?

Answer:  A teapot

What do you have to break before you can use it?

Answer:  An egg

Jack and Bonnie have four daughters.  Each daughter has a brother.  How many children do Jack and Bonnie have?

Answer:  Five

What does a storm cloud wear under his raincoat?

Answer:  Thunderwear

What is fast, loud and crunchy?

Answer:  A rocket chip

What do you call a couple of chimpanzees sharing an Amazon account?

Answer:  PRIME-mates

What kind of music do mummies listen to?

Answer:  Wrap music

Why was the broom late for school?

Answer:  It over-swept!

What kind of nut doesn't like money?

A cash-ew

- Compiled by Joanne

Hail the King!

Donald Trump has appointed himself King of the World.  However, he is not behaving as a constitutional monarch.  He and his most ardent followers believe that he rules by the divine right of kings, that he is some kind of messiah, sent by God to save America.

Trump has compared himself to a king on social media.  On Monday, March 17th, amid numerous posts on Truth ("Lies") Social,"  the wannabe king showed a screenshot of an Artificial Intelligence generated meme by a Trump supporter on Elon Musk's X  (formerly Twitter).  The meme was captioned "Kings!"  It included a lion dressed in a tuxedo and a crown with the acronym MAGA emblazoned on its chest.

We all know that Trump enjoys being flattered.  He enjoys being the centre of attention.  He also enjoys bullying and making people fear him.  Thus, he behaves like a mob boss.  Many flatter him and many fear him..  I've said it before and I will say it again.  Trump is no different from any bully.  He is weak inside.  He is insecure.  He is jelly.  He is mush.  He reminds me of the Wizard of Oz and the emperor who wears no clothes.

Trump is so insecure that he needs to knock people down in order to build himself up.  He doesn't have the moral fibre to admit his weakness.  Nor does he have the humility to acknowledge his own mistakes.  Even when he loses, he always declares victory.   He lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, but will never admit it.  He lost the 2024 presidential debate to Kamala Harris by a long shot, but still claimed victory.

Under King Donald (or maybe we should refer to him as Emperor Donald), the United States has rejected its traditional allies in North America, Europe and Asia.  It is aiding Trump's friend, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, a war criminal, in Putin's quest to destroy Ukraine and its people.  The latest outrage is that the Trump administration has ended the tracking of kidnapped Ukrainian children in Russia.  According to the New York Times, Democratic and Republican lawmakers have sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking whether a data base on thousands of children has been deleted.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also waging economic war against my country, Canada, threatening to make it, in Trump's words, "the 51st state."  Trump also wants to add Greenland to his imperial conquests. Never mind that Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark and that Greenlanders do not want to become part of the United States.  King Donald feels no need to consult the people of sovereign jurisdictions.  He doesn't care what they think.

Donald Trump is a one-man wrecking crew.  He is determined to impose tariffs.  His tariffs will create an unnecessary trade war, causing recessions and possibly a worldwide depression.  He doesn't care about ordinary Americans or people in other countries.  He has no empathy for the suffering his policies will cause.  He only cares about making life better for himself and his billionaire friends.

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was ratified by the 2nd Continental Congress, establishing the United States of America.   The new republic rejected the idea of monarchy,  Now, almost 250 years later, the U.S. has a president who considers himself a king.. Trump even has a court jester.  Elon Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, who stands beside the king's throne.  Nobody elected Musk to anything.  Despite his great wealth, Musk's job is to slash government programs which actually help the poor and the downtrodden.

Poor Elon doesn't understand why people aren't purchasing his Tesla cars.  He complains that they are being mean to him.  Never fear, though.  King Donald has came to his dear friend's recuse.  The super salesman president has appeared on the White House lawn alongside Musk and a line of shiny Tesla vehicles.  Words cannot express how reprehensible and unconscionable it is for the White House lawn to be transformed into a Tesla showroom.  Join the resistance.  Don't buy a Tesla.

- Joanne

Americans, send me emails of support for Canada!

Hey America

In the name of decency, I appeal to you to support your northern neighbour as it faces an existential threat from Donald Trump and his followers.  How would you feel if another country treated you the way Trump is treating us?  Canada has done absolutely nothing to deserve this.  It's a slap in the face to a good friend. and it hurts.  It stings.

The majority of us, including myself, have relatives and friends who live in the United States.  We want to be America's ally, but we do not want to be part of the U.S.  America must respect our sovereignty.  We should have a say in our future.  I can tell you without hesitation, if a referendum were held, Canadians would overwhelmingly reject a merger with the U.S.  We are just different.  We have a parliamentary system of government, and we don't have a deep distrust of that government.  Most of us prefer sensible gun control laws and we don't want automatic weapons.  We have a French-speaking province and we have two official languages. 

Let me remind you that, along with your country and others, Canada helped fight the scourge of Nazism.  We have always been by your side.  In 1979, it was Canada that played a central role in rescuing six American hostages in Iran.  The late Ken Taylor, then the Canadian ambassador to Iran, was instrumental in saving the hostages.

Ken Taylor

In 2001, during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it was Canada that provided a safe haven for almost 7,000 stranded airline passengers, many of them American.  The good people of Gander, Newfoundland welcomed them with open arms.  There is a wonderful musical called Come From Away based on what happened during that crisis.

America, please send me emails of affirmation.  Let me see how much you care.  Restore my faith in the decency of the American people.  Let me know how appalled you are that Trump is friendly with Vladimir Putin, and hostile to Canada.  Let me know how disgusted you are that the land of the free and the home of the brave is aligning itself with a brutal dictator, a war criminal.  Putin does not accept the sovereignty of Ukraine and Trump does not respect the sovereignty of Canada.  They are two peas in a pod.

Trump is imposing tariffs in order to destroy Canada's economy.  In so doing, he is also hurting the American economy by igniting a trade war.  It's a no-win situation.  Many Americans will pay the price for Trump's folly.  Canada's survival is on the line.  We have to stand up to the bully who threatens us.  

Trump is driving both Canada and the United States into a recession.  He and his billionaire friends certainly don't have to worry about paying their bills and putting food on the table.  Trump's buddy, Elon Musk. the richest man in the world, wants to inflict economic pain.  Who elected Musk?  Who voted for him?  Yet he is behaving as co-president.  

On January 20, 2025, when Trump was sworn in as president, he was surrounded by billionaires - Tesla's Musk, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai. were all seated at the inaugural platform.  Their goal is to further enrich themselves.  They don't care if they cut government jobs and make life more difficult for ordinary Americans.  Talk about chutzpah!

Sadly, Trump and his billionaire cronies are causing chaos all over the world, at a time when stability is needed.  I would like to hear from you.  Please email me and lend your support for Canada, the true north strong and free.  My grandparents were immigrants from Sicily, Italy.  They came to this country for a better life.. They worked hard and raised their children here. As proud Canadian citizens, they instilled in me a sense of pride and gratefulness for this land.

- Joanne

Reflections and Quotes on International Women's Day 2025

 

"Woman are like tea bags.  You never know how strong they are until you put them in hot water."

A quote often attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt without an original source in her writings, as in The Wit and Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt (1996), p. 199. But archivists have not been able to find the quote in any of her writings,

"One is not born a woman, one becomes one."

- Simon de Beauvoir (1908-1986), French philosopher, writer and feminist - From The Second Sex [1949]

Despite the misogyny of Donald Trump, JD Vance and the Taliban, there have been some recent advances for women.  I am going to focus first on two major advances. 

* Mexico elected it first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, 61.  Sheinbaum on October 1, 2024.  She has had to face the bullying of Donald Trump and deal with his disastrous tariffs.

Claudia Sheinbaum

  * On January 6, 2025, Pope Francis appointed the first woman to head a major Vatican office.  Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian nun, was named was named to lead the Vatican office that oversees religious orders for both men and women, including one quarter of the world's priests.

Sister Simona

Woman by John Lennon

Woman, I can hardly express

My mixed emotions at my thoughtlessness

After all, I'm forever in your debt

And woman, I will try to express

Mu inner feelings and thankfulness

For showing me the meaning of success

- From the song Woman, lyrics by John Lennon (1940-1980)

- Joanne

Canada and its European allies must remain steadfast in support of Ukraine

It's hard to believe, but the United States of America, under King Donald, has aligned itself with tyrants and authoritarians around the world.  Donald Trump has forged an alliance between the U.S. and his good buddy, the cruel Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.  In fact, Trump is envious of Putin's raw power.  He has nary a bad word to say about Putin, yet he and his government have have abandoned America's closest democratic allies.  Trump has had  the unmitigated gall to blame Ukraine for being invaded.  Almost every incomplete sentence that comes out of his mouth is a lie.  He is the king of mendacity.  He is the poster boy for bullies.

At Trump's bidding, the U.S. has insulted and threatened Canada, its  good friend and neighbour  As a proud Canadian, I cannot remain silent when the sovereignty of my country is under attack.  I cannot remain silent while Trump starts a trade war, imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico.  It's a trade war that will benefit no one.  It is a lose-lose situation for all involved.  The American economy will take a hit, too.

Trump's actions must please Vladimir Putin a great deal.  The Russian war criminal must have sipped some vodka in celebration when Trump was returned to the White House.  If Putin is allowed to run roughshod and annex Ukraine, expect him to set his sights on other sovereign nations.  He will be emboldened and his ambition will know no bounds.  He and Trump may well be the 21st century version of Hitler and Mussolini.  A hard rain is gonna fall if those two septuagenarian Alpha males achieve their territorial ambitions.  

- Joanne

Number 16 Oscar Quiz 2025

The 97th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025.  The show will air live at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. on ABC and will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.  It will also be live-streamed on the ABC app, which requires a cable subscription.  For the first time ever, the awards will be streamed live on Hulu.  Other streaming services such as YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, FuboTV, Sling TV and DirectTV Stream will also provide access to the event through ABC on their platforms.  This year's Oscars will be hosted by Conan O'Brien.  As you prepare for the big night, why not challenge yourself and try Number 16's 13th annual Oscars quiz. There are 11 questions. Good luck!

NUMBER 16 OSCARS QUIZ

1. British actor Ralph Fiennes has been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar this year or his performance as Cardinal Lawrence in Conclave, a film that explores the intrigue behind the election of a new Pope.  Has Ralph Fiennes ever won an Oscar?

Ralph Fiennes

A,  Yes, for The English Patient

B.  Yes, for Schindler's List

C.  Yes, for In Bruges

D.  Yes, for Quiz Show

E.  He has never won an Oscar.

2.  Jack Nicholson has won three Academy Awards.  He won an Oscar in the Best Actor category for his roles as Randie McMurphy in the psychological drama One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).  He also won a Best Actor Oscar as a man with obsessive-compulsive disorder in As Good as It Get (1997), a romantic comedy in which he co-starred with Helen Hunt.  Nicholson's third Oscar was in the Best Supporting Actor category.  For which film did he win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor?

Jack with Oscar in 1998

A.  Easy Rider

B.  Chinatown

C.  Terms of Endearment

D.  Five Easy Pieces

E.  Prizzi's Honor

3.  Which movie is the most decorated Oscar winner of all time (counting both wins and nominations)?

A.  Ben-Hur

B.  All About Eve

C.  La La Land

D.  Titanic

E.  The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

4.  Ben-Hur (1959) won 11 Academy Awards at the 1960 Oscars.  It only lost in one of the categories for which it was nominated.  What was that category?

A.  Best Adapted Screenplay

B.  Best Sound

C.  Best Art Direction (Color)

D.  Best Special Effects

E.  Best Film Editing

5.  Which is the only animated film to win an Oscar for Best Picture?

A.  Frozen

B.  Shrek

C.  Toy Story

D.  Up

E.  No animated film has won an Oscar for Best Picture 

6.  How many times has Emma Stone been nominated for an Oscar.?

Emma Stone

A.  Five times

B.  Two times

C.  Three times

D   Once

E.  None of the Above

7.  Citizen Kane (1941) is Orson Welles' masterpiece.  Along with Casa Blanca, it is considered by many as one of the finest films ever made.  However, Citizen Kane did not win an Oscar for Outstanding Motion Picture from the films of 1941 (at the awards ceremony in 1942).  Which film won the Best Picture Oscar, beating out Citizen Kane?

A.  The Maltese Falcon

B.  How Green Was My Valley

C.  Hold Back the Dawn

D.  Suspicion

E.  Sergeant York

8.  Who is currently the oldest person to win an acting Oscar?

A.  Jessica Tandy

B.  Christopher Plummer

C.  Anthony Hopkins

D.  George Burns

E.  Melvyn Douglas

9.  Bob Hope hosted the Oscars a record 19 times.  In what year did he first host the Academy Awards?

Bob Hope hosting the Oscars

A.  1939

B.  1949

C.  1942

D.  1941

E.  1940

10.  Angelina Jolie has won two Oscars.  She received her second Academy Award in 2014, but it was not an acting award.  It was the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.  For which film did Angelina Jolie win an acting Oscar?

Angelina Jolie

A,  Changeling

B.  Girl, Interrupted 

C.  A Mighty Heart

D.  The Tourist

E.  In the Land of Blood and Honey

11.  Adrien Brody has been nominated for an Oscar this year for his performance in The Brutalist (2024).  For which movie did he win an Oscar for Best Actor?

A.  The Thin Red Line

B.  Detachment

C.  The Pianist

D.  The Jacket

E.  Midnight in Paris

ANSWERS:

1.  E.  Ralph Fiennes has never won a Oscar.  

Ralph Fiennes in Conclave

Ralph Fiennes received a Best Actor nomination for his performance in Schindler's List (1983), but did not win.  He was also nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for The English Patient (1996), but did not win.  Conclave represents his third Academy Award nomination.

2.  C  Terms of Endearment

Nicholson in Terms of Endearment

Jack Nicholson won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of former astronaut Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment (1983).

3.  D.  Titanic

1997's Titanic won 11 Oscars and earned an additional 3 nominations.  Ben-Hur and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King also received 11 Academy Awards.  Ben-Hur swept 11 of the 12 categories for which it was nominated, including Best Picture and Best Director.  The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won all 11 Oscars for which it was nominated.

La La Land was  nominated for 14 Oscars, but took home 6, including Best Director and Best Actress.  All About Eve also won 6 of its 14 nominations.  

4.  A.  Best Adapted Screenplay

At the 32nd Academy Awards in 1960, Ben-Hur won 11 Oscars in the following categories - Best Motion Picture, Best Directing (William Wyler), Best Actor (Charlton Heston), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Hugh Griffith), Best Music (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture),  Best Sound, Best Cinematography (Color), Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design (Color), Best Art Direction (Color) and Best Special Effects.  The film received in an Oscar in every category it was nominated for, except Best Adapted Screenplay.

5.  D.  Up

Scene from Up

The 2009 animated film Up received the Best Picture Oscar at the Academy Awards ceremony in 2010.  Up is a comedy-drama adventure film featuring the voices of Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer.  Produced by Pixar Animation Studio for Disney Pictures, Up is the first and only animated film to win the coveted Best Picture award.

6.  A.  Five times

Emma Stone has received five Oscar nominations.  She has one two Academy Awards for Best  Actress, for her roles as Bella Baxter in Poor Things (2023) and Amelia "Mia" Dolan in La La Land (2016).  In 2024, she was also nominated for a second Academy Award as the producer of Poor Things, which she did not win.

In 2015, Emma was nominated For Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Sam in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (2014).  She lost the award to Patricia Arquette for Boyhood.

In 2019, Emma was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Abigail Masham in the satirical comedy-thriller The Favourite.  She lost out to Regina King, who won the Oscar for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk.

7.  B.  How Green Was My Valley

Citizen Kane lost out to How Green Was My Valley, John Ford's film about a hard-working Welsh mining family.  It starred Maureen O'Hara and Walter Pidgeon.  The Maltese Falcon, Suspicion and Sergeant York were also nominated the same year as Citizen Kane.

8.  C  Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins was 83 years old in 2021 when he won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of a man diagnosed with dementia in the film Father.  The Welsh actor was born on December 31, 1937.

In 2012. Christopher Plummer (born December 13, 1929)  was 82 years old when he won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in the film Beginners (2011).  The Canadian-born actor was also nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in All the Money in the World, a 2017 crime thriller.  Plummer was 88 years old when he received the nomination, but did not win.

In 1990, at the age of 80, Jessica Tandy won Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy.  At the time, she was the oldest person to win an acting Oscar.  She remains the oldest woman to win an acting Oscar.  (In 2014, Maureen O'Hara received an Academy Honorary Award at the of 94).  

9.  E  1940

 Beginning in 1940, Bob Hope hosted the Academy Awards 19 times, either by himself or with cohosts.  In 1953, he hosted the first Oscar broadcast on television.  In 1966, he hosted the first Oscar show televised in colour.  In 1978, Bob Hope hosted the Oscars for the final time.

10.  B.  Girl, Interrupted

In 2000, Angelina Jolie won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the American drama Girl, Interrupted (1999).  She was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the 2008 mystery crime drama Changeling, but did not win.

11.  C.  The Pianist  

Adrien Brody won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in the 2002 biographical film The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski.  Brody played Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish pianist, composer and Holocaust survivor.  He was only 29 when he won his Oscar at the 75th Academy Awards on March 23, 2003.

Brody also appeared in The Thin Red Line (1998), Detachment (2011), The Jacket (2005) and Midnight in Paris (2011).

- Joanne

It's Gulf of Mexico. Stay strong, Associated Press! Don't give in to Trump!

It is my hope that The Associated Press does not give in to Donald Trump's bullying.  One of the first things a dictator does is try to control the media, and Trump is no different.  He is determined to unilaterally change the name of  the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America."  On January 25, 2025, he signed an executive order specifying that the area of the U.S. continental shelf, "extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba," be renamed "The Gulf of America."  

So far, The Associated Press has refused to comply with Trump's wishes.  To its credit, AP, one of the world's largest media outlets, continues to use the term "Gulf of Mexico." As a result, the giant news service has been banned indefinitely from the Oval Office and from Air Force One.  

Unfortunately, Google, has caved in to the Dear Leader's demand.  Not surprisingly, Mexico is opposed to the name change.  Mexico's firebrand president, Claudia Sheinbaum sarcastically suggested that Trump rename North America.  "Obviously the Gulf of Mexico is recognized by the United Nations . . . but why don't we call [North America] "Mexica America"?  We're going to call it Mexican America  . . . It sounds pretty, no?  Isn't it true?" 

Claudia Sheinbaum

Sheinbaum threatened to sue Google after Google Maps began displaying the "Gulf of America" name change.  She pointed out that U.S. sovereignty is restricted to 12 nautical miles from the coast.  The United Kingdom declared that it had no intention to recognize the name change unless it becomes the most commonly used term in the English-speaking world.  In fact, Sheinbaum thanked Encyclopaedia Britannica for sticking with Gulf of Mexico.

Stay strong, AP!, because the stakes are high.  Stand your ground and resist the White House's strongarm tactics.  Remain true to your journalistic principles.  Don't allow the tyrant Trump to control you.  You must continue to stand up for freedom and democracy or the United States will continue its downward slope towards authoritarianism.

- Joanne

Foolish Shapiro and Atkins fail to sign Vladdy

The Toronto Blue Jays have really blown it.  They have made a fatal error.  Many fans, including myself, are thoroughly  disgusted and profoundly disappointed.  Vladimir Guerrero is the face of the franchise, a four time all-star.  The fans come to watch him play.  Yet, the Jays have failed to reach a long term contract with him.  It's  likely that he will become a free agent in the fall.  

There are no excuses. The Jays had the resources to sign him.  Remember how much they were willing to pay Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto?  They wasted time chasing those two players when it was doubtful they would come to Toronto.  They would have been much wiser trying to make sure Vladdy remained a Blue Jay.  One can only assume they didn't value him enough.

Other teams are already salivating at the thought of signing Vladdy, and they will open the vault.  The vultures are flying overhead.  It didn't have to happen this way.  This could have been avoided.  Vladdy could have been a Blue Jay for years to come.  He wanted to stay in Toronto.  The Blue Jays, however, chose to wait until the last moment to sign him.  Yet, they could have signed him for much less before the Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto deals.  

Unless Vladdy is traded, his free agency will hang like a cloud over the Blue Jays for the rest of the season.   The team will be distracted.  It will be hard for the Jays to attract good players when Vladdy will be a free agent after this season.  

The Jays have made some improvements during the off season.  However, they still do not have enough hitting, and they are in need of a catcher to back up Alejandro Kirk.  Wouldn't it be nice to have Gabriel Moreno sharing the catching duties with Kirk?  He should never have been traded.

The truth is that the Blue Jays are not anywhere good enough to compete with the Yankees and the Red Sox.  I expect them to finish third or fourth in the American League East.  Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins have got to go, and the sooner the better.  In any other city, they would have been gone by now.  There may empty seats at the dome this season.  Blue Jay fans are patient, but there are limits.

- Joanne