 One of the things I enjoy about shipboard cruising is the time I end up with to read. Just seems there’s never enough hours in the day to catch up on all the books I want to dive into. But knowing I‘ll be away from the craziness and able to relax a bit, I load up my Kindle reader with 8 or 9 books and consume ‘em while at sea. (Oh yeah, I know some of you are saying, “But don’t you miss the tactile sense of holding an actual book when you read?” And you know what? I do. But not to the point of being able to tote a thin, light reader about rather that filling my suitcase with big, thick books. It’s a matter of practicality.)
Now, because I’m working on preproduction elements of the movie we’re looking to produce based on my book about the celebrated Ruth Lowe (“Until I Smile At You”), including writing a script draft, I’ve been reading up on the life and times of Frank Sinatra, who was a pal of Ruth’s. I’m a Sinatra fan and I’ve read several biographies written by friends and associates of the man, including books by both of his daughters. But one I’d missed was by my fellow novelist Spencer Leigh, “Frank Sinatra: An Extraordinary Life”. Spencer’s a guy who appreciates researching and then sharing just about everything there is to know about the subject he’s writing on. In this case, it includes all sorts of historical facts concerning Sinatra’s progenitors and their lives in Italy and then in America. If this kind of detail makes a significant impact on the star being immortalized, well, I suppose it’s fair game to include it, if only in passing. But knowing how readers are lacking in time and reading less these days, I tend to keep a pretty tight focus on “what matters”. Spencer seems to want to catalogue every album Frank made with details on virtually each song. Some of this is interesting, I suppose, but it really does end up being a bit irritating. I mean, even Frank wouldn’t want to know all there is to know about each and every song he’s singing in laborious detail. When I wrote “Until I Smile At You” about Ruth, I figured there was plenty to reveal about her life in Toronto, Chicago and New York, as well as on the road with her family and later with her “Mellowdears” band mates. I took the attitude that her European ancestors who came before did not contribute to her amazing showbiz career, so why go there? I’m comfortable that I made the right decision, and certainly several readers have sent me messages confirming this. But I’ve also tried to consider what was going on musically at the time that Ruth’s song appeared: what other songs were scheming for the public’s tastebuds that even collectively could not defeat the incredible popularity of “I’ll Never Smile Again”? Now, that, to me, is interesting and adds depth to Ruth Lowe’s accomplishments. To each his own, I suppose.
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 Well, Donald Trump has now taken the oath of office, so the U.S. will have 4 years of this President. It will be interesting to see how far Trump goes with his threats.
And as for us Canucks, there will be a general election coming on or before October 25th this year. The Liberals are picking a new leader, which will take place on March 9th, following which whoever is selected will lead the party into a general election. I originally figured Chrystia Freeland had this sewn up, but then she went and quit her government posting which may come back to haunt her: they are already saying she shows no loyalty to a government she’s part of, a label that will be hard to shake. And she has to somehow break from the Trudeau policies which she was a part of, but now wants to say are problems. Hmmmm… Meanwhile, Mark Carney gets to say he was not a part of the government that made these policy decisions, which may mean he has a clear path to the leadership. Have to say after watching him on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show last week, he’s impressive. If you missed it, you can catch the YouTube event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs8St-fF0kE Of course, Pierre Poilievre of the Conservative Party will be doing his "badmouth" things against the new Liberal leader. However you look at things, it’s gonna be an interesting year!!  In the current issue of Maclean’s magazine, they feature an interview with Canada’s former health minister Jane Philpott – a trained family doctor herself – who is about to lead Ontario’s new primary-care “action team”. When asked about her own sick-person personality, she answered “I’ve never taken a sick day.” To which the interviewer gasped in amazement, “What?!”
No gasp of ”what!?” here. Because that little exchange reminded me of my own upbringing. My late mother (who died a couple of years ago at age 100), was pretty stoical: me and my sisters were raised to apply mind over matter to our lives, and not complain about our health unless it was really serious. I’m not sure if I totally understood the value of that at the time, but now, I have to tell you, when it comes to my own health, I support this 100% and consider myself lucky to have been raised that way. Our healthcare system is overworked. Go to the Emergency Department of any hospital and you’ll find waiting lines of people complaining about one thing or another. But too often, the folks who work at my local hospital tell me, they have people complaining about “minor things like headaches”. Now, I’m not wanting to boast, but I’ve never had a headache in my life, let alone the migraines people grumble about. Sure, I feel sympathy for those with really bad headaches (indeed, migraines must be devastating, and I’m lucky to never have had one), but if ever I experience any assault on my health, I’m pretty good at changing my focus to something else and ignoring the insult to my health. I get on with getting on. So, I hear ya Ms. Philpott: well done! Keep your no-sick-day record alive and kicking!!  I enjoy watching Bill Maher’s show Real Time. Bill’s no fan of the Republican party, nor does he respect their leader, Donald Trump. Still, in remarking on the routing the Democrats took in the recent election, he says it’s too easy to react negatively about everything Trump does. So, let’s relax, give him his due (let’s face it: a lot of people obviously voted for him) and see just what he does once in office in January. “When we see for real what he has planned, then will be the chance to react, one way or the other.”
As a Canuck, I have no vote, no sway. But I am saddened by the wide gulf that is separating the U.S.A. at the moment. Listening to Maher’s reasoned approach seems to be a sensible way to proceed.  A friend sent me this three part test on Anosognosia. (That's OK, I had to look it up too.) Give it a try...
PART ONE Earth's Population Statistics in Perspective The population of Earth is around 8.2 Billion. If you condense 8.2 billion into 100 persons, and then into various percentage statistics, the resulting analysis is relatively much easier to comprehend. Out of 100: 11 people are in Europe 5 are in North America 9 are in South America 15 are in Africa 60 are in Asia 49 live in the countryside 51 live in a city 75 have mobile phones 25 do not 30 have internet access 70 do not have the availability to go online 83 can read 17 are illiterate 33 are Christians 22 are Muslims 14 are Hindus 7 are Buddhists 12 are other religions 12 have no religious beliefs 26 live less than 14 years 66 died between 15 - 64 years of age 8 are over 65 years old. If you have your own home, Eat full meals & drink clean water, Have a mobile phone, Can surf the internet, and have gone to college, You are in the minuscule privileged lot. (in the less than 7% category) Amongst 100 persons in the world, onlyeight live or exceed the age of 65! If you are over 65 years old, be content & grateful Cherish life. Grasp the moment. If you did not leave this world before the age of 64, like the 92 persons who have gone before you, you are already the blessed amongst humankind. Take good care of your health. Cherish every remaining moment. PART TWO If you think you are suffering memory loss, read on. Anosognosia In the following analysis, the French Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of the Institute of Memory and Alzheimer's Disease (IMMA) at La Pitié-Salpêtrière - Paris Hospital addresses the subject in a rather reassuring way: "If anyone is aware of their memory problems, they do not have Alzheimer's." 1. forget the names of families. 2. do not remember where I put some things . It often happens in people 60 years and older that they complain that they lack memory. "The information is always in the brain, it is the "processor" that is lacking." This is "Anosognosia" or temporary forgetfulness (a)nosognosia being a neurological condition in which the patient is unaware of their neurological deficit or psychiatric condition. Half of people 60 and older have some symptoms that are due to age rather than disease. The most common cases are: - forgetting the name of a person - going to a room in the house and not remembering why we were going there - a blank memory for a movie title or actor, an actress - a waste of time searching where we left our glasses or keys After 60 years most people have such a difficulty, which indicates that it is not a disease but rather a characteristic due to the passage of years . Many people are concerned about these oversights hence the importance of the following statements: 1."Those who are conscious of being forgetful have no serious problem of memory." 2. "Those who suffer from a memory illness or Alzheimer's are not aware of what is happening." Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of IMMA, reassures the majority of people concerned about their oversights: "The more we complain about memory loss, the less likely we are to suffer from memory sickness." PART THREE Now for a little neurological test: Only use your eyes! 1- Find the C in the table below! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 2- If you found the C, then find the 6 in the table below. 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 3- Now find the N in the table below. Attention, it's a little more difficult! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM If you pass these three tests without problem: - you can cancel your annual visit to the neurologist. - your brain is in perfect shape! - you are far from having any relationship with Alzheimer's. We are truly blessed, So, share this with your friends, it can reassure them.  Donald Trump is the first former U.S. president to be criminally convicted (having been found guilty of falsifying documents related to a hush-money scheme to cover up an extramarital affair with a porn star). He faces further criminal cases for trying to overturn the 2020 election, as well as for refusing to return classified documents after leaving office. He has promoted QAnon conspiracy theories, and he’s pushed a false claim that immigrants in Ohio are eating pet cats. He even picked a fight with the country’s most popular pop star. Meanwhile, his supporters float conspiratorial narratives that the Democrats orchestrated the attempts on Trump’s life. Apparently, the Dems have also stolen the 2020 election and manipulated the justice system to take Trump down. “They rigged the election and blamed everything on Donald Trump,” says a supporter. “They are behind the assassination attempt, too.” Now, all of this has no basis in fact: investigators have characterized Thomas Matthew Crooks, the guy whose gunshots left Trump with a bloodied ear, as a lone wolf. Nor was the 2020 election rigged. Nor are immigrants, including undocumented ones, more likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans. Nor did President Biden refuse to send help to victims of Hurricane Helene (the latest falsehood to become firmly embedded in Trump World).
And yet, for all that, Donald Trump has been elected President of the United Stares and will be crowned next January. Those of us surprised by the recent election results are left to make a choice. Either gripe about this, or move ahead, hoping the worst won’t happen. I'll pick the latter. Indeed, let’s hope sanity prevails.  Q is gone. And I’m sad.
Q (I believe Sinatra gave him that term of endearment) was, for my money, the most impressive musician around. I mean, we’re talking about an outstanding hurricane of talent working with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, and hundreds of other recording artists. While I have always been a huge fan of this master’s skills and talents, it was his album “Back On The Block” that I can never forget. It helped me understand rap. (I’m listening to the album as I write this.) I’m a guy who loves music in many forms and I’ve always wanted to keep up with what’s going on in music. But I have to confess I was somewhat unsure what rap was all about. It was very different from the other musical adventures I had grappled with over the years. My late son Jamie led the way when I said to him, “Jame, I’m having trouble with rap. I mean, it just doesn’t sound anywhere near the music I understand.” “Hey Dad,” Jamie said, “That’s your problem right there. Rap’s not music. It’s entertainment.” Wow. Was that a watershed moment! My understanding of this crucially important form of entertainment took another leap forward with Q’s 1989 album, ”Back on the Block”. Featuring jazzy arrangements spiced with funk and rap, the sophistication of the selections forming this CD is matched only by their good taste. I’ve only recently come to know that Quincy was sold on rap by his son, and he wanted “Back On The Block” to reflect the passing of the flame, from the old to the new. So, he melds rap with gospel, jazz, African, funk, etc., and features musicians and singers from across three generations, including Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Big Daddy Kane, Chaka Khan, Ray Charles, El DeBarge, George Benson, Ice-T, etc. The album is also the last studio recordings of jazz singers Ella Fitzgerald and Saraah Vaughan. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, “Back On The Block” topped the R&B Albums chart for twelve weeks, and the Contemporary Jazz Albums chart as well. At the 33rd Grammy ”Back on the Block” won seven Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. And now, Q (born with the amazing name Quincy Delight Jones Jr.) has died at age 91. He passed at his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by his family. While the cause of death has not been disclosed, Q had been up against ill health for a long time. This is, after all, a man who escaped death in 1974 when he had two brain aneurysms. Q was told then that he had a one-in-a-hundred chance of surviving. "It was scary," he said. "Like somebody blew my brains out. The main artery to your brain explodes, you know." And when he was 82, the man was hospitalized with a blood clot after he started experiencing heart pains and shortness of breath. Now, many people would take this as a sign they better slow down. Not Q. I mean, there was Thriller to create (becoming the biggest-selling album of all time and turning Michael Jackson into a global superstar). And the world needed him to produce an all-star choir on "We Are the World" to raise funds for famine relief in Africa. That song, by the way, went on to become the top-selling single of 1985 while winning four Grammys. It also became legendary for Q’s command to the assembled performers — “Check your egos at the door". “I know and believe in the power of music to bring people together for the betterment of mankind,” he said about “We Are the World”. That’s why it resonated around the world the way it did. Quincy Jones was married three times and was a father to seven children. He became the first African American to be Musical Director and Conductor of the Academy Awards. He was also the first African American to receive the academy's Jean Herrsholt Humanitarian Award. He was inducted into the and was named one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by Time. Q was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on the 1967 film In Cold Blood. And as a film producer, 1985's The Color Purple received 11 Oscar nominations, including one for Jones's score. Oh, and through this film, he’s credited with introducing Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey to world-wide audiences. His work with Michael Jackson included producing three of the most successful albums of all time, Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad. “Frank Sinatra took me to a whole new planet,” he stated. “I worked with him until he passed away in '98. He left me his ring. I never take it off. Now, when I go to Sicily, I don't need a passport. I just flash my ring.” Imagine: working with Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra. Wow! No cause of death has been shared when Q' death was announced. "Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones' passing," members of his family said. "And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him." And what a Delight he was!  Trump’s Puerto Rico fallout is ‘spreading like wildfire’ in Pennsylvania
Wow! Who knew? Politico, an American digital newspaper that covers politics and policy in the United States and internationally, states, “Donald Trump has a serious Puerto Rico problem - in Pennsylvania.” The newspaper says that the dumb “joke” uttered during Trump’s rally compared Puerto Rico to an "island of garbage". It’s given Donald Trump “roughly a half-million problems in the swing state of Pennsylvania: that’s the number of Puerto Ricans who live in the state, where the election is expected to be decided by a razor-thin margin.” Politico goes on: “Many Puerto Rican voters in the state are furious about racist and demeaning comments delivered at a Trump rally. Some say their dismay is giving Kamala Harris a new opening to win over the state’s Latino voters…” As well, a nonpartisan Puerto Rican group has drafted a letter urging their members to oppose Trump, and many of them protested at Trump's rally in Allentown (the third most populous city in Pennsylvania). "It's spreading like wildfire through the community," says a Democratic precinct captain. And here's what the venerable BBC has to say: “North Philadelphia is the beating heart of Philadelphia's more than 90,000-strong Puerto Rican population and forms a key part of Pennsylvania's Latino community, which both the Democrats and Republicans have sought to woo ahead of the 5 November election. But on Monday morning, many locals were left seething at a joke made at Donald Trump's rally…” “It's crazy to me," said Ivonne Torres Miranda, a local resident. “You don't joke like that. We're Puerto Ricans. We have dignity, and we have pride." In the aftermath, Trump’s campaign was quick to try to distance itself from the “joke”, with a spokesman saying the remark "does not reflect the views" of Trump or his campaign”. But, of course, Trump himself hasn’t said anything, other than he doesn’t know the guy “who made the racist ‘jokes’”. I see: so, you hire the guy without knowing who he is?? A simple scan of the internet reveals he’s known primarily for insult comedy which has led to several controversies. “Comedians should never apologize for a joke,” the guy adds. Huh? As for Trump, all he can say is, “There was love in the room. The love in that room was breathtaking." Whoa Donny: which room were you in!?! Of course, the Democratic campaign pounced on the joke, with Kamala Harris pointing to the comment as a sign that Trump is "fanning the fuel of trying to divide" Americans. Puerto Rican celebrities Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez both endorsed Harris on Sunday. In fact, it’s estimated that five Puerto Rican celebrities have collectively reached up to 340 million followers showing support for Kamala Harris. A campaign official told CBS, the BBC's US partner, that the controversy was a political gift to the Democrats. "[The joke] just put it in the bag for us,” said Jessie Ramos, a Harris supporter. “He literally just gave us the win. He has no idea how hard the Latino community is going to come out and support Kamala Harris." Across Pennsylvania, about 600,000 eligible voters are Latino. More than 470,000 of them are Puerto Ricans - one of the largest concentrations in the country and a potential deciding. The BBC adds that while Trump’s campaign is maligning Puerto Rico, Kamala Harris is “unveiling a new policy platform for Puerto Rico, promising economic development and improved disaster relief, and accusing Trump of having ‘abandoned and insulted’ the island during Hurricane Maria in 2017”. Meanwhile, the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, following outrage from Trump’s New York rally. “Trump has for years maintained a discourse of contempt and misinformation against the island that reveals an obsession and disdain for a people who do not have the power of the vote to defend themselves, since the three million American citizens who live in Puerto Rico cannot vote in the presidential elections. However, the other five million who live in the United States, whom they also labeled as trash, can vote,” editor María Luisa Ferré Rangel wrote in the editorial. The newspaper’s editorial heavily criticized the former president. “Trump suffers from psychopathic elements that he evidences by lying repeatedly. He has no moral compass and believes that the rules do not apply to him. These are traits typical of those people who qualify as malignant narcissists. Trump is one of the worst,” Rangel wrote.  Well, for once, the Democrats and the Republicans are on the same page.
Seems a “comedian” made some racist jokes at Donald Trump’s recent New York City rally. The jokes – which I won’t bother to repeat here – were in poor taste and not funny (which makes you wonder why the Trump folks booked the guy in the first place, because that’s his reputation). Anyway, representatives of both Republicans and Democrats have spoken up about this guy’s humor as being completely classless and in poor taste. Confronted with the push-back, the “comedian”, Tony Hinchcliffe, could only come up with that oh-so-typical defence all “comedians’ who use poor taste as a means to try to get a laugh use… you know, the one that goes: "These people have no sense of humor.” Oh, and then he added that he makes jokes about lots of people: Puerto Ricans, Latinos, Jews, Blacks… as if this makes everything OK. I was a fan of the late Don Rickles. He too was an insult comedian”, using his quick wit, biting humor, and uncanny ability to roast anyone and everyone – from Hollywood celebrities to politicians to everyday people (he had President Ronald Regan doubling over with laughter). But you know what: with Don, you always knew he wasn’t serious. With a lowlife like Mr. Hinchcliffe, there is no niceness: it’s just vituperation. And he wouldn’t know humor if he fell on it. Nice try pal. Now, be a good boy and go back to your cave.  I try to stay away from politics here (but I do have pretty strong opinions!). However, a friend just sent me this and suggested I share it. It’s from a senior NBC exec who’s feeling badly about creating the Donald Trump image that has no depth. (Guess you’ll be able to identify that I’m no fan of Trump.)
So, here goes… We Created a Monster: Trump was a TV Fantasy Invented for "The Apprentice.” I want to apologize to America. I helped create a monster. For nearly 25 years, I led marketing at NBC and NBCUniversal. I led the team that marketed “The Apprentice,” the reality show that made Donald Trump a household name outside of New York City, where he was better known for overextending his empire and appearing in celebrity gossip columns. To sell the show, we created the narrative that Trump was a super-successful businessman who lived like royalty. That was the conceit of the show. At the very least, it was a substantial exaggeration; at worst, it created a false narrative by making him seem more successful than he was. In fact, Trump declared business bankruptcy four times before the show went into production, and at least twice more during his 14 seasons hosting. The imposing board room where he famously fired contestants was a set, because his real boardroom was too old and shabby for TV. Trump may have been the perfect choice to be the boss of this show, because more successful CEOs were too busy to get involved in reality TV and didn’t want to hire random game show winners onto their executive teams. Trump had no such concerns. He had plenty of time for filming, he loved the attention, and it painted a positive picture of him that wasn’t true. At NBC, we promoted the show relentlessly. Thousands of 30-second promo spots that spread the fantasy of Trump’s supposed business acumen were beamed over the airwaves to nearly every household in the country. The image of Trump that we promoted was highly exaggerated. In its own way, it was “fake news” that we spread over America like a heavy snowstorm. I never imagined that the picture we painted of Trump as a successful businessman would help catapult him to the White House. I discovered in my interactions with him over the years that he is manipulative, yet extraordinarily easy to manipulate. He has an unfillable compliment hole. No amount is too much. Flatter him and he is compliant. World leaders, including apparently Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, have discovered that too. I also found Trump remarkably thin-skinned. He aggressively goes after those who critique him and seeks retribution. That’s not very businesslike – and it’s certainly not presidential. This week, he threatened to use the National Guard against citizens who oppose him, calling them the “enemy from within.” I learned early on in my dealings with Trump that he thought he could simply say something over and over, and eventually people would believe it. He would say to me, “‘The Apprentice’ – America’s No. 1 TV show.” But it wasn’t. Not that week. Not that season. I had the ratings in front of me. He had seen and heard the ratings, but that didn’t matter. He just kept saying it was the “No. 1 show on television,” even after we corrected him. He repeated it on press tours too, knowing full well it was wrong. He didn’t like being fact-checked back then either. Exaggerating ratings is one thing, but spreading falsehoods about relief work of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, about immigrants eating cats and dogs, about the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, about him winning the 2020 election or countless other lies is far more dangerous. I also learned from working with him that he has questionable judgment. At the wrap party for “The Apprentice” season three, he pitched an idea for the upcoming season. He told me we should make a team of Black players compete against white players. My first thought was: WTF?! I tried to get through to him by speaking the language he understands money. I explained that sponsors wouldn’t want to be associated with a show that pitted races against each other. But he could not understand why this was such a bad idea. (And, no, we did not use his idea.) While we were successful in marketing “The Apprentice,” we also did irreparable harm by creating the false image of Trump as a successful leader. I deeply regret that. And I regret that it has taken me so long to go public. Now America is facing a critical choice. Should this elderly, would-be emperor with no clothes, who is well known for stretching and abandoning the truth, be president again? I spent 50 years successfully promoting television magic, making mountains out of molehills every day. But I say now to my fellow Americans, without any promotional exaggeration: If you believe that Trump will be better for you or better for the country, that is an illusion, much like “The Apprentice” was. Even if you are a born-and-bred Republican, as I was, I strongly urge you to vote for Kamala Harris. The country will be better off and so will you. - John D. Miller was the chief marketing officer for NBC and NBCUniversal, and retired as chair of the NBCUniversal Marketing Council. Meegwetch & Giminobimaadiz (Thank you and Be well) And Go Kamala, go!! |
