Hopkins strikes again!

While I have deep respect for the acting brilliance of Sir Anthony Hopkins, I am not entirely sure why he is accredited with so many moving and inspiring passages on the wide variety of social media services that exist. Perhaps it is simply the polished English accented eloquence with which Hopkins can deliver a moving message, or the combination of delivery with his piercing blue stare, but the irrevocable truth is that people pay heed when he opens his mouth. Never one to shy away from being blunt, Hopkins can stir the emotions of an audience like so few others, likely the reason that his performances as serial killer Hannibal Lector are embraced by so many.

The following is another in a long list of said passages, a free interpretation of Mario de Andrade’s poem, the 'meat' of the message from the mind of de Andrade, yet 'cured and seasoned' through the grey matter of Hopkins, and exquisitely 'plated' with the perfect compliment of 'sides', resulting in the most exquisite 'meal' for our famished souls.

Mario de Andrade, 1893-1945, was a Brazilian poet, novelist, musicologist, art historian / critic, and photographer. One of the founders of Brazilian modernism, he virtually created modern Brazilian poetry with the publication of his Paulicéia Desvairada (Hallucinated City) in 1922. He has had an enormous influence on modern Brazilian literature, and as a scholar and essayist—he was a pioneer of the field of ethnomusicology—his influence has reached far beyond Brazil. (CLICK)

I know that I have less to live than I have lived.
I feel like a child who was given a box of chocolates ... he enjoys eating it, and when he sees that there is not much left, he starts to eat them with a special taste.
I have no time for endless lectures on public laws - nothing will change. 

And there is no desire to argue with fools who do not act according to their age. 

And there's no time to battle the grey. 

I don't attend meetings where egos are inflated and I can't stand manipulators.
I am disturbed by envious people who try to vilify the most capable to grab their positions, talents and achievements.
I have too little time to discuss headlines - my soul is in a hurry ... too few candies left in the box.
I'm interested in human people. 

People who laugh at their mistakes are those who are successful, who understand their calling and don't hide from responsibility, who defends human dignity and wants to be on the side of truth, justice, righteousness. 

This is what living is for.
I want to surround myself with people who know how to touch the hearts of others, who, through the blows of fate, was able to rise and maintain the softness of the soul.

Yes, I hustle ... hustle to live with the intensity that only maturity can give. 

I'll eat all the candy I have left - they'll taste better than the ones I already ate.
My goal is to reach the end in harmony with myself, my loved ones and my conscience.
I thought I had two lives, but it turned out to be only one, and it needs to be lived with dignity.

I really can't find the words ... ironic to say that in a Blog ... to properly convey the range of stirrings that this little talk conjures in my soul. I can immediately identify with the overall message of self-identity, confidence, and presence, but these's something else there, like a word stuck on the tip of your tongue, right there but still just out of reach.

I hope that you've arrived at this point because it means you've read the poem. 

A slow Wiser's clap to both Hopkins and de Andrade for making my day a little brighter and exhilarating. 

Holy half century Batman!

Flashback to 1974

This old fart was a cherubic, pimply 11 years old and rocking the walls of Johnson Street PS in Barrie's east end with longish flowing blond locks parted down the center, playing a ton of Shinny at the end of Varden Crescent, riding bikes in Farmer Brown's field just north of Steele Street because that's where Barrie stopped ... you could see the relatively new ESS in the distance standing alone at the end of Grove Street ... and my best buds were Stewart, Warren, Steve, Eric, Mike, and Cam. 

I rushed home each day after school for a snack of Kraft's Squeeze-A-Snack cheese on crackers. Don't remember the ol' Squeeze-A-Snack? You're truthfully not missing out! I've heard people say that Kraft cheese slices are one chemical away from being plastic, and my recall of S-A-S would support that theory!

The headlines for 1974 were dominated by:
Nixon's impeachment for the Watergate scandal and he was replaced by Gerald Ford as POTUS.
The Vietnam conflict was still raging, yet increasingly controversial.
The "Rumble in the Jungle" between Ali and Fraser astounded the world.
A tomb filled with hundreds of terra-cotta warriors was discovered in Xian, China.
Pierre Elliot Trudeau wins a third term in Ottawa as PM.
Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's HR record.
Happy Days premiered on ABC.
All in the Family and Sanford and Son were the number one watched TV shows.
The Way We Were by Barbara Streisand topped the Billboard 100 as the most popular song.
The Sting starring Paul Newman + Robert Redford won the Oscar for best movie.
Blazing Saddles directed by Mel Brooks was the highest grossing movie.
Killing Me Softly with His Song by Roberta Flack won the Grammy for record and song of the year.
Stevie Wonder won 5 Grammys including Album of the Year called Innervisions after 7 nominations.

1974 brought us Rubik's Cube, Skittles, Steven King's 'Carrie', Dungeons & Dragons, Post-it Notes and People Magazine (Mia Farrow on the cover). 

The world's population was 4.378 Billion, A gallon of milk cost $1.39, eggs were $0.58 a dozen, a loaf of bread cost $0.24, and a new house went for 35 K! 

Keep in mind though that the median yearly income was $11,100 with only 10% topping $25,000!

Being the astute mind that she is, my mother has long maintained that we are who we are based on what we understood about the world around us when we were 10 years old so 1973-74 was Numero Uno on the  impressionability scale for me. Being a dude who likes to have music playing, it's hard to fathom that 1974 was 50 years ago! Some of these songs are taking up space in my Hippocampus, the choruses still swirling around my brain like ear-worms!

Topping the Pop charts and turning 50 years old in 2024:

Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree by Tony Orlando and Dawn
You’re So Vain by Carly Simon

The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia by Vicki Lawrence

Playground in My Mind by Clint Holmes

Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Suede

Let me be There Olivia Newton John

Sundown by Gordon Lightfoot

My Love and Band on the Run by Paul McCartney & Wings
We’re an American Band and Loco-Motion by Grand Funk Railroad
Long Train Runnin' by the Doobie Brothers

Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple

The Joker by the Steve Miller Band

Takin' Care of Business by Bachman Turner Overdrive

Clap for the Wolfman The Guess Who

Wild Thing by Fancy

Radar Love by Golden Earring

Topping the RNB charts:

Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye

Me and Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul

Love Train by O’Jays

Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight & the Pips

Jungle Boogie by Kool & the Gang

One of my wife's fav's, Elton John, had a HUGE year releasing Don't Let the Sun go Down on Me, Bennie and the Jets, Crocodile Rock, and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

John Denver, one of my dad's all time fav's, topped the Folk charts with smash hits Rocky Mountain High, Sunshine on my Shoulders, and Annie's Song.

Can you sing the chorus of these? How about the whole song?

Monster Mash by Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett

The Streak Ray Stevens

Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas

As with any year, some prominent names met their makers in 1974, leaving behind a host of memories, fans, and accomplishments:

Mama Cass Elliot of The Mamas and The Papas

William 'Bud' Abbott of Abbott and Costello

Duke Ellington, pianist and composer

Ed Sullivan, television host and impresario

Samuel Goldwyn, film producer and movie magnate

Jack Benny, TV star and comedian 

Tim Horton, NHL hockey player and co-founder of namesake coffee chain

Fifty years seems like such a long time ago, but considering those important in my life are in or around 60 years old, it's actually not ancient history! 

"Ooga Chaka, Ooga Chaka, Ooga, Ooga, Ooga Chaka ... I can't stop this feeling, deep inside of me ... girl you just don't realize, what you do to me ..."

Resources used, but not limited to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1974

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_in_music

https://hobbylark.com/party-games/1974-Fun-Facts-and-Trivia

Shakiest gun in the west!

I was raised in a traditional family with 3 brothers and both parents. As the only orthopedic surgeon in Barrie for much of my early years, my father worked long hours and we four "warts" made my mom's life both challenging and entertaining, so it made perfect sense that she would embrace any habit that would captivate our attention, prompting a calming serenity in an otherwise chaotic environment.

As a result, my mom established a weekly tradition, and although it might sound a little old fashioned to today's youngsters, when we gathered in our family room with our TV tables for our Sunday night dinner watching The Wide World of Disney. It was our childhood Nirvana! I'm THIS OLD that our family regularly ate the evening's meal at he dinner table, so while eating in front of a screen is nothing strange these days, it was paramount to rebellion back then, and an absolute delight to my brothers and I. In my childhood house, TV was a treat, not a babysitter! For those that aren't of my vintage, my early years were filled with waiting patiently each week for our favourite shows to be broadcast since there were no VHS machines, DVD players, or steaming devices. We did get a BetaMax when I was in late elementary or early high school (I can't remember exactly when) but by then we were 10+ years into the weekly thrill of Disney. Although my recall is a little fuzzy, I'm pretty certain that I was first introduced to the hilarious genius of Don Knotts and his role of dentist Jesse Heywood in "The Shakiest Gun in the West" (Wikipedia). 

I thought that Knotts was the funniest actor I had ever watched!

As the years passed, some of his other films were highlighted on TWWOD, including The Apple Dumpling Gang (link), The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (link), The Reluctant Astronaut (link), and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (link). I took a quick look around and if someone subscribes to Disney+, you might find a copy of those movies, but they don't make films like them these days. Knotts quickly landed in my top three beloved childhood comedic actors, along with Tim Conway, Peter Sellers, and Carol Burnett.

I'm really showing my age right now!

It was around that same time that I discovered the loveable, laughable, bumbling deputy sidekick Barney Fife portrayed by Knotts on The Andy Griffith Show, joined soon after that by other shows appearing on the weekly docket like Three's Company.

Although I dearly loved Knotts' comedic genius, it never crossed my mind to find out more about his early life until I scrolled across a social media post about him, and my mind was blown by his backstory. 

Based on that post, and what I uncovered on Wikipedia, I found out that Don Knotts' legal name is Jesse Don Knotts. His mother was 40 years old when Jesse was born, and he grew up in a very rough home in Morgantown, West Virginia. Jesse’s father, who had a mentally disability with schizophrenia, was a violent alcoholic who was abusive to Jesse. At 13, his father died leaving his mother to take care of him and his brothers. At the time, things weren’t easy for Jesse and he didn’t think life held much hope for him. 

While Jesse had his struggles, he had dreams too. He wanted to be a ventriloquist and he found books on ventriloquism. He practiced with sock puppets and saved his money until he could get a real ventriloquist dummy. When he was old enough, he joined the military. The military recognized his talents and placed him in the entertainment corp. He toured the western Pacific Islands as a comedian in a G.I. variety show called "Stars and Gripes.” It was there he was able to share his talents with fellow soldiers. 

In 1946, he discharged with rank of Technician Grade 5, which was the equivalent then of a Corporal. During his military service, Jesse was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with 4 bronze service stars), Army Good Conduct Medal, Marksman Badge (with an M1 Carbine) and Honourable Service lapel pin. Through his military service, Jesse gained confidence and found that he had a talent for making people laugh.

After his military career, Knotts returned to West Virginia and completed his post secondary degree at WVU. His early acting career featured Soap Opera's like Search for Tomorrow, and variety shows like The Steve Allen Show, before his film debut in 1958 with No Time for Sergeants, but it was truly the role of Barney Fiffe that launched a stellar, award winning career. The website of the Museum of Broadcast Communications describes Deputy Barney Fife as Self-important, romantic, and nearly always wrong, Barney dreamed of the day he could use the one bullet Andy had issued to him, though he did fire his gun on a few occasions. He always fired his pistol accidentally while still in his holster or in the ceiling of the courthouse, at which point he would sadly hand his pistol to Andy. This is why Barney kept one very shiny bullet in his shirt pocket. In episode #196, Andy gave Barney more bullets so that he would have a loaded gun to go after a bad guy that Barney unintentionally helped escape. While Barney was forever frustrated that Mayberry was too small for the delusional ideas he had of himself, viewers got the sense that he couldn't have survived anywhere else. Don Knotts played the comic and pathetic sides of the character with equal aplomb and he received three Emmy Awards during the show's first five seasons.

According to wikipedia, Knotts went on to enjoy a long acting career, even securing a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000, becoming so beloved to his home of Morgantown that the council renamed South University Avenue to Don Knotts Boulevard in 1998. 

Unfortunately, time caught up with Knotts, and advanced Macular degeneration eventually forced him into retirement, with his final role as the voice of the sheriff's deputy dog Sniffer in Air Bud, released in 2006. Knotts died at age 81 on February 24, 2006, at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from pulmonary and respiratory complications of pneumonia related to lung cancer. Obituaries cited him as a major influence on other entertainers.

As the saying goes, nothing lasts forever, but thanks to Disney+ and the Internet, the genius of Jesse Don Knotts can be enjoyed by millions for the ages to come.

I'm a little late, but RIP my good man, and thanks for the laughs!

Grief

Regular readers of this Blog will know already that 2023 was not a banner year for this old codger. Having to deal with some truly heart-wrenching situations, I feel somewhat qualified to profess competency about dealing with grief. The statue at the left circulated Social Media recently and took a hold of my soul, squeezed it firmly, wrung out the remaining tears, and spoke volumes to how I was feeling.

According to the artist's web site, Melancholy, the product of the talented Albert Gyorgy, portrays the void that grief leaves us with. The sculpture depicts a figure made of copper sitting on a bench slumped over, with a giant hole in the center of it. This hole represents the massive void that we all feel when we lose someone dear to us, and many people have expressed their appreciation for the sculpture portraying the exact emotions they feel, but perhaps haven’t been able to quite put into words. Gyorgy felt intense sadness and isolation with the loss of his wife and went on to create this beautiful piece of artwork as a way to cope.

Monica Bobbitt is quite likely the author of the following poem, and although I did find a web site with a post that claims Ms Bobbitt confirmed she was the author, I didn't find anything that definitively confirms it. According to both her Facebook profile and her blog (A Goat Rodeo), Bobbitt is a Canadian military widow who writes and lectures about living through grief and loss. Putting these kinds of feelings into words is appreciated and respected, at least in my opinion. She expressed similar sentiments in her blog post "50 Things I Learned After I Was Widowed" making it seem very likely the poem was her genius.

Grief
This is what grief is.
A hole ripped through the very fabric of your being.
The hole eventually heals along the jagged edges that remain. It may even shrink in size.
But that hole will always be there.
A piece of you always missing.
For where there is deep grief, there was great love.
Don’t be ashamed of your grief.
Don’t judge it.
Don’t suppress it.
Don’t rush it.
Rather, acknowledge it.
Lean into it.
Listen to it.
Feel it.
Sit with it.
Sit with the pain. 

And remember the love.
This is where the healing will begin.

Gyorgy's statue, Melancholy, can be found at Lake Geneva, Switzerland. The artist's own web site claims that the "birth" year of the statue was 2013-14, so it makes sense that it was the inspiration for Ms Bobbitt's poetry which began to appear on Social Media posts in 2020. His web site offers that Gyorgy chose to settle in Switzerland after a childhood filled with discrimination in Transylvania, and travels through Bucharest and Satu-Mare, where he eventually built his own foundry. His web site features a number of thought provoking pieces (CLICK).

My personal thanks to both Gyorgy and Bobbitt for gifting themselves to the needs of other's grief journey. While profoundly personal, our ability to navigate the process with sufficient success, finding the light at the other side of the vortex, is akin to shining a beacon at the exit of a long tunnel, making the journey along the pathway to peace much easier.

Once again, just sharing some of the really cool tidbits out there on the Internet that were just waiting to poke a finger in my curiousity, prompting a flood of personal gratitude for those intent on making the world a better place.

UPDATE:
It seems that I've reached the point in my life where grief comes in regular waves as people I've befriended suffer all manner of obstacles, tragedies, or afflictions. April 18th will always be slightly tainted as the day my 'brutha from another mutha' Jeff Kyle succumbed to his Glioblastoma. Always one to look for the silver lining, these periods of mourning serve to intensify my relationships with those still with us.

WOW moment!

Just imagine the ability to render solid stone transparent!

I've often heard the complaint, "I'm no good at art" over the many years in the classrooms I've been charged with. While I haven't often practiced in the visual arts like drawing, painting, or sculpting, I've spent a sizeable amount of time behind the camera learning how to manipulate light in all manner of crazy things, so feel strongly that I can recognize artistic genius. I remember reading at one time that when queried about his masterpiece David, Michelangelo shooed away praise (paraphrasing), the piece was captured inside the block of marble and all I had to do was chip away the outside to reveal it.

Seriously??

The incredible mind of Giovanni Strazza, the artist responsible for the Veiled Virgin pictured above, possessed this incredibly rare artistic talent. His masterpiece was carved from a flawless piece of Carrara marble, and stands as one of the most astounding achievements in the history of sculpture.

According to some research, 

Strazza's mastery of the "wet drapery" technique carried on the tradition of other Italian sculptors like Giuseppe Sanmartino, who, a century earlier, had crafted mesmerizing marble veils, exemplified by the renowned "Veiled Christ" (pictured right). This artistic tradition can be traced back to earlier sculptors, including renowned Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo, as well as the ancient masters from Greece's Hellenistic era, who were celebrated for their intricate depictions of fabric folds.

However, in the mid-19th century, Strazza pushed this technique to its limits. The delicate, layered effect he achieved allows the observer to distinctly perceive Mary's facial features through the translucent veil while simultaneously creating the illusion of weightlessness.

The brilliance of how Strazza transformed solid stone into something so seemingly transparent, using only basic hand tools, remains a profound mystery according to the Fine Arts community ... and to ME! Acknowledging my bias, Strazza's Veiled Virgin bests Sanmartino's Veiled Christ by the narrowest of margins, the transparency of the veil slightly more refined and realistic. Either way, that an artist could transform solid rock into something that appears to flow like silk is flabbergasting, to say the least.

This Arts moment brought to you today by the blown mind of an appreciative old fart who finds himself with more time to stop and appreciate the beauty of the world.

Peace out.

The TRADES!

Regular readers of these posts might recall that my son works in the trades as a heavy machinery mechanic for a huge construction machine rental company in Guelph. As additional information, he decided on the trades fairly early in his school life, thanks largely to the influence of a great man and good friend, Craig Shaw, Barrie Central's long time auto mechanics teacher. After working in the automotive repair part of the industry for a couple of years, he made the move sideways into heavy machinery a few years back, and will tell anyone who asks, he hasn't regretted the switch for a single second. 

Is it a tough job?

Yep!

Is it a dirty job?

Yep!

Is it challenging, rewarding, and interesting?

Yep, Yep, and Yep!

Is it a career that is presently in a crisis due to a lack of youngsters entering?

YEEEEP!

Is it something that anyone can do?

NOPE!!

If you don't already know, you should be aware that gone are the days of 'grease monkeys', the stereotypic high school drop out who spends a lifetime on the end of a wrench. Even though I definitively believe that was never the case because those students were simply tremendously smart in ways not measured by the traditional school system, that stereotype couldn't be further from the truth these days as all manner of machinery is now computer assisted, Uber engineered, finely manufactured wondrous creations that require a keen intellect, 'out-of-the-box' thinking, and deep technical understanding to keep the contraptions of the world whirring. 

Even the most inept 'Bungalo Bill' has to admit that without those working in the trades, our stuff would be in a dismal state of disrepair because Joe Public generally doesn't have the knowledge, skill, or tools to deal with our stuff when it stops working properly. We need folks like my son to bail us out when the bump in the road is daunting!

A friend from my days in an ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) classroom posted the following little snippet the other day, and it immediately grabbed a hold of my heart, prompting an intense desire to share. 

CLIENT – How much will it cost to do this job?
CONTRACTOR - $2,800 dollars.

CLIENT – That’s too expensive for this job!
CONTRACTOR – How much do you think it should cost?

CLIENT – $800 max! It’s a simple job!
CONTRACTOR – I can’t do the job for so little.

CLIENT – People in your line of work wants to make a huge profit!
CONTRACTOR – I’m sorry you feel this way. Why don’t you do the job?

CLIENT – But, but, I don’t know how to do any of that.
CONTRACTOR – For $900, I can teach you everything you need to know to do the job. You can then use $800 to do the job, and you’re still saving $1,100. Also, you will obtain all the knowledge and the experience for the next time you need to do this job.

CLIENT – Deal!
CONTRACTOR – Great! To start, you need to buy tools. You will need a chipping hammer, a nail gun, a laser, a drill, a mixer machine, PPE, and some other things.

CLIENT – But, I don’t have any of those tools and I can’t buy all that for just one job!
CONTRACTOR – Ok. I can rent you my tools for another $300. You’re still saving $800.

CLIENT – That’s cutting my savings, but I will rent your tools.
CONTRACTOR – Perfect! I’ll be back Saturday and we can start.

CLIENT – Wait! I can’t Saturday. I only have time today.
CONTRACTOR – I’m sorry, I only teach others on Saturdays. I have to prioritize my time and my tools needs to be on other jobs I have during the week.

CLIENT – Ok then. I will sacrifice my family’s plans on Saturday.
CONTRACTOR – Right, me too! Oh, I forgot. If you’re going to do the job yourself, you need to buy the materials. There’s a high demand nowadays, so your best bet is to get a truck and be at the hardware store by 6am before other contractors get there.

CLIENT – AT SIX IN THE MORNING? On Saturday? That’s too early for me. I don’t even have a truck!
CONTRACTOR – I guess you’ll have to rent one. By the way, do you have some helpers to help you load the truck?

CLIENT – You know what? I’ve been thinking. Probably is better for you to do the job. It’s better to pay you to do the job right and not having to go through all that hassle.
CONTRACTOR – Good thinking. Sign here and let me get to work.

This is the truth! People are not just paying for a job, they are paying for knowledge, experience, tools, time, family sacrifices, and other things you bring to the table.

~Unknown Author

Hey, I like to hold onto my money as much as the next guy! 

The reality of our society is that we need talented, smart, dedicated youngsters to embrace the Trades as a viable career lest we relegate the industry to imported talent from other parts of the world, the common practice right now. From my soapbox, we old farts need to change our perspective to embrace Tradespeople as vital cogs in the gears of society, and divest ourselves of the opinion that they are somehow 'less' than other careers. What many don't realize, those in the Trades can make a healthy living, often times above six figures, especially if they venture out on their own as an entrepreneur.

Every family should have a guy (or gal) ... or guys (gals)! 

Every family should promote the Trades so that their guy (or gal) is a part of their family!

Spread your arms wide and give 'em all a hug!

My bud Jeff

Update: Jet is finally free of the ravages that beset his body. Heaven just got another of our band and his passing will sadden a multitude of those he impacted. We’ll raise a glass and remember his amazing presence!
He’s forever our brother!
RIP Jeff!

I got some sad news the other day, the kind that makes you step back from Life and re-evaluate where you are, where you're headed, and what's the top 5 most important things in your world.

One of my Queen's FB team mates Ross arranged to visit our buddy Jeff Kyle, the friend I wrote about a while back who is dealing with a Glioblastoma. The resulting email from Ross was upsetting because Jeff has gone into palliative care since the cancer is causing a host of issues and not responding well to the treatments Jeff and his family have had to endure.

In case you missed my piece about Jeff's story, here's the pertinent parts:

While I can use up all of my fingers and toes counting off the close friends and acquaintances that have affected by cancer, one of the more recent ones is an old Queen's Football team mate Jeff Kyle. Although he's a couple of years older than me, we forged a tight friendship through our escapades both on and off Richardson Field, a bond that has endured some 40 years since we parted ways to sow our Life's oats after graduation. Over a year ago, Jeff and his family got the shocking news of a Glioblastoma tumour growth that resulted in some impairments prompting medical advice. Two brain surgeries, a host of both radiation and chemo treatments, and a lot of heartache later, and Jeff has become the epitome of his adopted mantra #getbusyliving with a steeled determination and 'never say quit' attitude. 

Senators' Jeff Kyle Night

A small group of our band of brothers were able to support Jeff as he was recognized by the Ottawa Senators at a recent home game for the 20+ years he invested as VP of Marketing on their #hockeyfightscancer night. Click the link for the Twitter feed and video about Jeff. To say that I am in awe of Jeff's courage in the face of a tremendously difficult journey would be the grossest understatement of the decade! 

https://twitter.com/senators/status/1729305701778850096?s=12&t=vZRbBBFn7hjx9JXet3nTaA. 

In case you can't get the link to work, or you just don't do Twitter, you'll simply have to take my word that Jeff is one seriously amazing guy, and our entire team is sending as much positive energy his way as we can muster. I am continually astonished by the love, support, and camaraderie that our group shows each other as we collectively navigate the bumps in Life's road.
We lost a few of our mates along the way.
We've been there for the UPs and the DOWNs of carving out a place in this world, and we make a concerted effort to get together regularly and recharge our friendship's batteries.

When you're young and strong, like we were when we were the "Big Yellow Guys" of Queen's FB, you don't give a moment's notice to how that can change in the blink of an eye. You're likely in the best shape of your life, you're used to the daily physical battles of practices, you readily invite the "Go Hard or Go Home" tests each Saturday as you compete with everything you have, and you carouse with your mates eating and drinking things you know you shouldn't with a sense of immortality like a Greek God.

Some of the lads during the 2013 reunion
L to R: Larry, Rick, Myself, George, Peter, Jeff, Dave, and Sam 

Fast forward 40 years, and we've embraced a far different attitude toward each other as we shed the "I'm gonna kick your ass" for "I'm gonna hug you until the pain goes away". 

Jeff is an all around great human being! Dashingly handsome, thousand watt smile, sharp as a tack, always ready to drop everything to help a buddy. It was our turn to help Jeff, and try as we may, we couldn't swing the Universe's plan for him, and that simply tears our hearts to shreds. 

I honestly don't know how many of my Queen's buddies believe in Heaven, an afterlife, what's next, but I feel strongly that Bobby, Chris, and John will have a cold one ready at the Pearly Gates for when the transition happens. 

God will bless you Jet, you can be sure of that!

DAGG-gummed great!

Coming up in the not so far future, there'll be a celebration that will moisten the eyes of more than a few in attendance, thanks to the impact that the focus of the celebration has had over a lengthy, consistent, honoured, and medalled career. There are many in Canada who have heard of the game of rugby, but it's a much smaller number who have actually watched a game, and an even smaller number who have actually played, meaning it could be considered a fringe sport with a very tight community of supporters. Chances are, if you spent any time in Simcoe County, and you were a part of the fringe, John Daggett's brilliance has illuminated your darkness in some way, shape, or form.

John Daggett is retiring from coaching and I couldn't be happier for him.

Coach Daggett, or Dagg as many refer to him, has been a stalwart influence on the game in this area for a lengthy amount of time, changing attitudes toward the game first with the Orillia Dingos RFC and then with the Barrie RFC, but it's the lives of young men he has changed thanks to his storied tenure as Head Coach of the Men's Rugby at Georgian College that is the impetus for the aforementioned celebration. GC State is saying its goodbyes to their beloved Head Coach, a personification of their Grizzly mascot if there ever was one, who officially retired from coaching after notching his belt for the 13th time, this one an OCAA Championship Gold Medal last fall. 

The college is losing a DAGG-gummed great one!

Those in the know are already astutely aware that Coach Daggett is a rare breed. He's a unique mixture of affable positivism, undying loyalty, unbridled enthusiasm, and dogged determination that sows the seeds of elite performance in his underlings. Ever the stickler for details, those players who have ever bared the brunt of a Dagg-ism, a gravelly, no-holds-barred dressing down thanks to some error of judgment on their part, they'll be keenly aware that the guy cares ... A LOT! His passion knows no boundaries, his knowledge knows no ceiling, his drive to make his charges the best they can be knows no limits. Possessor of a dry, cutting sense of humour, Dagg-isms make the bearer astutely aware of their mistakes while raising the corners of the mouths of onlookers thanks to his acerbic wit. Perhaps one of his greatest strengths goes largely unnoticed by GC faithful, but Dagg is humble enough to ask for help despite to prolific prowess when he sees the need, like gathering an All Star management team that augments his own abilities, and he'll be the first to tell you that the GC success has been a team affair.

It's all of those qualities blended together, spiced with a healthy handful of grandfatherly wisdom, and dusted with a profound sense commitment, that makes him the stuff of legends.

I've already bragged about Coach Daggett in a couple of previous pieces, the most recent being The Gold Standard, so I won't rehash his rarely matched accolades, but suffice it to say that he is resoundingly respected, far and wide in provincial and national rugby circles. If GC State is not the most decorated rugby program in OCAAA history, there can't be more than one other school that has the resume that GC State does, especially in the last 13 years, success that is largely due to John's leadership. 

How can I be so certain?
Let's just say I've drank the Kool Aid as one of his assistant coaches!

Oh, by the way, When not patrolling the touchlines of JC Massie Field in all kinds of Canadian weather, he also has a "Day Job" as Co-Op manager for Georgian College, a role that embodies all of those same characteristics, endearing him to hundreds of GC students during his tenure. His effect on them is quickly recognizable thanks to their wide smiles and gleaming sparkle in their eyes. A note to all of those GC students, DON'T FRET, he'll only be stepping away from the coaching side of things and will continue to illuminate your lives as he helps make Georgian College one of the most successful and proficient Co-Op colleges in Ontario.

While there will be a sizeable number who will feel sad that the Daggett years are over, there will be an even larger number of us who will feel forever grateful that we had time with him in our lives. 

Like Dr Seuss famously wrote, "Don't cry because it's over; Smile because it happened!"

I, for one, will be smiling wider than a Cheshire Cat on March 22 at Georgian's Last Class pub, and can't wait for next season when he might grace me with a visit to my personal viewing platform at the back of the in-goal.

In my best Scottish baroque, "That'll do, Dagg, that'll do."

Monkey Law

I read this little gem on a recent trip down the social media wormhole and while I have no idea whose wonderfully inventive mind it originally percolated out of, I found it provoking enough to share it here. There's no particular issue or concern that stirred me to associate with the theme, just an overwhelming sense of Deja Vu, like I've been a part of a tribe that toed the line on something for no other reason than that's what was always done. I really enjoyed the mental cattle prod it provided, pushing me down the chute toward independent analysis, lest I fall back into the cue like some lemming charging toward the cliff.

By providing this reminder, I'm in no way, shape, or form looking to incite a social uprising against established practices, legal mainstays, or moral obligations. I'm simply implying that we take a step back to examine the things we have instinctively veered toward without consciously deciding the course is the best action. As an athlete and coach for most of my life, I'm astutely aware that muscle memory is a powerful tool in the skill set for success, but when our those habits include behavioural automation that might require a change of tactics as this crazy world around us changes, it might be prudent to take a wider scope of the situation.

A little browse around the Interwebs and I found a reference to a published behavioural experiment by Gordon R Stephenson that dealt with Rhesus monkeys and learned responses. Stephenson, G. R. (1967). Cultural acquisition of a specific learned response among rhesus monkeys. In: Starek, D., Schneider, R., and Kuhn, H. J. (eds.), Progress in Primatology, Stuttgart: Fischer, pp. 279-288. The reference to the story below is infamously used to debate about following the established norms without knowing why,

In the end, after reading the parable below, you might think, "Stevie, you're full of shite!", and I want you to know that I'm perfectly fine with that assessment, PROVIDED that you thought for a couple or three minutes about WHY you feel that way.

Hey! We could do it the way we used to so many years ago ... we could have an argument! 

You might remember those times, don't you? When we could actively discuss polar opposite views with point - counter point animated discussions and no one felt the need to run to the Cyber-verse of social media to garner support to sooth their anxieties because they were offended by an oppositional stance. 

Ahhhh, but that's a topic for another day.
Enjoy the cattle prod!

A group of researchers locked 5 monkeys in a cage. They put a ladder in the middle and then a banana on top.

When one monkey climbed the ladder to get the banana, the researchers threw a bucket of water into the necks on the other four monkeys. Every time a monkey tried to climb the ladder, the others were poured in cold water.

The monkeys soon learned that anyone who dares to climb the ladder must be hampered and beaten down, because if not, a cold shower will come from the sky. It didn't take long for any monkeys to try climbing the ladder.

Afterwards, scientists replaced one monkey with a new one. Of course, the new monkey started immediately on the ladder, but the other monkeys knocked him down, even though they didn’t even get a cold shower. The new monkey of course did not understand why he was getting beaten, but after a few occasions he learned that we do not go up the ladder.

Then they replaced another monkey and the same thing happened. He started on the ladder and got admonished immediately. What is strange is that the previous new monkey also participated in the beating, although he didn't know why, because he never got water in his neck.

The same story was repeated with the third, fourth and finally fifth monkey. Now there are none left from the original 5.

None of them knows why you can't climb that ladder. None understands why you can't go for a banana, and yet they won't climb up for it.

Why?

If we asked them and they could talk, they would probably answer, "I don't know. That's just how it works around here, because it's always been like that, and that's how it should be done."

We may be asking ourselves the question ... Why do we keep doing what we usually do, when there are other ways, other solutions. In what direction do we progress, if we always follow the old, broken path? 

Who said it was good this way? 

Who made the decision? 

Is there another world outside our little world that could be better or prettier? 

We'll never know. 

Why? 

Because we dare not ask why we can’t climb the ladder for that tempting banana.

We just sit under the ladder and for no real reason attack anyone who dares to question “the law.”

And we're still sitting under the ladder.

We're just sitting there, under a ladder.

How 'bout dem Jags?

I've written recently about March Madness, that annual fanaticism surrounding the sport of basketball, but something happened that begs a piece of my mind be thrust out into the cyber-verse, and it happened to three guys that I happen to be very proud to call friends. Even if you're not a basketball fan, you have to acknowledge that when local folks do something special, it makes for a great story.

Some say that high school sport is just 'fun' or 'exercise', its place in education is on the fringe because it really doesn't matter all that much, but go ask the Senior Basketball team at St Joseph's HS if they feel that way! You'll have to shield your eyes, though, because that gleaming gold medal around their neck competing with a thousand watt smile will light up your conversation like a super nova!

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2024 AA OFSAA Champions, the St Joseph's Jaguars!

While success on the hardcourt is not a sometimes thing at STJ's, 2024 will forever be remembered as something special. The Jaguars have won A LOT of basketball games over the years that I've been paying attention, but this year's side had something just a little more special. Call it destiny, or the dice rolling the right way, or the luck of the draw, but you can't erase the fact that other than families or close friends, the #7 seeded Jags were a pre-tournament long shot to hoist the trophy, but hoist they did thanks to a double digit victory over Ottawa's Ashbury College. Watching the game from the comfort of my own couch thanks to today's streaming technology, I marvelled at the poise, skill, passion, and performance the Jags were applying in their hunt for the win. With the final whistle, the medals hung around their necks, the coveted OFSAA banner hoisted, the 2024 Jags became the first boy's basketball OFSAA champions in school history ... at least I think that's true. 

As a local BDABO referee, I was blessed to have worked a few of this team's games this season, steeling an already healthy appreciation for their abilities and their coaches. These kids can play the game at a very high level, but what really made them different was their belief in each other and their coaches, a belief that shone through the mists like some majestic lighthouse. Like all championship teams, the sum of their parts was greater than the whole, evident in the fact the playing rotation went 10 deep, their engine barely sputtering as new personalities took to the task. Don't misunderstand me, they have elite players who were the crux of their success, but in this old fart's view at least, it was the support players who made the difference. 

Coaches Drew Taylor, Pat Dooley, and Paul Zyla have accomplished something special, deserving of any and all accolades for the job they did this season. Of course, it's been a long time coming, and certainly isn't a fluke.

From the years when my BCC teams and Harold Regan's STJ teams regularly clashed, I've known Drew Taylor and Paul first as an opponents, then as members of my Barrie Royals teams, but it's their tireless work as leaders of basketball programs in Barrie that begs attention; Drew at STJ and Paul at St Peter's. When Paul made the jump to admin, becoming a VP at STJ, their formidable talents joined, a union that goes a long way to explain this team's success. Both young men have my deepest respect, my undying kinship, and my extreme pride for the coaches they've become. 

Pat Dooley and I have known each other for over 20 years, having coached against each other in GBSSA play when he was the life-blood of the program at St Thomas Aquinas. Forged in the fire of both our Uber-competitiveness, a friendship emerged born out of mutual respect for the passion and commitment we bestowed upon our schools. Following his retirement, 'Dools' offered his sizeable abilities to STJ and quickly made an impact on their program. Leading the way with the Jr team, and supporting/mentoring Drew with the Sr's, he can claim a healthy portion of this championship. 

Of course, even with coaching talent as profuse as STJ's, it's the players that are largely responsible for wins, and this team was laden with talent! I readily recognize the key players, but I don't know them much, other than to say hi or give a high five, but they have earned my respect for the way they play the game, compete, and conduct themselves. I would venture a guess that more than a couple will earn spots on post-secondary rosters as they continue to chase their hoop dreams. 

In a neat twist of fate, the starting PG, Ryan Harris, is the son of Jeff Harris, the Varsity Coordinator at GC State who has become a good friend through my time with the men's basketball and rugby programs. The starting SF is Logan Forsyth, son of Drew and Ali Forsyth, who are dear friends from my BCC days.

In the end, what's done is dusted, and nobody can take away anything from their OFSAA Championship. While I truly hope that's not the end of their winning ways, the fact remains that owning an OFSAA Gold medal is a VERY exclusive club, and to coin a Bruce Springsteen ditty, they'll be reliving their "Glory Days" for years to come.

As a former coach, teacher, GBSSA exec, and longtime hoops fan, it's a warm fuzzy moment when local kids do well, and I'm forever grateful that I was able to have a front row seat to watch it unfold.

Congratulations again St Joe's!
I couldn't be happier for you all!

The Madness Part II

Piggybacking on the post published before this one about this 'hoopiest' time of year, I pause to look back on the past few weeks of whistle-blowing with some observations, some warm fuzzies, and some regrets. When I first convinced my bestie to agree that we return to the frozen tundra of Canada so that I could offer my assistance to the high school boys' basketball playoffs and championships, I figured that the scales measuring the pluses of entertainment + renumeration would outweigh the minuses of braving snowstorms, ice, and cold.

At least from my perspective, it was the right call, to coin an officiating phrase.

Some observations:
Starting back at it on Tuesday February 6th, and culminating with the Intermediate Boys' County Championships on March 5th, I have or will have officiated:
33 grade 7-8 games (Including league, zone, area, and county playoffs),
13 high school boy's playoff games,
6 Barrie men's league games, and
10 club games of varying ages.

That's a grand total of 62 games in 29 days. Additionally, thanks to 2024 technology, that's roughly 86 000 steps (and counting) that equates to nearly 66 km, which is a crazy amount of back and forth on this old frame. 

Some Warm Fuzzies:

During those 62 games, I had a front row seat to the amazing talent on display by a wide range of athletes that sweat for glory in Simcoe County's gyms. I had an equally awesome view of the selflessness, sacrifice, and competency of the volunteers who guided their teams to whatever successes they realized. While it's true that we referees get paid for our time, the vast majority of us do what we do for the kids as a contribution to their well being, happiness, and enjoyment.

While I would be the first to admit that the stars of the month were the high school athletes, their toil infused with a healthy dose of aggression, passion, emotion, and frustration, I feel compelled to tip my hat to all that were involved in February's escapades. That includes the thankless job that the minor officials have bequeathed their school mates, since almost all of them are high school aged youngsters looking to bank some community service hours or pocket a few shekels. That list must also include the school custodians whose tireless efforts largely go unnoticed, but were it not for those efforts, the safety of their school's athletes would be in serious jeopardy.

Obviously, they keep score for reason, and not everyone who took the court in representation of their school was successful in the effort. The sad reality of sport is that only one team wins their last game. Even though I empathetically shared in the tears of those who fell just short, I also revelled in the elation of performing at levels previously unrealized, making coaches beam with pride. 

I've written it before, but you never really get to know your kids until they've battled through some adversity, coming to grips with how to manage the myriad of emotional swings and outcomes.

That's why coaches coach.
It's really quite simple.

Congratulations to the Sr Boys from Our Lady of the Bay ('A' in Welland), St Joseph's ('AA' in Ottawa), and Bradford ('AAA' in Stoney Creek) on their GBSSA titles, giving them an opportunity to experience an OFSAA Basketball Championship. Congratulations also to the Jr teams from Gravenhurst ('A'), St Joseph's ('AA'), and St Joan of Arc ('AAA') on their GBSSA titles. At the time that I wrote this, elementary counties hadn't happened but I am sure we'll owe props to those athletes and coaches too.

And some regrets:
Look, even though I take immense pride in doing a job well, I'd be lying if I said that I was perfect. The very nature of officiating means that you as coach ... or athlete ... or parent ... will have a different perspective of any given play than I do from where I stood, but only one of us has the zebra stripes on with a whistle attached. I prepare as thoroughly and diligently as I can, and while I feel my accuracy is in the high 90's, I've made some calls that retrospection tells me were erroneous.

I will honestly state that I wholeheartedly believe NONE made a difference in the outcome of any of the 62 games, but who can really be sure of the butterfly effect that comes with a mistake here, an no-call there. 

Having said all of that, I can think of 2 times in games with BIG consequences, where my error or no-call did impact the play for a couple of minutes. I regret those times, not because they changed the inevitable outcome ... they honestly DID NOT ... but they definitely super-charged the emotional quotient for a short time. I don't let them become a proverbial "burr under the saddle" because, in the end, players win or lose games, not referees, and I won't beat myself up over things that the participants likely don't even realize I messed up on.

On a related Madness note, I am really looking forward to the 2024 version of March Madness, partly since I will dig out my UNC hoodie (GDTBATH), and partly since I relish in the thrill and excitement the NCAA tournament brings each and every March.

The Madness!

It's nigh upon March and as any hoops fan worth their weight in popcorn will tell you, it's almost the time of the MADNESS ... March Madness, to be specific! The annual basketball love-fest that is the NCAA men's and women's championships means hours pouring over pool predictions, ridiculous side bets, foam finger waving, hoodie wearing, and ass-groove carving on your favourite place to watch the whole affair unfold.

I must admit that I have whiled away many a hour, wearing out the remote buttons as I flip between the various broadcasts in an effort to catch that "One Shining Moment" where a 20-something creates his or her 15 seconds of fame through some Uber-human feat of athleticism that goes viral on social media.

However, the looming of March has another meaning, at least in my home. 

As a BDABO referee, I have enjoyed a front row seat to some pretty gosh darned neat things that the students of Simcoe County have offered up for my fanaticism. This 3rd week of February will feature the culmination of the local basketball leagues when the SCAA champs (public schools) will face the CSASC champs (catholic schools) and MPS champs (far north schools) as they vie for the coveted GBSSA trophy and its gold plated ticket to an OFSAA championship.

As a longtime Barrie area coach, I have been fortunate enough to not only attend an OFSAA championship by securing a GB title (bragging ... 38 GBSSA titles in BB, RUG, SWM), but also won a satisfying number of OFSAA medals (bragging again ... 22 OFSAA medals in BB + RUG), giving me a deep appreciation of how much it means to athletes to have their sacrifices and efforts come to fruition. As a former GBSSA president, secretary, and OFSAA representative, I am astutely cognizant of the ridiculously small percent of all high school athletes that qualify for an OFSAA championship, let alone bring home a medal. During my final years when I was OFSAA representative, it was generally agreed the less than 1% of all high school athletes ever realize that dream.

There are approximately 872 secondary schools in Ontario, housing over 636, 000 students. 

OFSAA hosts 38 provincial championships and 7 festivals in 20 different sports.

You want Madness? THAT, my friends, is MADNESS!
Get off your couch and go watch these kids pour their everything into a chance at beating those odds. 

UPDATE! Here's what happened at the various GBSSA Championships:
Sr AAA Boys - Fri Feb 23rd St Peter's hosted Bradford (Bradford to AAA OFSAA)
Jr AAA Boys - Fri Feb 23rd St Joan of Arc hosted Maple Ridge (Congrats JOA!)
Thu Feb 22nd Nottawasaga Pines SS in Angus hosts the AA Boys GBSSA Championships
Sr AA Boys - Semis: St Joe's v Geo Bay 9:00; N Pines v Bracebridge 10:30
Finals: St Joe's v Notty Pines (St Joe's goes to AA OFSAA in Ottawa Mar 4-6/24)
Jr AA Boys - Semis: St Joe's v Geo Bay 12:00; N Pines v Bracebridge 1:30
Finals: St Joe's v Bracebridge (Congrats STJ!)
Thu Feb 22nd Stayner CI in Stayner will host the A Boys GBSSA Championships
Sr A Boys - Semis: Our Lady of the Bay v Nouvelle 9:00; Stayner v Gravenhurst 10:30
Finals: Our Lady of the Bay vs Stayner (OLB goes to A OFSAA in Welland Mar 4-6/24)
Jr A Boys - Semis: Nouvelle v Gravenhurst 12:00; Our Lady of the Bay v Elmvale 1:30
Finals: Gravenhurst v Elmvale (Congrats Gravenhurst!)

I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to winter in the sunny south for the last few years, meaning that I was out of country during the local GBSSA championships. I decided ... actually, I convinced my skeptical bestie ... that I'd like to be home for them this year so we arrived back in Canada at the beginning of February. I was honoured to have been assigned a number of the SCAA and CSASC playoff games, but I'm scarlet to have been selected to officiate the A Boys GBSSA Championship games for Sr + Jr at Stayner. I'm as giddy as a 3 year old on their birthday!

Yep, at this time of year, it's all about the MADNESS!
*Go Heels Go!