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In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write a famous author and ask for advice. Kurt Vonnegut (1922 – 2007) was the only one to respond - and his response is magnificent:
“Dear Xavier High School, and Ms. Lockwood, and Messrs Perin, McFeely, Batten, Maurer and for your friendly letters. You sure know how to cheer up a really old geezer (84) in his sunset years. I don’t make public appearances any more because I now resemble nothing so much as an iguana.
What I had to say to you, moreover, would not take long, to wit: Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.
Seriously! I mean starting right now, do art and do it for the rest of your lives. Draw a funny or nice picture of Ms. Lockwood, and give it to her. Dance home after school, and sing in the shower and on and on. Make a face in your mashed potatoes. Pretend you’re Count Dracula.
Here’s an assignment for tonight, and I hope Ms. Lockwood will flunk you if you don’t do it: Write a six line poem, about anything, but rhymed. No fair tennis without a net. Make it as good as you possibly can. But don’t tell anybody what you’re doing. Don’t show it or recite it to anybody, not even your girlfriend or parents or whatever, or Ms. Lockwood. OK?
Tear it up into teeny-weeny pieces, and discard them into widely separated trash receptacals. You will find that you have already been gloriously rewarded for your poem. You have experienced becoming, learned a lot more about what’s inside you, and you have made your soul grow.
God bless you all!"
Kurt Vonnegut
“Dear Xavier High School, and Ms. Lockwood, and Messrs Perin, McFeely, Batten, Maurer and for your friendly letters. You sure know how to cheer up a really old geezer (84) in his sunset years. I don’t make public appearances any more because I now resemble nothing so much as an iguana.
What I had to say to you, moreover, would not take long, to wit: Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.
Seriously! I mean starting right now, do art and do it for the rest of your lives. Draw a funny or nice picture of Ms. Lockwood, and give it to her. Dance home after school, and sing in the shower and on and on. Make a face in your mashed potatoes. Pretend you’re Count Dracula.
Here’s an assignment for tonight, and I hope Ms. Lockwood will flunk you if you don’t do it: Write a six line poem, about anything, but rhymed. No fair tennis without a net. Make it as good as you possibly can. But don’t tell anybody what you’re doing. Don’t show it or recite it to anybody, not even your girlfriend or parents or whatever, or Ms. Lockwood. OK?
Tear it up into teeny-weeny pieces, and discard them into widely separated trash receptacals. You will find that you have already been gloriously rewarded for your poem. You have experienced becoming, learned a lot more about what’s inside you, and you have made your soul grow.
God bless you all!"
Kurt Vonnegut
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I have… mixed feelings, about Angelina Jolie. Love her as an actress. Find her quite capable as a director. As a wife, she seems to have done well, as a mother great, while she was an ex-wife from hell by all accounts. Above all I admire her dedication to human rights
Angelina hits about social media. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook? She had better things to do. When she finally did make an Instagram account, it wasn’t to share pictures of herself with famous people. It wasn’t to brown-nose other celebrities, or to show off her fancy food or nice trips…
No, the first ever thing she uploaded was a letter from an Afghan girl who was terrified when the Taliban took over Kabul. Who was afraid for her life, her safety, her freedom, who feared being forced to marry some old man and pump out ten kids and never see the light of day if not for the presence of a male resident.
That’s what she used her voice for, her fame. She lends a voice to the voiceless. Hell half of her kids are adopted from awful situations, too. I don’t like how Angelina Jolie treated Brad Pitt. Or how she wrecked another woman’s marriage to get him. But I cannot help but love the work she does and the way she uses her fame.
Angelina hits about social media. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook? She had better things to do. When she finally did make an Instagram account, it wasn’t to share pictures of herself with famous people. It wasn’t to brown-nose other celebrities, or to show off her fancy food or nice trips…
No, the first ever thing she uploaded was a letter from an Afghan girl who was terrified when the Taliban took over Kabul. Who was afraid for her life, her safety, her freedom, who feared being forced to marry some old man and pump out ten kids and never see the light of day if not for the presence of a male resident.
That’s what she used her voice for, her fame. She lends a voice to the voiceless. Hell half of her kids are adopted from awful situations, too. I don’t like how Angelina Jolie treated Brad Pitt. Or how she wrecked another woman’s marriage to get him. But I cannot help but love the work she does and the way she uses her fame.
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Cloris Leachman's final scene in "The Last Picture Show" (1971) was filmed without any rehearsal. She wanted to rehearse the scene but Peter Bogdanovich was against the idea as he thought that it would ruin the scene.
Bogdanovich was so happy with the first take, he said to ust won the Oscar.’
Leachman replied, ‘I can do it better.’
Then Bogdanovich said, ‘No, you can’t.’
Bogdanovich felt that way since the scene was so fresh and she was shaking. He knew she couldn’t possibly do it better. She could hardly breathe after filming the scene.
He was proved right when she won the Oscar for her performance.
Bogdanovich was so happy with the first take, he said to ust won the Oscar.’
Leachman replied, ‘I can do it better.’
Then Bogdanovich said, ‘No, you can’t.’
Bogdanovich felt that way since the scene was so fresh and she was shaking. He knew she couldn’t possibly do it better. She could hardly breathe after filming the scene.
He was proved right when she won the Oscar for her performance.
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John Lennon was a social activist, involved in left-wing causes and sympathetic to Marxist and Trotskyist groups… the FBI even investigated him for this in the 1960s — they decided that he would be “ineffective as a revolutionary” because he “is constantly under the influence of assessment about sums it up — John Lennon was all talk, no game, as far as activism goes. The picture that best shows it is him and his wife Yoko Ono, doing their famous “we’re staying in this bedroom until there’s world peace” shtick. A maid comes in and fluffs Lennon’s pillows for him. He casually stands aside, taking a little break from his activism-cum-performance-art so the maid can tidy up the room a little… then he goes right back, imagining there’s no money.
But there is money. And Lennon was a wifebeater, a violent man and a selfish drug addict who just happened to be gifted with a great voice and the ability to sing moving songs. He was a great artist. But he was a fraud, too. All his stances, all his opinion, all his public statements, were an act. A performance, just like his concerts.
But there is money. And Lennon was a wifebeater, a violent man and a selfish drug addict who just happened to be gifted with a great voice and the ability to sing moving songs. He was a great artist. But he was a fraud, too. All his stances, all his opinion, all his public statements, were an act. A performance, just like his concerts.
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The Inventor Who Gave the World FM Radio, and Paid With His Life.
In the 1930s, Edwin Howard Armstrong created FM radio, the technology that finally gave listeners clear, static-free sound after decades of crackling AM broadcasts.
His invention threatened the entire empire of O David Sarnoff, a man who had once been Armstrong’s friend and mentor.
Instead of adopting FM, Sarnoff and RCA launched a decades-long legal war of patent lawsuits and regulatory sabotage that slowly bankrupted Armstrong and destroyed his spirit.
On a winter night in 1954, broken and penniless, Armstrong wrote a final note to his wife and stepped out of the 13th-floor window of their New York apartment.
He never lived to see his victory.
Just years after his death, FM radio became the worldwide standard for high-fidelity broadcasting, exactly as he had always known it would.
In the 1930s, Edwin Howard Armstrong created FM radio, the technology that finally gave listeners clear, static-free sound after decades of crackling AM broadcasts.
His invention threatened the entire empire of O David Sarnoff, a man who had once been Armstrong’s friend and mentor.
Instead of adopting FM, Sarnoff and RCA launched a decades-long legal war of patent lawsuits and regulatory sabotage that slowly bankrupted Armstrong and destroyed his spirit.
On a winter night in 1954, broken and penniless, Armstrong wrote a final note to his wife and stepped out of the 13th-floor window of their New York apartment.
He never lived to see his victory.
Just years after his death, FM radio became the worldwide standard for high-fidelity broadcasting, exactly as he had always known it would.
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Twin brothers were born in 1978 in an American family
One brother was healthy, born first
The other brother was born with cardiomyopathy and cerebral palsy
Despite health differences, they grew very close
The older brother was very protective and supportive
He always helped ger brother
When they were 13, the younger brother needed a heart transplant
The older brother was very emotional and wanted to save him
A donor heart became available in time and saved his life
The older brother originally wanted to study biochemical engineering
He wanted to help find cures for diseases like his brother’s condition
Later, his life path changed
The older brother is Ashton Kutcher
He became a successful actor and tech investor
He co-founded Thorn, an organization fighting child trafficking online
The younger brother, Michael Kutcher, became a disability advocate
He works to raise awareness about cerebral palsy
He speaks publicly about inclusion and disability rights
Both brothers support charitable causes today
Their bond is based on love, support, and shared purpose
The story highlights brotherhood, resilience, and compassion
One brother was healthy, born first
The other brother was born with cardiomyopathy and cerebral palsy
Despite health differences, they grew very close
The older brother was very protective and supportive
He always helped ger brother
When they were 13, the younger brother needed a heart transplant
The older brother was very emotional and wanted to save him
A donor heart became available in time and saved his life
The older brother originally wanted to study biochemical engineering
He wanted to help find cures for diseases like his brother’s condition
Later, his life path changed
The older brother is Ashton Kutcher
He became a successful actor and tech investor
He co-founded Thorn, an organization fighting child trafficking online
The younger brother, Michael Kutcher, became a disability advocate
He works to raise awareness about cerebral palsy
He speaks publicly about inclusion and disability rights
Both brothers support charitable causes today
Their bond is based on love, support, and shared purpose
The story highlights brotherhood, resilience, and compassion
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This is an odd story but I think it’s interesting as far as celebrity stories go. So, Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruisetried to have children, and after having several miscarriages, decided to adopt. Cruise insisted on adopting their first child through Scientology channels… this is Cruise.

Now rumor has it, Connor isn’t just an ‘adopted son’ of Tom Cruise — he is, in fact, the biracial child of Cruise with a black female member of his Church. Now I’ve studied some photos of the two men and, sure enough, Connor has the exact same height, the same build and the same nose, hands and feet as his adoptive father. They share many gestures, and mannerisms, too
Of course that was a few years ago… he has since morphed into “Jonah Hill with an afro” and the resemblance isn’t as uncanny anymore, but that could just be the extra weight and the Castro beard. He was a lot chubbier back when he tried to be a DJ but lost a lot of the weight when he reinvented himself as an outdoorman in recent years and dove headfirst into his true passion… the sea!
Unlike many other celebrity offspring, Connor Cruise has not followed into his famus father’s footsteps as an actor and stayed far away from Hollywood. He instead followed his true love, which is fishing — he is a very good fisherman and gives tours. He also joins many fishing competitions, and teaches the art of catching seacritters to those who wish to learn.
In the end I don’t really know if Connor has Tom’s DNA, but he sure seems to have inherited his father’s famous work ethic

Now rumor has it, Connor isn’t just an ‘adopted son’ of Tom Cruise — he is, in fact, the biracial child of Cruise with a black female member of his Church. Now I’ve studied some photos of the two men and, sure enough, Connor has the exact same height, the same build and the same nose, hands and feet as his adoptive father. They share many gestures, and mannerisms, too
Of course that was a few years ago… he has since morphed into “Jonah Hill with an afro” and the resemblance isn’t as uncanny anymore, but that could just be the extra weight and the Castro beard. He was a lot chubbier back when he tried to be a DJ but lost a lot of the weight when he reinvented himself as an outdoorman in recent years and dove headfirst into his true passion… the sea!
Unlike many other celebrity offspring, Connor Cruise has not followed into his famus father’s footsteps as an actor and stayed far away from Hollywood. He instead followed his true love, which is fishing — he is a very good fisherman and gives tours. He also joins many fishing competitions, and teaches the art of catching seacritters to those who wish to learn.
In the end I don’t really know if Connor has Tom’s DNA, but he sure seems to have inherited his father’s famous work ethic
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visionaryvoid retweeted
Probably one of the greatest robot dance ever.. can believe it’s 25 years since
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The Wrong Resistor That Saved Millions of Hearts
In 1956, electrical engineer Wilson Greatbatch was sitting in a barn at Cornell University, trying to build a machine to simply record heart sounds. He was tinkering with a newly invented component, the silicon transistor, and r circuit.
Deep in his work, Greatbatch reached into a box of spare parts. He meant to grab a 10,000-ohm resistor to complete the circuit. Instead, without looking closely, he pulled out a 1-megohm resistor, a part with 100 times the resistance he intended, and soldered it onto the board.
When he turned the machine on, it didn't record a thing. Instead, it started emitting a steady, rhythmic pulse. The circuit would emit a quick click, draw no power for a second, and then click again. To Greatbatch's absolute shock, the accidental noise perfectly mimicked the natural rhythm of a healthy human heart.
He immediately realized what his mistake had created. Rather than just recording a heart, this tiny circuit could artificially stimulate and control a failing one from the inside.
Two years later, the world's first implantable pacemaker, born entirely from a single misread resistor, was successfully tested on a dog. By 1960, it was installed in a human, eventually extending the lives of millions worldwide who would have otherwise died from heart failure.
In 1956, electrical engineer Wilson Greatbatch was sitting in a barn at Cornell University, trying to build a machine to simply record heart sounds. He was tinkering with a newly invented component, the silicon transistor, and r circuit.
Deep in his work, Greatbatch reached into a box of spare parts. He meant to grab a 10,000-ohm resistor to complete the circuit. Instead, without looking closely, he pulled out a 1-megohm resistor, a part with 100 times the resistance he intended, and soldered it onto the board.
When he turned the machine on, it didn't record a thing. Instead, it started emitting a steady, rhythmic pulse. The circuit would emit a quick click, draw no power for a second, and then click again. To Greatbatch's absolute shock, the accidental noise perfectly mimicked the natural rhythm of a healthy human heart.
He immediately realized what his mistake had created. Rather than just recording a heart, this tiny circuit could artificially stimulate and control a failing one from the inside.
Two years later, the world's first implantable pacemaker, born entirely from a single misread resistor, was successfully tested on a dog. By 1960, it was installed in a human, eventually extending the lives of millions worldwide who would have otherwise died from heart failure.
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The "Man of the Hole"—the loneliest human in history.
In the deep Amazon rainforest of Brazil, there lived a man for 26 years who was the last surviving member of his entire tribe.
He was known only as the "Man of the Hole" because he dug deep, 6-foot pits in every hut he g for water or food; the pits were likely for spiritual protection or to hide from the gunmen who had slaughtered the rest of his people in the 1970s.
For nearly three decades, the Brazilian government monitored him from a distance, protecting his land but never making contact. He refused every gift, every tool, and every attempt at communication, choosing a life of absolute, haunting silence.
He lived in a psychological vacuum, the sole keeper of a language, a history, and a culture that died the moment he did in August 2022. He was found lying in a hammock, covered in colorful macaw feathers—he had prepared for his own death.
In the deep Amazon rainforest of Brazil, there lived a man for 26 years who was the last surviving member of his entire tribe.
He was known only as the "Man of the Hole" because he dug deep, 6-foot pits in every hut he g for water or food; the pits were likely for spiritual protection or to hide from the gunmen who had slaughtered the rest of his people in the 1970s.
For nearly three decades, the Brazilian government monitored him from a distance, protecting his land but never making contact. He refused every gift, every tool, and every attempt at communication, choosing a life of absolute, haunting silence.
He lived in a psychological vacuum, the sole keeper of a language, a history, and a culture that died the moment he did in August 2022. He was found lying in a hammock, covered in colorful macaw feathers—he had prepared for his own death.
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It's been 7+ years on X
But, Today only I got to know that you can take a clean screenshot of any tweet with X badge directly from the share option. 😅🫨🤯
But, Today only I got to know that you can take a clean screenshot of any tweet with X badge directly from the share option. 😅🫨🤯
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In 2010, a nine-year-old student named Beatrice Delap from Meridian Primary School in Greenwich, London, wrote a letter to Johnny Depp, requesting his help as Captain Jack Sparrow to stage a mutiny against her teachers.
To everyone’s surprise, Depp responded to Beatrice’s as beyond anyone’s imagination. He showed up at the Meridian Primary School, fully dressed in his Captain Jack Sparrow costume. Accompanied by four other cast members, Depp made a grand entrance that left the students and teachers in awe.
Upon his arrival, Depp pulled out Beatrice’s letter, announced that he was going to frame it, and then called Beatrice down for a hug. He spent 15 minutes performing for the students and dancing with his fellow cast members
To everyone’s surprise, Depp responded to Beatrice’s as beyond anyone’s imagination. He showed up at the Meridian Primary School, fully dressed in his Captain Jack Sparrow costume. Accompanied by four other cast members, Depp made a grand entrance that left the students and teachers in awe.
Upon his arrival, Depp pulled out Beatrice’s letter, announced that he was going to frame it, and then called Beatrice down for a hug. He spent 15 minutes performing for the students and dancing with his fellow cast members
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One story I always found pretty interesting, albeit it somewhat tragic, is that of famous early 2000s child star Frankie Muniz. He played the lead character on “Malcolm In The Middle”. But he didn’t like acting all that much — what he really liked, was car racing.
Muniz had ince he left the show that made him famous in 2006. But he’s mostly been away from media attention and big projects ever since. In 2012 he revealed he suffered from some temporary memory loss issues that caused him to forget much of his time as a child actor. He was diagnosed with suffering a series of mini-strokes… later it was discovered what he really suffered from was severe migraine. He eventually largely restored his memory. But he continued not to care much for acting.
It’s quite cool to break free so completely from the role that defined your acting career. Having made 10 million from acting and another 20 million from royalties after re-runs, Muniz doesn’t need to act anymore — so he drives. It’s what he loves most
Muniz had ince he left the show that made him famous in 2006. But he’s mostly been away from media attention and big projects ever since. In 2012 he revealed he suffered from some temporary memory loss issues that caused him to forget much of his time as a child actor. He was diagnosed with suffering a series of mini-strokes… later it was discovered what he really suffered from was severe migraine. He eventually largely restored his memory. But he continued not to care much for acting.
It’s quite cool to break free so completely from the role that defined your acting career. Having made 10 million from acting and another 20 million from royalties after re-runs, Muniz doesn’t need to act anymore — so he drives. It’s what he loves most
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Around 2002, Josh Hartnett was approached by Warner Brothers to bring new life to one of its most valuable properties.
The new Superman was to appear in a trilogy of films, the 1st to be written by JJ Abrams, who went on to reboot Star Trek and Star Wars.
Josh Hartnett’s fee for to industry gossip would have been $100,000,000.
“At the time it was so obvious to me to turn it down. I was being offered movies by the very top directors, and Superman was a risk.
Yes, there was a lot of money involved, but I didn’t think it was the be-all and end-all.”
He still doesn’t now in 2021,
“It’s become increasingly clear to me that money only takes you so far. I’ve seen a lot of people drown in their money”
The new Superman was to appear in a trilogy of films, the 1st to be written by JJ Abrams, who went on to reboot Star Trek and Star Wars.
Josh Hartnett’s fee for to industry gossip would have been $100,000,000.
“At the time it was so obvious to me to turn it down. I was being offered movies by the very top directors, and Superman was a risk.
Yes, there was a lot of money involved, but I didn’t think it was the be-all and end-all.”
He still doesn’t now in 2021,
“It’s become increasingly clear to me that money only takes you so far. I’ve seen a lot of people drown in their money”
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The first Rambo movie aged well, and never should have gotten serialized.
John Rambo is a traumatized veteran. He gets pushed too far, snaps, and his mind goes back into full-on survival mode. While the novel on which the movie is based has Rambo kill several opponents, in the d he does not deliberately kill anyone — one officer falls out of a police helicopter to his death while trying to shoot Rambo, but that’s not on him.
 The later Rambo movies turned the character into some sort of hyper-patriotic killing machine, a lethal one-man army, unstoppable and unbeatable. Which isn’t keeping up with the actual spirit of the story at all — Rambo doesn’t want to kill anybody, he just wants to be left the hell alone and people keep bugging him and they won’t get the damn hint. The reason he snaps is because of police brutality, which is also something that has aged extremely well because police brutality is far from a thing of the past and still claims countless lives each year…
A traumatized veteran is mistreated by abusive cops, goes berserk when his PTSD kicks in and he used to be in the special forces so he’s a far more dangerous man than any of the men bullying him realise? Perfect plot! Timeless. Nothing Stallone made since comes even remotely close to how goodRambo: First Blood was, is, and remains. Rocky is fine, the first movie is excellent and the sequels are enjoyable but Rambo remains the most gripping.
John Rambo is a traumatized veteran. He gets pushed too far, snaps, and his mind goes back into full-on survival mode. While the novel on which the movie is based has Rambo kill several opponents, in the d he does not deliberately kill anyone — one officer falls out of a police helicopter to his death while trying to shoot Rambo, but that’s not on him.
 The later Rambo movies turned the character into some sort of hyper-patriotic killing machine, a lethal one-man army, unstoppable and unbeatable. Which isn’t keeping up with the actual spirit of the story at all — Rambo doesn’t want to kill anybody, he just wants to be left the hell alone and people keep bugging him and they won’t get the damn hint. The reason he snaps is because of police brutality, which is also something that has aged extremely well because police brutality is far from a thing of the past and still claims countless lives each year…
A traumatized veteran is mistreated by abusive cops, goes berserk when his PTSD kicks in and he used to be in the special forces so he’s a far more dangerous man than any of the men bullying him realise? Perfect plot! Timeless. Nothing Stallone made since comes even remotely close to how goodRambo: First Blood was, is, and remains. Rocky is fine, the first movie is excellent and the sequels are enjoyable but Rambo remains the most gripping.
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Louise Tracy, wife of Hollywood legend Spencer Tracy, deserves our full respect and more should be known about her. She changed a part of the world for the better and won awards which, I think, were more important than the Oscars of her husband.
Also an actress, she married e was the bigger marquee name. Their first child, John, was born 9 moths later and he was to change her life. When he was about 10 months old and she was with him there was a sudden loud noise as a door banged shut and everyone jumped. Except John, who noticed nothing. Realising something was wrong she brought him to a doctor where she was given the devastating news that he was nerve deaf.
From then on the lives of the two parents diverged. Over the years Spencer became a huge star while Louise devoted herself to raising her family. She had been advised to send John to a special school but she fought against this. She had met a deaf woman who was so proficient in lip reading that it was impossible to tell that she was deaf. She was determined to teach her son this gift, and to teach him to talk and to lead a normal life.
While Spencer’s star was rising his home life was deteriorating. He was having affairs and his drinking was often out of control. Louise continued to work with John, reading and singing to him every day till, at 3 years old, he said his first word, Mama!
In 1932 the couple welcomed another child, Susan.
A happy family? All holding hands except Spencer.
Louise went all over the United States learning all she could, talking to everyone she could, of John’s affliction. And learning all the time. She gave speeches all over the country raising awareness of what could be done to help these children. She was asked to open a special school which was done. It started only with teaching parents on how to deal with their children. Then children were enrolled. Louise insisted that it be free. Monies were raised, Spencer, rich by this time donated a small fortune. Well, it was the least he could do while his philandering continued.
The marriage ended in 1967 only when Spencer died. By then the school, now a clinic, was renowned all over the United States while Louise became famous all over the world for her work. She received many honours including the Hearing Advancement Award from the Hearing Foundation, in 1951, and the Woman of the Year award from La Sertoma International in 1953 and she was granted honorary degrees from numerous academic institutions such as the University of Southern California, Lake Erie College, and MacMurray College.
She received the 1974 Award of Honour Otolaryngology and in 1977 she was awarded the Humanitarian Award by the National Auxiliary of AMVETS. Finally, after a long illness, she died on November 13, 1983, aged 87 years.
The John Tracy Clinic is still active to this day. It is still a private, non profit centre which receives no tax-based funding. Its services are provided free of charge through gifts from individuals, private foundations, and corporations.
Also an actress, she married e was the bigger marquee name. Their first child, John, was born 9 moths later and he was to change her life. When he was about 10 months old and she was with him there was a sudden loud noise as a door banged shut and everyone jumped. Except John, who noticed nothing. Realising something was wrong she brought him to a doctor where she was given the devastating news that he was nerve deaf.
From then on the lives of the two parents diverged. Over the years Spencer became a huge star while Louise devoted herself to raising her family. She had been advised to send John to a special school but she fought against this. She had met a deaf woman who was so proficient in lip reading that it was impossible to tell that she was deaf. She was determined to teach her son this gift, and to teach him to talk and to lead a normal life.
While Spencer’s star was rising his home life was deteriorating. He was having affairs and his drinking was often out of control. Louise continued to work with John, reading and singing to him every day till, at 3 years old, he said his first word, Mama!
In 1932 the couple welcomed another child, Susan.
A happy family? All holding hands except Spencer.
Louise went all over the United States learning all she could, talking to everyone she could, of John’s affliction. And learning all the time. She gave speeches all over the country raising awareness of what could be done to help these children. She was asked to open a special school which was done. It started only with teaching parents on how to deal with their children. Then children were enrolled. Louise insisted that it be free. Monies were raised, Spencer, rich by this time donated a small fortune. Well, it was the least he could do while his philandering continued.
The marriage ended in 1967 only when Spencer died. By then the school, now a clinic, was renowned all over the United States while Louise became famous all over the world for her work. She received many honours including the Hearing Advancement Award from the Hearing Foundation, in 1951, and the Woman of the Year award from La Sertoma International in 1953 and she was granted honorary degrees from numerous academic institutions such as the University of Southern California, Lake Erie College, and MacMurray College.
She received the 1974 Award of Honour Otolaryngology and in 1977 she was awarded the Humanitarian Award by the National Auxiliary of AMVETS. Finally, after a long illness, she died on November 13, 1983, aged 87 years.
The John Tracy Clinic is still active to this day. It is still a private, non profit centre which receives no tax-based funding. Its services are provided free of charge through gifts from individuals, private foundations, and corporations.
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Everyone knew Shay could barely hold a bat, let alone hit a baseball. But the opposing pitcher understood what this moment meant to him. Instead of throwing a fast ball, he gently lobbed the ball toward Shay. After missing the first pitch, Shay managed to hit a slow grounder tcher. The pitcher could easily have thrown him out at first, but instead deliberately threw the ball over the first baseman's head. The boys on both teams began shouting for Shay to run. The other players kept helping him along, deliberately making mistakes so he could reach second, then third, and finally home. With the entire crowd on its feet, chanting his name, Shay crossed home plate and was celebrated as the hero who had hit the winning grand slam. For once, he wasn't the boy with disabilities. He was simply a boy who had won a baseball game.
His father watched with tears streaming down his face as players from both teams came together to give his son a moment he would never forget. Shay didn't live to see another summer. He passed away that winter, but he carried the memory of that day with him. He remembered being accepted, celebrated, and treated just like every other boy. And when he returned home that evening, his mother embraced her little hero through tears of happiness. Sometimes, the greatest victory isn't about winning a game. It's about reminding someone that they belong, that they matter, and that kindness can create memories that last a lifetime.
His father watched with tears streaming down his face as players from both teams came together to give his son a moment he would never forget. Shay didn't live to see another summer. He passed away that winter, but he carried the memory of that day with him. He remembered being accepted, celebrated, and treated just like every other boy. And when he returned home that evening, his mother embraced her little hero through tears of happiness. Sometimes, the greatest victory isn't about winning a game. It's about reminding someone that they belong, that they matter, and that kindness can create memories that last a lifetime.
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James Garner moved effortlessly between film and TV, defining screen charisma in classics like The Great Escape and iconic series like Maverick.
No actor has even transitioned between television and motion pictures as easily, or with such aplomb, as James Garner.
Born in uine war hero during military service between 1944 and 1952, Garner first gained international popularity as the star of the TV western series “Maverick” from 1957 to 1960.
From 1960 forward, Garner was the star or co-star of a string of classic motion pictures, including “The Children's Hour,” “The Great Escape,” “The Americanization of Emily,” “Grand Prix,” and “Support Your Local Sheriff.”
Comedy or drama, western or noir, horse or no horse, James Garner excelled in the entertainment industry. And his popularity was immune to demographics: Men and women flocked in equal numbers to see his film appearances.
Then, during the height of his popularity in 1974, Garner did the unthinkable: He returned to episodic network television and became a TV star all over again in the detective series “The Rockford Files.”
Containing drama, action, comedy, and the James Garner-patented concept of the virtuous-but-reluctant hero, “The Rockford Files” was an enormous hit on weekly television until a series of injuries forced the actor to end the show in 1980.
From that point forward, Garner mixed major motion picture appearances with television roles, moving effortlessly between the mediums and still remaining one of Hollywood's top stars all the way until his death in 2014.
No actor has even transitioned between television and motion pictures as easily, or with such aplomb, as James Garner.
Born in uine war hero during military service between 1944 and 1952, Garner first gained international popularity as the star of the TV western series “Maverick” from 1957 to 1960.
From 1960 forward, Garner was the star or co-star of a string of classic motion pictures, including “The Children's Hour,” “The Great Escape,” “The Americanization of Emily,” “Grand Prix,” and “Support Your Local Sheriff.”
Comedy or drama, western or noir, horse or no horse, James Garner excelled in the entertainment industry. And his popularity was immune to demographics: Men and women flocked in equal numbers to see his film appearances.
Then, during the height of his popularity in 1974, Garner did the unthinkable: He returned to episodic network television and became a TV star all over again in the detective series “The Rockford Files.”
Containing drama, action, comedy, and the James Garner-patented concept of the virtuous-but-reluctant hero, “The Rockford Files” was an enormous hit on weekly television until a series of injuries forced the actor to end the show in 1980.
From that point forward, Garner mixed major motion picture appearances with television roles, moving effortlessly between the mediums and still remaining one of Hollywood's top stars all the way until his death in 2014.
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1,395
He couldn’t sing.
He couldn’t dance.
He wasn’t charming.
Ed Sullivan stood stiff under studio lights, spoke in a flat, halting voice, and always looked slightly uneasy in his own suit. Critics mocked him. One famously said he succeeded not by having a personality, but by y misunderstood him completely.
Ed Sullivan changed American culture more quietly and more deeply than almost anyone else in television history. Not with talent. With stubborn, unmovable decency.
When The Ed Sullivan Show premiered on June 20, 1948, under its original name Toast of the Town, it followed a simple idea. A little bit of everything. Comedians, opera singers, jugglers, Broadway stars, circus acts, and musicians. A show meant for the whole country.
But from the very beginning, Sullivan did something almost no one else dared to do.
He booked Black performers.
Not as exceptions. Not in segregated segments. Not with apologies or explanations.
They appeared beside white performers, introduced the same way, treated the same way.
This was 1948.
America was legally segregated. Interracial marriage was illegal in most states. Black Americans were barred from schools, restaurants, theaters, and basic public life.
And every Sunday night, Ed Sullivan placed Black excellence directly into white living rooms.
One week after the show began, Billy Kenny and the Ink Spots became the first Black performers on national television. By the fifth episode, Sullivan paired Ella Fitzgerald with tap legend Bill Robinson. She sang. He danced. Joy crossed a divided nation through a flickering screen.
And Sullivan never stopped.
Louis Armstrong. Nat King Cole. Pearl Bailey. Lena Horne. Duke Ellington. Count Basie. Sarah Vaughan. Sammy Davis Jr..
He didn’t keep distance. He shook hands. He hugged. He kissed cheeks on camera.
That simple humanity enraged sponsors.
When Sullivan kissed Pearl Bailey, Southern advertisers erupted. When he shook Nat King Cole’s hand, Ford’s Lincoln Mercury dealers threatened to pull sponsorships and drop the show across the South. Gas stations refused service to customers driving cars advertised on his program.
Letters poured in.
One viewer complained they had enjoyed Ella Fitzgerald right up until Sullivan hugged her “in our living room.”
His response was never a speech.
He booked them again.
He wrote back to bigots. He once said, “The most important thing is that we’ve put on everything but bigotry.”
When CBS warned him not to touch Coretta Scott King on air, he embraced her anyway.
He did not call himself brave. He did not claim activism. He simply refused to humiliate people.
Week after week. For twenty three years.
He introduced Elvis Presley in 1956. He introduced The Beatles in 1964.
And alongside them, he continued to elevate Black artists.
James Brown. The Supremes. The Temptations. Stevie Wonder. The Jackson 5
Integration did not arrive with shouting.
It arrived with music.
When Bill Robinson died penniless in 1949, Ed Sullivan quietly paid for his funeral in Harlem. When Ella Fitzgerald looked back on her career, she said Sullivan gave people a chance to be seen and heard, and that it felt like a beginning.
That was his strength.
Black performers trusted him to treat them with dignity. White audiences trusted him enough to let him challenge them without realizing it.
By the time the show ended in 1971, integrated television felt normal.
But it was never guaranteed.
It happened because one stiff, awkward man refused to divide his stage.
Ed Sullivan wasn’t cool. He wasn’t smooth. He wasn’t loved for charm.
He was decent.
And sometimes, decency practiced consistently and without compromise changes an entire country.
Ed Sullivan stood stiff under studio lights, spoke in a flat, halting voice, and always looked slightly uneasy in his own suit. Critics mocked him. One famously said he succeeded not by having a personality, but by y misunderstood him completely.
Ed Sullivan changed American culture more quietly and more deeply than almost anyone else in television history. Not with talent. With stubborn, unmovable decency.
When The Ed Sullivan Show premiered on June 20, 1948, under its original name Toast of the Town, it followed a simple idea. A little bit of everything. Comedians, opera singers, jugglers, Broadway stars, circus acts, and musicians. A show meant for the whole country.
But from the very beginning, Sullivan did something almost no one else dared to do.
He booked Black performers.
Not as exceptions. Not in segregated segments. Not with apologies or explanations.
They appeared beside white performers, introduced the same way, treated the same way.
This was 1948.
America was legally segregated. Interracial marriage was illegal in most states. Black Americans were barred from schools, restaurants, theaters, and basic public life.
And every Sunday night, Ed Sullivan placed Black excellence directly into white living rooms.
One week after the show began, Billy Kenny and the Ink Spots became the first Black performers on national television. By the fifth episode, Sullivan paired Ella Fitzgerald with tap legend Bill Robinson. She sang. He danced. Joy crossed a divided nation through a flickering screen.
And Sullivan never stopped.
Louis Armstrong. Nat King Cole. Pearl Bailey. Lena Horne. Duke Ellington. Count Basie. Sarah Vaughan. Sammy Davis Jr..
He didn’t keep distance. He shook hands. He hugged. He kissed cheeks on camera.
That simple humanity enraged sponsors.
When Sullivan kissed Pearl Bailey, Southern advertisers erupted. When he shook Nat King Cole’s hand, Ford’s Lincoln Mercury dealers threatened to pull sponsorships and drop the show across the South. Gas stations refused service to customers driving cars advertised on his program.
Letters poured in.
One viewer complained they had enjoyed Ella Fitzgerald right up until Sullivan hugged her “in our living room.”
His response was never a speech.
He booked them again.
He wrote back to bigots. He once said, “The most important thing is that we’ve put on everything but bigotry.”
When CBS warned him not to touch Coretta Scott King on air, he embraced her anyway.
He did not call himself brave. He did not claim activism. He simply refused to humiliate people.
Week after week. For twenty three years.
He introduced Elvis Presley in 1956. He introduced The Beatles in 1964.
And alongside them, he continued to elevate Black artists.
James Brown. The Supremes. The Temptations. Stevie Wonder. The Jackson 5
Integration did not arrive with shouting.
It arrived with music.
When Bill Robinson died penniless in 1949, Ed Sullivan quietly paid for his funeral in Harlem. When Ella Fitzgerald looked back on her career, she said Sullivan gave people a chance to be seen and heard, and that it felt like a beginning.
That was his strength.
Black performers trusted him to treat them with dignity. White audiences trusted him enough to let him challenge them without realizing it.
By the time the show ended in 1971, integrated television felt normal.
But it was never guaranteed.
It happened because one stiff, awkward man refused to divide his stage.
Ed Sullivan wasn’t cool. He wasn’t smooth. He wasn’t loved for charm.
He was decent.
And sometimes, decency practiced consistently and without compromise changes an entire country.
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47
245
8,660