Oddments (4)

 A First Sentence
    The first sentence can be difficult to write. That one was not because this is an oddment, which means that what follows is not much dependent upon a good first sentence. The subject is, however, first sentences and I at least broached the subject in that first sentence.
   I just ran across two, which explains what follows. The first one is very long. Apparently many new university students are unable to read short books, so I doubt it if they could even get through this opening sentence:

      "Considering how common illness is, how tremendous the spiritual change that it brings, how astonishing, when the lights of health go down, the undiscovered countries that are then disclosed, what wastes and deserts of the soul a slight attack of influenza brings to light, what precipices and lawns sprinkled with bright flowers a little rise of temperature reveals, what ancient and obdurate oaks are uprooted in us in the act of sickness, how we go down into the pit of death and feel the waters of annihilation close above our heads and wake thinking to find ourselves in the presence of the angels and the harpers when we have a tooth out and come to the surface in the dentist’s arm chair and confuse his “Rinse the mouth—rinse the mouth” with the greeting of the Deity stooping from the floor of Heaven to welcome us—when we think of this and infinitely more, as we are so frequently forced to think of it, it becomes strange indeed that illness has not taken its place with love, battle, and jealousy among the prime themes of literature."
 
   The sentence is the first one in "On Being Ill", by Virginia Woolf which was published twice in journal form and then by Hogarth Press. You can find a pdf of the entire essay at Columbia University. It is 36pp. so it may be too long for readers today.

The second sentence is very short. About it, I will say no more.

"Seldom does the theatre adequately address the topic of enemas."

Famous First Sentences: Bad Ones
   Since you are likely not satisfied, I will quiz you about the first sentences of books you should have read. Or not. One of the most famous ones is: "IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT...." by Bulwer-Lytton, which is found in a novel with a much less enticing title - simply, Paul Clifford. It is regarded as an example of a very, very bad first sentence and for many years, until 2025, the folks who taught fiction in San Jose, had a contest to recognize the most horrible sentence. You will be pleased to know that Canadians have won twice and you will be even more pleased that the bad examples are provided:
  In 2001, the Canadian winner (or loser, if you wish) was:

"A small assortment of astonishingly loud brass instruments raced each other lustily to the respective ends of their distinct musical choices as the gates flew open to release a torrent of tawny fur comprised of angry yapping bullets that nipped at Desdemona’s ankles, causing her to reflect once again (as blood filled her sneakers and she fought her way through the panicking crowd) that the annual Running of the Pomeranians in Liechtenstein was a stupid idea."
 In 2019, this was the clunker:

"Space Fleet Commander Brad Brad sat in silence, surrounded by a slowly dissipating cloud of smoke, maintaining the same forlorn frown that had been fixed upon his face since he’d accidentally destroyed the phenomenon known as time, thirteen inches ago." 

Famous First Sentences: The Other Kind
  These are easy to find and, as astute readers of MM, you should recognize some from this baker's half-dozen:

1. "Call me Ishmael."

2. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
3. "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

4. "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."

5. "This is the saddest story I have ever heard."

6. "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."

7. "I have never begun a novel with more misgiving."

Sources: 
   The Woolf sentence is found in her essay and here:

"A Century After Virginia Woolf Asked Why Sickness Had Failed to Become One of Literature’s Great Subjects, Writers are Still Struggling to Put Physical Suffering Into Words,"By Hermione Hoby, The New Yorker, October 5, 2026.
   The short one is also found in The New Yorker in a short notice about Molière's, "The Imaginary Invalid," Oct. 26, 2026.
   I will not provide links or sources about the "stormy night", but a search will provide you with good reading for the rest of the month. There is a Wiki entry for the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest.

   There are many sources for first sentences, but this is one of the best and it contains the ones above and 93 others, ranked: The American Book Review - The 100 Best First Lines From Novels. 

London's Bicentennial (Snippet 50)

 What Is London's Sister City?
   Questions are easily answered these days, by just asking your phone. If the question is, “What is London’s sister city?”, you quickly learn that the answer is Nanjing. Often the answer is really found on Wikipedia and simply supplied by A.I.
   The question is worth asking at this time because Canada is seeking new relationships with other places since the former bonds with relatives to the south of us have unravelled. Perhaps Canadian cities should add more sister cities or expand by adding the category -  SIBLING CITIES -  with whom cultural and economic ties could be established.
   Given that this is London’s Bicentennial I thought it worth providing more background than A.I. offers. If our newly elected civic officials seek new urban partnerships, this brief bibliography may be useful. If you make it to the end, you will learn that London actually has other Sister Cities, although some of them may be illegitimate. 

Searching for London's Sister City
     If you begin with the concept of the “Sister City”, A.I. informs you that, "A sister city (also known as a twin town in Europe) is a formal legal or social agreement between two distinct cities, towns, or local governments in different countries (or sometimes the same country) to build close cultural, economic, and educational ties.”
  As noted, A.I. says: "London, Ontario's official sister city is Nanjing, China, which established its twinning agreement with London on May 7, 1997. London, Ontario is officially twinned with Nanjing, China. This sister city relationship was formally established in 1997 to build cultural, educational, and economic exchanges between the two regions.The partnership stems from a broader provincial alliance between Ontario and its sister province of Jiangsu (where Nanjing is the capital)."
  If you proceed to Wikipedia (as Mr. A.I. did) you will find a “List of Twin Towns and Sister Cities in Canada” and Nanjing is named as London’s sister. The reference provided (#90) is this one and the link is broken and I could not locate it on the website of the London Chamber of Commerce: "London and Nanjing Celebrate 20 Year Anniversary of Sister City Relationship". London Chamber of Commerce. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  Apart from providing a link to Wikipedia, A.I. does refer to the Foreign Affairs Office of Nanjing. Here is what is found:

Diving deeper, a few more references were uncovered over the years.

2013
1. News Release - Ontario - Office of the Premier - Jan. 16, 2013

"Trade Mission Delegates Sign Agreements Worth Over $200 million in Nanjing,"

January 16, 2013

Quick Facts

Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu — Ontario’s sister province in China since 1985.

The city of London, Ontario is twinned with Nanjing.

The port of Nanjing is the largest inland port in China, shipping 70 million tons of goods in 2011.
2. There is then a long report from Media Relations from Western and here is an excerpt from: "Ontario Trade Mission to China in 2013" Jan. 17, 2013:

  "Although short, the trip to China was a great success. First, President Chakma was able to see the Soochow-Western Centre for Radiation Research at Soochow University and meet with the president there. This visit helped to show Soochow how important this partnership is to Western by reciprocating a visit that Soochow’s President made to Western in November of 2011. Second, signing the faculty exchange agreement with Nanjing University will help us to foster ties with this top Chinese institution located in London’s sister city, Nanjing. Finally, we were able to showcase Western to Premier McGuinty, Minister Duguid, and Minister Chan both through our significant activities in China and through personal interactions."

2015
 This is from a Government of Ontario News Release:

"30 Year Partnership Between Ontario and Jiangsu Remains Strong

Ontario Celebrating Signing of Friendship Accord,"

April 21, 2015

Quick Facts

The provinces of Ontario and Jiangsu were “twinned” in 1985 when the Ontario-Jiangsu Friendship Accord was signed.

Since 1985 several Ontario cities have twinned with Jiangsu cities including: Scarborough and Wuxi in 1996, London and Nanjing in 1997, and Barrie and Taizhou in 2006.

Jiangsu is one of China’s leading economic performers consistently ranking among the top Chinese provinces in terms of per capital annual GDP growth of 8.7%.

2018
  The local paper reported on a discussion about drafting a policy regarding sister cities and perhaps adding additional ones.

"London City Hall: City Staff to Draft Sister City Policy," Megan Stacey, London Free Press, Feb 20, 2018.

   "London is in demand.

At least according to politicians who want to see the city craft rules for relationships with communities across the globe.

London already has one sister city — Nanjing, China — and there could be potential to create similar connections in the United States and even Haiti, politicians said at a Tuesday committee meeting. But not everyone is convinced.

Coun. Harold Usher is leading the charge, advocating for a city policy around adopting sister cities.

“We speak 95 different languages just in London alone. There’s a lot of people from different parts of the world (here). We entertain international students by the droves,” Usher said, adding that people “from all over the world” look to ­London.

“It’s time we had some kind of policy.”

Sister city relationships often are developed to enhance cultural, social and economic connections or drive exchanges between cities.

The committee recommended staff bring back a draft policy. City manager Martin Hayward cautioned that sister city partnerships can fall flat if the communities aren’t engaged.

“One of the worst things that can happen with sister cities is that nothing gets done with them,” he said.

Coun. Jared Zaifman said he has little information about how the city’s current relationship benefits residents in ­Nanjing or London.

Mayor Matt Brown told his colleagues the idea of creating more sister city partnerships was floated during a recent trip to Washington, D.C.

Brown met mayors from across the United States and Canada, including leaders from cities that share some of London’s big employers, such as 3M and General Dynamics.

“There is very good interest in communities south of our border that have trade relationships with us in partnering in this way,” he said of linking up with additional sister cities.

The Rotary Club of London also is joining the push for a sister city policy.

Steve Knox, president of the Rotary Club of London, was part of a team that travelled to Haiti in January to do volunteer work. The mayor of Aquin, Haiti, has written to Brown to ask about forming a sister city link with London.

Knox told city politicians the benefits of city sisters go far beyond economics.

“It’s being driven by friendships and partnerships and capacity-building between non-governmental agencies,” Knox said.

He added that service clubs, churches and schools can play a big role in facilitating cultural and other exchanges as part of sister city relationships."

The Bonus: 
   After more searching I did find that London had (or has) other sisters. They were located on Grokipedia which is mainly the creation of A.I. and Elon Musk. They are listed in this essay, which contains additional information: List of Twin Towns and Sister Cities in Canada. 

"London has multiple sister cities: Gifu, Japan (1969); Huế, Vietnam (1995); Morioka, Japan (1989); Sahagún, Mexico (1994); and Weinan, China (2012), all emphasizing diverse cultural, educational, and economic partnerships."

As winter approaches, it would be nice to have a sister city - or more, located someplace warm. And perhaps we could re-visit the idea of adopting the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Free Books

 ONLINE
   I much prefer reading printed books, but I certainly appreciate being able to read many works in eform that would never have been accessible to me, and millions of others. It should also be mentioned that they are free, if one does not count the cost of an internet connection. Our libraries have expanded greatly since Gutenberg and even Project Gutenberg. The Online Books Page portal provided by the University of Pennsylvania now lists over 3 MILLION.

Standard Ebooks (the project)
  My purpose today is a useful one (for a change) and that is to direct you to a beautifully curated collection of ebooks. The picture and link below will provide what you need to know: Standard Ebooks. 

  Like Wikipedia, Standard Ebooks is the creation of volunteers. Books that are now in the public domain are selected. They are formatted and clearly reproduced along with cover art, also taken from the public domain.
  One can search by author or title and even by collection. For example, there is a collection of the "BBC's 100 Greatest British Novels." You can also learn what books were released into the public domain in 2026 -e.g. The Maltese Falcon.
  There is also keyword searching, but it should be used with some caution. Searching for "Canada" or "Canadian" doesn't yield much, but you can find this work by the "Cheese poet" (James McIntrye) from Ingersoll.

  I also found Leacock's Sunshine Sketches. Enjoy this rainy day and the long winter.
The Bonus: More Cancon
  In case you have missed this resource, which has over 9000 titles, see Fadedpage. 

Western Changes

  As 1000 posts are approached, you may have noticed that many of them mention UWO/Western University and various people who passed through the campus. There is even a post about the pawpaw trees there. That is because, I studied and worked at Western, have a fondness for the place and still live in London.
  What has been written in MM about Western (and everything else) may not have been written well, or well-thought-out, but the words are usually followed by references and sources. That means that if you are confused by a post I have written, the supporting material may be clearer and lead you to information more readily trusted. Most of my stories about Western are backed up by citations that can be checked. Which leads me back to a post I did in August about the loss of libraries on campus.
   In "The Losing of Libraries", I mentioned that there was no longer a Brescia Library. A few years ago, I noted that there was no longer a Brescia University College - "Bad News From Brescia." Before Brescia was shut down, the Brescia Library had been re-named, "The Beryl Ivey Library." All of this is covered in those posts and in the most recent one in August, I indicated that "The Beryl Ivey Library" was now "The Beryl Ivey Pavilion."
  To keep you up-to-date, I will present a source which indicates that the "Pavilion" has been re-purposed. It comes from the Western Gazette, which like the Western News, probably does not get read as much by the locals as it did when it used to be found, in paper, in locations close to campus. Here is a bit from the article, rather than my rendering of it:
  "WesternIC Takes Over Former Brescia Library Space," Cecilia Vong, Western Gazette, Oct. 22, 2026.
   "The space previously occupied by the Beryl Ivey Library has reopened and now serves as the new home for WesternIC.
   The Beryl Ivey Library closed in May 2024, but the space reopened in May 2025 to become home to Western International College, according to Susan Lewis, vice-provost of academic programs.
   In a statement to the Gazette, Western University said “the space has been reconfigured to include classroom space and administrative offices.”
   Located on the former Brescia University College campus, WesternIC, a 10-year partnership between Western and Navitas — a privately-owned education company — opened in September 2026 with the aim of attracting more international students to Western.
   Lewis said the building has been transformed with “academic and student-focused facilities.” The building now contains six renovated classrooms outfitted with new technology, a student advising space, a drop-in space for instructors and administrative offices for college staff, she added.
   “The former Beryl Ivey Library has been transformed into an even more beautiful space; bright, open concept. It’s really the hub for the college."
   Western said that with the library space reopened, Western students are welcome to access common spaces from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m."

   Those of you not at all interested in the loss of libraries, may be interested to learn about the "IC", which is the abbreviation used in the article to refer to the new "Western International College." 

Sources:
  The major one is provided in the article. In addition to the pieces I have written about the campus libraries, see this book for more details: The Libraries at Western, 1970 to 1987 by Margaret A. Banks.
  New names come to the campus and one sees a number of older ones attached to buildings and rooms and even chairs and lectures. Back in 2018, I tried to come up with a glossary for some of them: "Western University Names." In 2025, I compiled some more: "More Western University Names." 
   I noticed recently, the "Chin-Hardie Chair" and two new "Verspeeten Chairs" and that the bookstore is now the "Dellelce Family Bookstore". The stories behind these names are interesting and worth knowing and I suggested a registry would be useful.
  Now, at least, you know there is a Western International College and that there once was a Brescia College.
  For information about the new "Western International College" from Western University see: Western International College. 

The Bonus:
  Many of the Western posts are not about boring libraries. Here is one about seduction, the subliminal kind and the UWO prof who was paid to leave campus:
"Subliminal Seduction."

Caveat lector:
Mulcahy's Miscellany is my personal blog. Those at Western University are not responsible for these posts, especially for any errors, nor are they likely even aware of MM. 

London's Bicentennial (Snippet 49)

 Early Block Heater?? - 1921
   I stumbled across this and have not investigated further. According to the Wikipedia entry, block heaters were developed much later. Perhaps a local historian might want to pursue this. 

Source: The Oregonian, Nov. 20, 1921

Factlet (23)

 Contrarian News For Kids

   The answer is likely "No"! So, let them have candy on halloween. If your child is a little too energetic for your liking, perhaps you should just have a glass of wine instead of depriving the kid of sugar. 

   The source for this information came to me via a newsletter from The Atlantic, to which you should subscribe. It is written by Olga Khazan and can be found on Oct. 26. Here is a portion:

   "Toddler parenting is an exercise in picking battles, and one I almost never pick is the battle over sugar. Quite often, my 2-and-a-half-year-old eats just a few bites of his meal before proclaiming himself “done, done, done,” yet mysteriously also desirous of dessert. Generally, at this point, I’ll give him a cookie, or whatever sweet he’s fixated on—yes, even if he hasn’t finished his healthy dinner, or if it’s almost bedtime, or if we’re somewhere I need him to behave.

   I feel good about these choices because: science. For one thing, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations on added sugar are generous, allowing for more than an entire Klondike bar’s worth of it a day. For another, sugar doesn’t make kids hyper. The sooner parents internalize this, the sooner they can drop sugar policing from the dreaded mental load and reapportion that slot to some other parental drudgery, such as keeping track of spirit days.

  Wherever a child is tipping over a bin of Legos or jumping on a couch, a “sugar rush” is bound to be blamed. Popular shows including The Office and Abbott Elementary have episodes in which characters eat too much sugar, go into overdrive, and crash. I’m often warned by other moms not to give my son anything sweet—by which I guess they mean any and all toddler food—before naptime.

  Their admonitions, however, are misguided. “I know parents, and many people, would love to be able to point the finger at sugar” when a child acts up, Jill Castle, a pediatric dietitian, told me. “But it just doesn’t hold up in the research.” A series of studies from the 1980s and ’90s, led by a prominent pediatrician named Mark Wolraich, helped break the connection between sugar and hyperactivity, which is generally defined as restlessness, poor behavior, and impulsivity.....

   I also think parents persist in believing that sugar makes kids rambunctious for the same reason they believe in so many other dubious child-rearing fallacies. Parents long for an explanation for their kids’ inexplicable behavior and for a sense of control over it. If sugar really explained why kids became manic and naughty, parents could create peace by banning Skittles and soda. But sugar isn’t to blame, which leaves us to accept our kids for the frenzied, irrational beings that they are."
 
Source: 
  Apart from this piece, which will probably not be found in the magazine, the author cites some studies, including this one:

   "Effects of Diets High in Sucrose or Aspartame on The Behavior and Cognitive Performance of Children,"

Authors: Mark L. Wolraich, Scott D. Lindgren, Phyllis J. Stumbo, Lewis D. Stegink, Mark I. Appelbaum, and Mary C. KiritsyAuthor Info & Affiliations

Published February 3, 1994

N Engl J Med 1994;330:301-307

Abstract

Background

Both dietary sucrose and the sweetener aspartame have been reported to produce hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in children.

Methods

We conducted a double-blind controlled trial with two groups of children: 25 normal preschool children (3 to 5 years of age), and 23 school-age children (6 to 10 years) described by their parents as sensitive to sugar. The children and their families followed a different diet for each of three consecutive three-week periods. One diet was high in sucrose with no artificial sweeteners, another was low in sucrose and contained aspartame as a sweetener, and the third was low in sucrose and contained saccharin (placebo) as a sweetener. All the diets were essentially free of additives, artificial food coloring, and preservatives. The children's behavior and cognitive performance were evaluated weekly.

Results

The preschool children ingested a mean (±SD) of 5600 ±2100 mg of sucrose per kilogram of body weight per day while on the sucrose diet, 38 ±13 mg of aspartame per kilogram per day while on the aspartame diet, and 12 ±4.5 mg of saccharin per kilogram per day while on the saccharin diet. The school-age children considered to be sensitive to sugar ingested 4500 ±1200 mg of sucrose per kilogram, 32 ±8.9 mg of aspartame per kilogram, and 9.9 ±3.9 mg of saccharin per kilogram, respectively. For the children described as sugar-sensitive, there were no significant differences among the three diets in any of 39 behavioral and cognitive variables. For the preschool children, only 4 of the 31 measures differed significantly among the three diets, and there was no consistent pattern in the differences that were observed.

Conclusions

Even when intake exceeds typical dietary levels, neither dietary sucrose nor aspartame affects children's behavior or cognitive function."

The Bonus: 
  It is best not to let your kids run with scissors. If you look at Factlet 13, you will learn that there are many, many ways to spell the word "scissors."

London's Bicentennial (Snippet 48)

Better Times and Canadian Made Buicks - 1950

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 12, 1950