October 27: Foxes

Watercolor illustration by Anita Pol (source).

Big stretch! (source)

• We’ve learned about dogs, we’ve learned about cats, so the natural next choice is foxes!
• Foxes are often described as having the hardware (body) of a dog with the software (personality) of a cat!
• In fact, the breed called “Darwin’s fox” actually is not a fox; it’s a wolf. Although foxes look similar to wolves and dogs, they belong to different genus, so they cannot breed.
• To make things more confusing, male foxes are called dogs. Female foxes are called vixens. Young foxes are called kits.
• Most foxes live in dens except for the Hoary fox, which breaks into and lives in other animal’s dens, most often armadillo dens!
• Foxes live on every continent except Antarctica. The most common and widespread species of fox is the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) with about 47 recognized subspecies.
• Foxes have long been farmed for their fur as a status symbol by royalty and other wealthy people. This cute video is made by Mikayla, the owner and caretaker of a fox and wildlife sanctuary called Save a Fox. She mentions how certain breeds of foxes are bred in captivity to have fluffier coats, which are used for clothing. This is called “fur farming”. Save a Fox and other animal sanctuaries save animals from this cruel practice.
• In this video, Mikayla explains the differences between the Arctic fox, the red fox, and the grey fox.

• There is a wide variety of foxes! Let’s look at some more in this video.

• As mentioned in the videos above, foxes that live in cold climates have a thicker coat in the winter and are fluffier overall. Meanwhile, foxes that live in warm climates have a thinner coat.

Foxes & Humans

• The global distribution of foxes, and their widespread reputation for being cunning, has contributed to their prominence in popular culture and folklore in many societies around the world.
• The hunting of foxes with packs of hounds is a long-established “sport” in Europe, especially in the British Isles. With colonization, this “sport” was exported by European settlers to various parts of the world.
• Foxes are also often hunted by farmers because foxes ate their chickens and vegetables. Hound dogs often hunt foxes, which inspired the Disney movie The Fox and The Hound.

(source)

• Foxes have also inspired folklore. For example, a Finnish myth says that the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) were caused by the fire fox who ran so quickly across the snow that his tail caused sparks to fly into the night sky, creating the Aurora. The Finnish word for the Northern Lights “revontulet” translates literally as “fire fox”.

• Fox attacks on humans are not common.
• Many foxes adapt well to human environments, with several species classified as “resident urban carnivores” for their ability to sustain populations entirely within urban boundaries.
• Foxes in urban areas can live longer and can have smaller litter sizes than foxes in non-urban areas.
• Urban foxes are ubiquitous in Europe, where they show altered behaviors compared to non-urban foxes, including increased population density, smaller territory, and pack foraging.

• Foxes have been introduced in numerous locations, with varying effects on indigenous flora and fauna.

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What Does the Fox Say?

• Remember this song? It was made almost 10 years ago!

• This song is funny, and it’s also true! Foxes make a lot of different sounds, including:
• Whining: Made shortly after birth. Occurs at a high rate when kits are hungry and when their body temperatures are low. Whining stimulates the mother to care for her young; it also has been known to stimulate the male fox into caring for his mate and kits.

• In the case of domesticated foxes, the whining seems to remain in adult individuals as a sign of excitement and submission in the presence of their owners.

• Yelping: Made about 19 days later. The kits’ whining turns into infantile barks, yelps, which occur heavily during play.
• Explosive call: At the age of about one month, the kits can emit an explosive call which is intended to be threatening to intruders or other cubs; a high-pitched howl.
• Combative call: In adults, the explosive call becomes an open-mouthed combative call during any conflict; a sharper bark.
• Growl: An adult fox’s indication to their kits to feed or head to the adult’s location.
• Bark: Adult foxes warn against intruders and in defense by barking.

Domesticated foxes get along well with humans and other domesticated pets!

(source)

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There is even a fox island in Japan!

• Miyagi Zao Fox Village, also known as Kitsune Mura, is a tourist attraction and sanctuary for foxes in Shiroishi, Miyagi, Japan where visitors can feed and interact with foxes.
• The village’s main exhibit is an open area where foxes roam around and visitors can enter to interact with and feed them, although attempting to pet or hand-feed the foxes is not advised as they may bite.
• There are over 100 foxes, including typical red and arctic foxes, foxes with uncommon coat colors, such as silver and platinum foxes, and red-arctic fox hybrids.
• The village also has rabbits, miniature horses, goats, and guinea pigs, in addition to gift and snack shops.
• In the spring, events are hosted in which visitors can hug fox kits.

Foxes have big personalities! Check out these funny videos!

Source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyagi_Zao_Fox_Village

https://www.boredpanda.com/cute-foxes/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

October 24: Kelly Clarkson

Stronger became Kelly’s third number one pop truck. Kelly did a great he sits album in 2012 and in 2013 she released a holiday album called Wrapped in Red. In 2015 Kelly made her seventh album called piece by piece which featured the song called heartbeat song.

• Kelly is the first American Idol winner recorded several top 10 hits including Since U Been Gone, These Hazel Eyes and Because of You.

Who is Kelly Clarkson?

• Kelly Clarkson won the first season of American Idol in 2002.
• She won a million-dollar RCA record contract.
• Her first single was called A Moment like This. It went from number 52 to number one on the Billboard charts.
• Breakaway was her second album, and it gave her two Grammy awards.
• She had a lot of hit singles that included Because of You and My Life Would Suck without You.
• She also published children’s books and was on the voice as a coach. She also hosts her own daytime talk show.

Early Life

• Her full name is Kelly Brianne Clarkson and she was born on April 24, 1982 in Fort Worth Texas.
• She graduated from Burlson High School in 2000 where she sang in the choir.
• After she graduated from high school she decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue her music career.
• She supported herself with a lot of odd jobs. She made a few television appearances and eventually led to the job as female vocalist for songwriter Gerry Goffin.
• After that Kelly began to have some bad luck and decided to move back to Texas.
• In 2002, one of her friends told her about a new talent show called American Idol. She became one of 10,000 contestants.

American Idol Winner

• After going through very difficult rounds of televised elimination and being critically evaluated by judges Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson Kelly became the first winner of the hit contest on September 4, 2002.
• Her official price was a million-dollar RCA record contract but the unofficial price was her rise to fame and notoriety.

Albums and Songs

Thankful

• The following month after American Idol she released her first single called A Moment like This.
• It went from number 52 to number one on the Billboard charts.

• In 2003 Kelly made the movie called From Justin to Kelly. It did not do very well At the box up.

• Her first album did much better than the movie. It was called Thankful. One of the hits off this album is called Miss Independent.

Breakaway

• Kelly gained notoriety as a popstar with her second album called Breakaway in 2004.
• The album had several big hits called Since U Been Gone, Breakaway, Behind These Hazel Eyes, and Walk Away.
• It earned Kelly two Grammy awards in 2005.
• One was for Best Female Pop Performance for Since U Been Gone and the other one was for Best Pop Vocal Album.
• She shared this award with producer Clive Davis and engineer mixer Serban Ghenea.

My December

• For this album she was under a lot of pressure to keep the hits coming.
• She wanted to try something different, so she relied more on songs that she helped to write.
• As a result, she ended up feuding with Clive Davis over this album.
• My December was released in 2007 after Mr. Davis said it needed to be changed and reworked.
• But Kelly refused to change what she considered to be a very personal recording.
• She fired her management team and cancelled the planned tour for the summer of 2007. My December was released in June of that year it did have strong sales.
• Kelly later said that she had regret about the dispute she had with Mr. Davis saying, “it was a blown way out of proportion and Clive Davis was a key advisor and an important for in my success. He has also given me respect by releasing my new album when he was Not obligated to do so.”

All I Ever Wanted

• Kelly released this album in 2009. This was her fourth album.
• The first single was called My Life Would Suck without You. It went from number 97 on the Billboard hot 100 all the way down to number one.
• This broke the record of the largest and fastest movement to the top spot. This album also made it to number one in the United States when it sold 255,000 copies in its first week.

Stronger and Piece by Piece

• Kelly’s fifth album came out in 2011. It was called Stronger. It reached number two on the Billboard charts and featured singles called Mr. Know It All and Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You}.
• In 2012 Kelly released a greatest hits album and in 2013 she released a holiday album called Wrapped in Red.
• In 2015 Kelly released her seventh full-length album called Piece by Piece which featured the song called Heartbeat Song.

• In June 2016 Kelly announced that she had signed a deal with Atlantic records, and she planned to release a soul influenced album in 2017.
• The album was called Meaning of Life the album went to number two on the Billboard charts and had hits like Love So Soft, it was nominated for a Grammy and Move You.

The Voice Coach

• in February 2018, Kelly joined Adam Levine Alicia Keys and Blake Shelton as coaches for season 14 of the Voice.
• One of her team members 15-year-old Brynn Cartelli was the youngest winner in the show’s history.

• Kelly returned to the voice to coach for seasons 15, 16 and 17. She also was the host of the 2018 Billboard Music Awards and was asked to host the following year as well.

The Kelly Clarkson Show

• On September 19, 2018, Kelly announced she would be hosting her own variety talk show she said, “I love connecting with people, playing games, music and finding ways to help give back to communities/organizations. Having my own talk show where I get to do all these things is pretty much my dream job.”
• The Kelly Clarkson show premiered one year later on September 9, 2019, with Dwayne Johnson as her first guest.

Books and “UglyDolls”

• Kelly worked in collaboration with HarperCollins the publishing company and released her first children’s book. It was called River Rose and the Magical Lullaby in October 2016.
• There was a follow-up story called River Rose and the Magical Christmas which came out in October 2017. Both books feature and originals song written and performed by Kelly.
• In 2016, Kelly worked with Janelle Monae, Kelly Rowland, Lea Michele, Zendaya, and Missy Elliott on Michelle Obama’s This Is for My Girls. It was to promote the First Lady’s Let Girls Learn educational initiative.

• In 2019, Kelly joined the cast of the animated film called UglyDolls.
• She worked with Blake Shelton, Monae and Nick Jonas.
• She was the voice of the main character Moxie and recorded a new single called Broken and Beautiful for the film’s soundtrack.

Personal Life

• In December 2012 Kelly announced on Twitter that she was engaged to Brandon Blackstock her boyfriend of one year.
• He is the son of Kelly’s manager and the stepson of singer Reba McIntyre.
• She also celebrated this engagement with the performance of her song Catch My Breath on VH1 Divas. She was on that show three times so far.
• They got married the following October. The couple got married on October 20. One month later on November 20, 2013, she announced that she was going to have her first baby.
• The couple welcomed their daughter River Rose on June 12, 2014. The couple had their second child Remington Alexander on April 12, 2016.
• Kelly is also the stepmother of her husband’s two children from a previous marriage.
• Kelly filed for divorce papers from her husband in June 2020 after nearly 7 years of marriage.

Let’s finish off class by watching a funny moment on Ellen with Kelly. I hope you enjoy the class today.

October 20: Dog Shows

2022 Best in Show Winner of the Westminster Dog Show: Trumpet the Bloodhound

• Remember last week, when we talked about all of the different categories of dog breeds according to the Canadian Kennel Club?
• These groups determine which dogs compete against each other in dog shows!

Why Do We Have Dog Shows?

• Although everyone loves seeing dogs perform, dog shows are not just for fun!
• Dog shows are held so that people can show off their purebred dogs.
• To be eligible to compete, your dog cannot be spayed or neuteured. This is because the winner of the competition will be bred so that their puppies will be stronger and healthier.
• This is a place where breeders can have their breeding dogs evaluated by professionals who are qualified to do so.
• In every breed, in the dogs competing for points, males are judges first, then females.
• A dog must be a minimum of 6 months of age before it can compete in regular shows. For each sex, at a regular show, there are 5 classes and the judge evaluates each dog; awarding first, second, third and fourth placing depending on the number of entries in the class. At Specialty shows, other classes may be offered.
• However, people at dog shows warn against taking the show too seriously and making it not fun at all.

According to professional dog breeders:

“Everyone entering a dog show should be there to have fun and create a greater bond with their dogs. It is so important for a dog to have a pleasant, memorable experience the first time he is at at show. If the owner is nervous and upset, that attitude will go right down the lead to the dog, and he/she is very unlikely to have a good time. He/she will be more concerned with the reason for your distress. Therefore, I would like to suggest that your goal in entering a dog for his first shows, should be to make it fun. After the first couple of shows, you can start to become a little more serious about the whole thing.

At that point people begin to take on different goals. Some go in with hopes of only obtaining a championship on their dog. Others go in hoping that they will be able to turn their dog into a competitive show dog – one that will be able to go to the Best in Group level or better.”

Best in Show

• Dog owners taking shows too seriously has been made into a famous mockumentary (a fake documentary making fun of the topic).
• It’s called “Best in Show” and it was released in 2000.
• It stars many famous actors: Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Lynch, John Michael Higgins, Fred Willard, and more!

• The film follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show, the Canadian Kennel Club Championship, as they travel to the show and compete once there. Much of the dialogue was improvised!
• The film has a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 115 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10.
• It won American, British, and Canadian Comedy Awards. The film is number 38 on Bravo’s “100 Funniest Movies.” A 2022 review of the best comedy films of the 21st century ranked this as first!

How a Dog Show Judge Judges

As a judge goes over each dog in the ring, he or she is comparing the dog to a mental picture of the perfect dog as per the written standard of that breed.

The judge judges each dog on:
– Physical structure (head, teeth, body, feet, amount of bone, etc.)
– Condition (proper weight, condition of coat, muscle tone, etc.)
– Gait (how they walk) as seen from front, side and rear.
– Temperament (showmanship, personality; penalizing heavily for shyness or viciousness).

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

• The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is an all-breed show, traditionally held annually at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
• It’s open to the public to watch in the stands, just like a sports game! This is called a “benched show”.
• Dogs are required to be on display in their assigned locations (show benches) during the entire show except when shown in the ring, groomed for showtime, or taken outside for elimination. This type of presentation allows spectators and breeders alike to have an opportunity of seeing all the entered dogs. (In the more common unbenched shows, dogs are required to be present only at assigned ring times.)
• The first Westminster show took place on May 8, 1877, making it second only to the Kentucky Derby, in terms of continuously held sporting events in the United States.
• The prizes for these first shows included such items as pearl-handled pistols, which were of use to the hunters and terriermen who worked these dogs in the field.
• Held at Gilmore’s Garden (Madison Square Garden) the Westminster show drew over 1,200 dogs. It proved so popular that it took four days instead of the three days originally scheduled. The club donated proceeds from the fourth day to the ASPCA for creation of a home for stray and disabled dogs.
• The Westminster Kennel Club predates the formation of the American Kennel Club by seven years and became the first club admitted to the AKC after AKC’s founding in 1884. Breed parent clubs (e.g., the Collie Club of America) create the standards for judging their breeds, with the AKC administering the rules about shows and judging.
• Today, Westminster takes place over two days and nights.
• The winning dog becomes “America’s Dog” for the coming year. The reign begins with a media tour on the day following the show. Following the tour, the winner makes appearances on nearly all television network morning shows and visits the Observation Deck at the Empire State Building.

Impact of the Pandemic

• In October 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, the 2021 show was postponed from its usual scheduling to June, and re-located from Madison Square Garden to the grounds of the historic Lyndhurst mansion in Tarrytown, New York, north of Midtown Manhattan.
• Organizers stated that the changes were intended to allow for the event to be held in compliance with public health guidance. No outside spectators were admitted.

• On December 30, 2021, citing the current surge of Omicron variant in New York City, it was announced that the 2022 show—initially scheduled for January 24–26—had been postponed indefinitely. On February 8, 2022, it was announced that the 2022 show would once again be postponed to June and held at Lyndhurst.

Dogs can also be trained to do other tricks besides running and jumping! Check this out!

Let’s finish today’s class with footage from a recent dog show at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)!

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_in_Show_(film)

http://www.klompenkees.com/dogshow.htm?fbclid=IwAR2fQ9njUUUzZp6tqqplgxEm4AvyuwFTP8L6KW1y2CsrKLOlM9IK25gptDs

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Kennel_Club_Dog_Show

October 18: History of Halloween

https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween#&gid=ci0252f72dd000272d&pid=halloween-costume-history_gettyimages-85032733

October 13: Dogs

• Dogs, also known as, (hu)man’s best friend!
• It was hard to choose just one image of a dog because there are over 360 dog breeds! And these are just the breeds that are officially recognized by the World Canine Organization!
• 84 countries make up the WCO, and it does not include Canada, the United States, and 109 other countries! This means that there are many many more dog breeds than 360!
• This is a map of countries that are members of the World Canine Organization.

• There is the Canadian Kennel Club, American Kennel Club, Australian Kennel Club, etc.!
• All of these major breed governing bodies classify dog types into groups based on the job the dog was originally bred to do. Let’s look at the ones by the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC).
• The CKC recognizes 187 breeds, which are sorted into seven groups. Below are some of my favourites 🙂 The links to look at all of these dogs are at the bottom of this page!

Herding Dogs

• They were bred to control a variety of livestock.
• Herding dogs have been developed to be well suited for their special functions.

• Herding dogs are known for their intelligence, desire to please, action-oriented nature, and a knack for rounding up anything from cattle to kids.

Australian Shepherd

Border Collie

Corgi

German Shepherd

Iceland Sheepdog

Shetland Sheepdog

Hounds

• Hound breeds are split into two groups – those long-legged canines that hunt by sight (called sighthounds or, occasionally, gazehounds) and those that hunt by scent, not surprisingly, called scent hounds.

• Whether sighthound or scent hound, these dogs are bred to pursue game. The sighthounds do it in bursts of top speed, running down everything from gazelle to rabbits, always keeping them in their sight.

• Scent hounds follow the scent trail, moving at a slower speed but working relentlessly and with determination. When not running at a mind-boggling gallop, sighthounds are often content to be couch potatoes. Scent hounds are more likely to cover greater distances in their pursuits and tend to need more exercise to keep in shape for the long haul.

Afghan Hound

American Foxhound

Azawakh

Basenji

Basset Hound

Beagle

Finnish Spitz

Greyhound

Miniature Dachshund (wire-haired, short-haired, and long-haired )

Norwegian Lundehund

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Non-Sporting Dogs

• When a breed didn’t quite seem to fit in any other group, it became part of the Non-Sporting crew. The varied group includes three bull breeds, a number of Spitz breeds, three Tibetan breeds, three Poodle varieties, and more.

• Also, there are a number of Spitz breeds, such as the Shiba Inu, Schipperke, Keeshond and Chow Chow.
• Three Tibetan breeds – the Lhasa Apso, Tibetan Terrier and Tibetan Spaniel – are also on the group roster, as are two of the three Poodle varieties. And more.

Bichon Frise

Boston Terrier

Bulldog & French Bulldog

Shar-Pei

Chow Chow

Dalmatian

Lhasa Apso

Miniature Poodle

Schipperke (pronounced skipper-key)

Shiba Inu

Shih Tzu

Poodle

Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced show-low-eets-queent-lee)

Tibetan Spaniel

Sporting Dogs

• For many centuries, Sporting breeds have been employed to find, flush out and retrieve game birds.

• The Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever are two of the most popular choices for obedience competition, attesting to the Sporting set’s willingness to please and desire to work.

American Cocker Spaniel

American Water Spaniel

Brittany Spaniel

Curly-coated Retriever

Golden Retriever

Irish Setter

Labrador Retriever

Lagotto Romagnolo

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Pointer

Spinone Italiano

Terriers

• From the Latin word terra‚ meaning “earth,” comes the name “terrier,” an appropriate appellation for dogs bred to “go to earth” or dig after vermin and small game.

• The urge to dig is ingrained in most of the terrier breeds. If you’re fond of plants and flowers, you might consider a hanging garden.

• The trick to training terriers is to keep them active, challenged and entertained. Some terriers learn their lessons quickly, while others have their own agenda.

Airedale Terrier

Border Terrier

Bull Terrier

Irish Terrier

Miniature Schnauzer

Norfolk Terrier

Parson Russell Terrier

Russel Terrier

Scottish Terrier

West Highland White Terrier (Westie)

Toy Dogs

• A few Toys were bred with a particular purpose in mind, such as hunting rodents, while others were primarily pampered lap dogs.

• Perky, playful and cuddlesome, most of the Toy breeds are lively, upbeat characters. A few, such as the Pekingese, can be more sedate.

• This is the most uniform group when it comes to size. Think “small,” from the tiniest Chihuahua barely tipping the scales at less than three kilograms (six pounds) to the solidly built Pug that should not exceed eight kilograms (18 pounds).

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Chihuahua (Featuring my dog: Professor Mojito!)

English Toy Spaniel

Havanese

Italian Greyhound

Japanese Chin

Maltese

Papillon

Pekingese

Pomeranian

Pug

Russkiy Toy

Toy Poodle

Toy Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced show-low-eets-queent-lee)

Yorkshire Terrier

Working Dogs

• These breeds have a job to do. Some pull sleds or carts while others guard livestock, homes, businesses or military installations. Working breeds might be termed “energy efficient” in other words, they’re not so active.
• Diverse duties may also include water-rescue work, alpine rescue or stints at sea as the fisherman’s helper.
• The energy level of most Working breeds depends on the task at hand.
• Guardian dogs may patrol or simply observe until called upon to defend. Then they surge into action.
• Sled dogs keep their enthusiasm in check until they’re in harness and then they’re keen to hit the trail.

Akita

Alaskan Malamute

Bernese Mountain Dog

Boxer

Canaan Dog

Doberman Pinscher

Entlebucher Mountain Dog

Giant Schnauzer

Great Dane

Great Pyrenees

Karelian Bear Dog

Komondor

Mastiff

Neapolitan Mastiff

Portuguese Water Dog

Rottweiler

Saint Bernard

Samoyed

How did all these breeds come to be?

Which breeds are the rarest?

Note: The dog in the cover image doesn’t exist. It’s a bad Photoshop job!

“The Bonds Between Disabled People and Their Pets” by Tiffany Yu, CEO & Founder at Diversability and Arielle Dance, PhD, Content Writer at Diversability

Animals are instrumental to disabled people for comfort, support, and empowerment. The skill pets have to console their humans in vulnerable moments, guide in moments of discomfort, and encourage in instances of defeat has been proven countless times. 

Having a pet has numerous health benefits according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Animals help owners get outdoors more often, promoting exercise and socialization. This exercise and play decreases blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Pets have also been shown to assist in supporting individuals who feel lonely or depressed. These health benefits are universal but are magnified for people living with disabilities and chronic conditions. 

…

In the disabled community, we are most grateful for our pets whether they are certified service animals or unofficial support pets. In a formal aspect, pets can provide service in various forms:

• Guide Animals
• Medical Assistance Animals
• Psychiatric Service Animals
• Hearing Alert/Signaling Animals
• Sensory Signal Animals or Social Signal Animals
• Mobility Animals
• Seizure Alert Animals
• Therapeutic Support

…

Whether your pet is supporting you through recovery, pain flares, anxious moments, or is a service animal trained to guide you through busy city streets— all of our pets are instrumental in how we journey through our disabilities. The benefits of having a pet is boundless for disabled people and the larger community. If you are considering welcoming a pet into your life, consider the health benefits and how your emotional and physical health may be positively impacted.

Have you ever wondered why dogs do these things?

Let’s Enjoy Some Cute Dog Videos!

Sources:

https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/behavior-appearance/how-many-dog-breeds-are-there#:~:text=In%20the%20United%20States%20alone,lists%20360%20officially%20recognized%20breeds.

https://www.fci.be/en/members/

https://www.ckc.ca/en/Choosing-a-Dog/Choosing-a-Breed/Herding-Dogs

https://www.ckc.ca/en/Choosing-a-Dog/Choosing-a-Breed/Hounds

https://www.ckc.ca/en/Choosing-a-Dog/Choosing-a-Breed/Non-Sporting-Dogs

https://www.ckc.ca/en/Choosing-a-Dog/Choosing-a-Breed/Sporting-Dogs

https://www.ckc.ca/en/Choosing-a-Dog/Choosing-a-Breed/Terriers

https://www.ckc.ca/en/Choosing-a-Dog/Choosing-a-Breed/Toy-Dogs

https://www.ckc.ca/en/Choosing-a-Dog/Choosing-a-Breed/Working-Dogs

https://thriveglobal.com/stories/the-bonds-between-disabled-people-and-their-pets/

October 11: Carrie Underwood

Who Is Carrie Underwood?

• Carrie Underwood won season four of American Idol. Here she is from way back when just as she won and singing her first record called Inside Your Heaven.

• After that she released the multiplatinum debut album called Some Hearts in 2005.
• She won numerous awards like Grammy, Country Music Association (CMA) and Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards.
• She was also inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2008.
• She has hosted the Country Music Awards with Brad Paisley since 2008.

Childhood and American Idol Win

• She was born on March 10, 1983. Her real name is Carrie Marie Underwood.
• She was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma and raised on a farm.
• Source She said, “I had a very happy childhood full of wonderful simple things that children love to do.” “Growing up in the country I enjoyed things like playing on dirt roads, climbing trees, catching little woodland creatures and of course singing.”
• After she graduated from high school Carrie attended Northeastern State University in Oklahoma.
• She majored in broadcast journalism and decided to temporarily put her dreams of becoming a singer aside.
• When she was in her senior year in 2004, she decided to try out for American Idol. We all know how that turned out.

Some Hearts and Commercial Success

• Her first single from the album called Inside Your Heaven went to the top of the Billboard pop charts.
• The next single called Jesus take the wheel went to the top of the country charts.

• This song was integral to her success because she won the ACM and CMA awards for Single of the Year and Grammy awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best New Artist.
• In contrast to her soft sounding music, she had a lot of success with the song called Before He Cheats.
• This song was about her ex-boyfriend.

• She won a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and a CMA award for single of the year in 2007 for that song.
• Also, in 2007 she released her second album called Carnival Ride.
• It went to the top of the album charts and had several number one country hits on the album.
• Two of the hit singles are called Last Name and All-American Girl.

Grand Ole Opry Inductee

• When Carrie was 26 years old Garth Brooks inducted her into The Grand Ole Opry. The ceremony was on May 10, 2008.

• For The Third Time In A Row Carrie Won The CMA For Female Vocalist Of The Year For The Album Carnival Ride.
• She was nominated for album of the year, but she lost George Strait.
• Next the annual tradition was started when she started to host the CMA awards with Brad Paisley. She still does it today.

Play On and Blown Away

• in February 2009 she wanted Grammy award for her song called Last Name. It was her fourth Grammy in three years.
• In November 2009, she received two more CMA nominations for Female Vocalist of The Year and Musical Event of the Year.
• A few weeks before the awards show Carrie released her third studio album called Play on.
• It produced three chart topping hits called Cowboy Casanova, Temporary Home and Undo It.

• The next album she released was called Blown Away.
• It was released in May 2012 and sold more than 1.4 million copies by the next year.
• Some of the album’s hits include Blown Away, Good Girl, and Two Black Cadillacs.

Additional Projects

• in May 2013 it was announced that Carrie would be taking over for Faith Hill and performing the weekly Sunday Night Football theme song called Waiting All Day for Sunday Night.

• After that she went to continue her work on television as Maria for the TV event of the Sound of music.
• The show went on to receive four Emmy nominations.
• In 2014 to celebrate her unbelievably successful career she released the album called Greatest Hits: decade #1. This album featured some new songs such as the song called Something in the Water. This song earned her a Grammy for the Best Country Solo Performance.
• In 2015 she released her fifth studio album called Storyteller.
• This album contains the top five country single called Smoke Break. In 2016 she started her tour for this album.
• In May 2017, it was announced that she would be inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. She said “I’ve always been proud to say I’m from Oklahoma. The people, culture and environment molded me into the person I am today.
• In 2021, she released her first gospel album called My Savior, which won her the best gospel album At the Grammys in 2022.

Accident and Reappearance

• On November 10, 2017, Carrie had a scare when she fell outside her home.
• According to her publicist she was treated at a nearby hospital for injuries that included a broken wrist, cuts and abrasions.
• On November 12 she said “Thanks so much for all the well wishes everybody. I will be alright it might take some time glad I got the best hubby in the world to take care of me.”
• On April 15 of that year, she made her return into the public for the ACM Awards.
• She sang her new song called cry pretty.

• She came back to the stage a few minutes later with Keith Urban to accept The Vocal Event of the Year Award for their song called The Fighter.

Family Life

• Carrie married professional hockey player Mike Fisher on July 10, 2010.
• The couple announced that they were expecting their first child in September 2014.
• Their son Isaiah Michael Fisher was born February 27, 2015.
• On August 8, 2018, Carrie announced that she was expecting her second child.
• She spoke to the media and said, “Mike, Isaiah and I are absolutely over the moon and excited to be adding another fish to our pond.”
• Their son Jacob Brian was born on January 21, 2019.

October 6: BIG Cats

• There are 38 species of cats on the planet.
• Most are relatively small. But some—the lion, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, jaguar, lynx, and cheetah—are big.
• These big cats are among the most beloved and recognizable animals on the planet.
• Most big cats are members of the genus Panthera.
• Small and medium cats, including housecats, are member of Felis.
• Cheetahs, which do not have retractable claws, are in their own genus, called Acinonyx.
• Big cats are found around the world in habitats as diverse as mangrove swamps in India to wooded forests in the western U.S.

Mangrove Swamp in India

Wooded forest in the United States

All about that roar

• The main difference between big cats and most of their cousins is in the noises they make.
• Smaller cats purr; (most) big cats roar. The exceptions are cheetahs, lynx, and snow leopards.
• Big cats also squeak, grunt, scream, and make several other sounds, thanks to a ligament in their voice boxes.

• The lion’s roar is the most famous and can be heard up to five miles away because of the specialized structure of its vocal chords, a characteristic it shares with the tiger.

Lions

• Lions are native to Africa and India.
• Lions are the only big cats that live in groups, called prides. All other big cats live solitary lives, with the exception of mothers and cubs. Some, like the snow leopard, are especially elusive and rarely seen.
• Lionesses hunt together, bringing down large prey like wildebeests and zebras. Males attached to prides do not usually participate in group hunting.
• Lions don’t have much stamina. They can only run quickly in short bursts at about 48–59 km/h (30–37 mph). Lions need to be close to their prey before starting the attack.
• Lions are one of the most widely recognized animal symbols in human culture.
• The lion has been extensively depicted in sculptures and paintings, on national flags, and in contemporary films and literature.

Tigers

• The tiger is the largest living cat species
• The tiger is one of only a few cat species with stripes! Most big and small cats have spots instead.
• A tiger’s coat pattern is still visible when it is shaved. This is not due to skin pigmentation, but to the stubble and hair follicles embedded in the skin.
• Tigers are orange because most of their prey cannot see that colour. Its stripes break up its silhouette so that it’s harder for prey to see them when they hide.
• There are three other colour variants – white, golden and nearly stripeless snow white – that are now virtually non-existent in the wild due to the reduction of wild tiger populations, but continue in captive populations. The white tiger has white fur and sepia-brown stripes. The golden tiger has a pale golden pelage with a blond tone and reddish-brown stripes. The snow white tiger is a morph with extremely faint stripes and a pale reddish-brown ringed tail.

Leopards & Jaguars

• Leopards are found in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, and on the Indian subcontinent to Southeast and East Asia.
• Meanwhile, Jaguars are native to the Americas.
• Leopards can run at speeds of up to 58 km/h (36 mph).
• Jaguars can run at speeds of up to 80 km/h (49 mph).
• Leopards look similar to jaguars, but there are some differences:

• However, when they’re black, both leopards and jaguars are known as black panthers!

Snow Leopards

• Snow leopards are native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia.
• Snow leopards evolved to live in cold, mountainous environments.
• Its small rounded ears help to minimize heat loss.
• Its paws are broader than other big cats, which helps them distribute their body weight more evenly when walking on snow.
• Also, they have fur on their undersides to increase the grip on steep and unstable surfaces. This fur also helps to minimize heat loss.
• Its long and flexible tail helps to maintain balance in the rocky terrain. The tail is very thick due to fat storage. Its tail is covered in a thick layer of fur, which allows the cat to use it like a blanket to protect its face when asleep.

• You can tell the snow leopard apart from the other big cats by: a shorter muzzle, an elevated forehead, a vertical chin and an underbite.

Cheetahs

• Cheetahs are native to Africa and central Iran.
• The cheetah is the fastest land animal. It’s capable of running up to 128 km/h (50 to 80 mph). They usually run between 93 and 98 km/h (58 and 61 mph).
• It has evolved for speed, including a light build, long, thin legs, and a long tail.

Look at how cute cheetahs are as kittens!!

Endangered big cats

• As apex predators, the wellbeing of big cats directly relates to the wellbeing of their ecosystems. If they’re doing well, the ecosystem is doing well, and vice versa.
• Unfortunately, we can’t talk about big cats without talking about how many of them are under increasing threats from poaching, their habitat being destroyed or fragmented, and human–wildlife conflict.
• One common reason for human-wildlife conflict is that some countries don’t have enough space for their fast-growing human population, so humans are encroaching on big cats’ territories and then killing big cats when they eat their livestock.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. It was founded in 1964. It uses a set of precise criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies.
• The lion has been listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List since 1996 because populations in African countries have declined by about 43% since the early 1990s. Although the cause of the decline is not fully understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are the greatest causes for concern.
• The tiger is listed as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List. As of 2015, the global wild tiger population was estimated to number between 3,062 and 3,948 mature individuals, with most populations living in small isolated pockets. India currently hosts the largest tiger population.

• The jaguar has been listed as “Near Threatened” on the IUCN Red List since 2002. The wild population is thought to have declined since the late 1990s.
• The leopard is listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List because leopard populations are declining in large parts of the global range. The leopard is considered locally extinct in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Jordan, Morocco, Togo, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Kuwait, Syria, Libya, Tunisia and most likely in North Korea, Gambia, Laos, Lesotho, Tajikistan, Vietnam and Israel. Recent records suggest that leopards only live in 25% of the places where they usually live in the world.
• The snow leopard is listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List because the global population is estimated to number fewer than 10,000 mature individuals and is expected to decline about 10% by 2040.
• The cheetah is listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List. Historically, cheetahs live throughout most of Sub-Saharan Africa, in the Middle East and in central India. However, nowadays, the cheetah mainly lives in small, fragmented populations in central Iran and southern, eastern and northwestern Africa. In 2016, the global cheetah population was estimated at 7,100 in the wild.
• But, there is hope!! National Geographic has done amazing work to protect big cats.

Let’s end class on a happier note with cute cat videos!

• Big cats aren’t so different from house cats!

I also thought it would be cute to end today’s class about big cats by looking at the world’s smallest cat: the Rusty Spotted Cat!

Sources

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/big-cats-1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_leopard

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah

October 4: Harry Potter

• JK Rowling wrote the series Harry Potter.
• The main character, the hero of the book is modelled after her neighborhood friend named Ian Potter.
• He lived down the street from her in Bristol.
• Ian has a good career now but when he was younger, she called him a mischievous trickster.
• He had a habit of placing slugs on her plate during a picnic and he encouraged Rowling and her sister to run through wet concrete.

Ron Weasley

• This character came from Rawlings’s best friend named Sean Harris. He is a British army officer.
• Sean has always been loyal and dependable just like Ron is for Harry.
• Rawling cherished her friendship so much was Sean that she dedicated Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets to him.

Hermione Granger

• Hermione is very ambitious, loves school, resourceful and very smart.
• This character is not surprisingly based on a younger Rawling. She said, “I did not set out to make Hermione like me, but she is… She is an exaggeration of how I was when I was younger.”
• Most importantly though Hermione’s strong character was used to describe Rawling’s feminist conscience.

Severus Snape

• This was one of her favourite characters to write.
• This character was based on Rawlings secondary school chemistry teacher who she did not like.

Rubeus Hagrid

• This character is half human half giant. He is the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts.
• His appearance is said to have come from the Welsh Chapter of Hells Angels. Rawling said the bikers would take over the West Country and drink the night away at the local pubs.
• She said they brought their huge mountains of leather and hair with them.
• It was because he liked drinking ale Rawling chose the name Hagrid.
• Hagrid means having a lot of bad nights with hangovers.
• This character was one of the first Harry Potter characters created.

Dolores Umbridge

• Rawling disliked this character the most. She resembled a teacher that she had when she was younger that as soon as she saw her, she didn’t like her.

Aunt Marge

• This character resembled Rawling’s feelings regarding her maternal grandmother Frieda.
• She always felt that her grandmother preferred to be around her dogs rather than people.
• So the character was born Bulldogs and all.

The Best and Worst Traits of Each Hogwarts House

Gryffindor House

• This house is the most famous house because Harry and his friends live in it.
• The people that live in this house are brave and courageous. They are not afraid to face fear and danger or pain.
• They have the courage to overcome fear and the ability to do things even though they’re afraid of them.
• Gryffindor’s are very daring and tend to jump into challenging situations and dealing with them head on.
• They like adventure and are always looking for thrilling situations and fun things to do. They are also very loyal.
• They can be very stubborn and think in black-and-white.
• They focus on one thought and are not easily convinced. They tend to be controlled by their emotions and get angry easily.

Hufflepuff House

• Hufflepuffs are very loyal and work hard. The people in this house stick by their friends and are very kind.
• They are very humble, and they never boast.
• They accept any work challenge and do it to the best of their ability. They are very fair, just, modest and wise.
• One of the worst traits the Hufflepuffs is that they can be pushovers.
• They rely on others too much and have a lot of difficulty voicing their own opinions or standing up for themselves.
• They are afraid to offend or create a conflict.

Ravenclaw House

• Ravenclaws surround themselves with intelligent people.
• They are very smart, witty and wise. They are very creative and eccentric.
• They think their own thoughts and are very proud of their ideas.
• However, they tend to be extremely judgemental.
• They have a cold and introverted personality.
• They are perfectionists so they tend to judge other people and other houses for not being like them.
• They tend to be fussy and get upset over the smallest things.

Slytherin House

• Slytherins are very ambitious, they strive for greatness and success, and they set goals and achieve them.
• They are very intelligent and resourceful.
• They tend to be natural leaders and possess the quality of being very loyal.
• However, they can be cruel, nasty and seemed very uncaring.
• They can be selfish and only care about themselves and will do anything to get ahead.
• They are arrogant and smug and can turn up their nose at people they decide are unworthy of the presence which unfortunately can be a lot of people.

I hope everyone enjoyed the class on Harry Potter. I thought we could finish a class by watching a little bit of the bloopers that happened while filming.

September 29: Cats!

Source

Cats have a long, long relationship with the planet that has lasted millions of years, and a long relationship with humankind for over ten thousand years!

Who lives with a cat right now?

Who has lived with a cat at some point in their life?

Does anyone have any pictures of their cat that they want to share?

This is my cat, Aimée! Guess how old she is!!

a. 5 years old

b. 10 years old

c. 15 years old

The History of Cats

According to cat expert Jackson Galaxy, “If you want to know the cat that’s sitting with you right now then you have to understand Cat with a capital C. Their history with us has been laced with mystery. The part of cats that we don’t understand is the wild part and that has made them subject to deification and demonization over the years.”

All cats are descended from the Near Eastern Wildcat. Some evolved to be bigger, like lions and tigers, and others evolved to be smaller, like domesticated cats.

One of the things that has made cats so successful as a species is that they evolved to be the perfect hunter.

The human and cat relationship began about 12,000 years ago, when humans first started to harvest and store grains. This attracted rodents! Rats and mice would burrow into the grain, eat it, and poop in it. Then, when humans ate the grain, they were consuming rodent poop! This made people very very sick.

These mice also attracted Near Eastern Wildcats who hunted them. Cats started living near human villages and became a little more domesticated. This is the beginning of the species “Felis catus”, the scientific name for the domestic house cat. They weren’t fully domesticated, but they weren’t fully wild anymore either.

Cats were worshipped as gods

In ancient Egypt, three goddesses were represented with the heads of cats, and all cats were worshipped.

Bastet, the goddess of protection, pleasure, and good health, is perhaps the most well-known cat goddess. Her head resembled the modern Serengeti cat.

Sekhmet, the goddess of war, who was also associated with medicine, had the head of a lion. The modern Abyssinian cat breed were understood as similar to Sekhmet’s appearance when she came to Earth.

Mafdet, the goddess of judgment, justice, and execution, was represented as a woman with the head of a cheetah and braided hair that ends in scorpion tails. The modern Savannah cat breed is spotted just like a cheetah and related to African wild cats.

But it wasn’t just worship! There were close emotional bonds forming, too! Recently, they discovered a 2,000-year-old pet cemetery for cats and dogs. These animals weren’t mummified, like royalty, but they were buried with care. Also, the animals were elderly and had some injuries, which would have made them not ideal hunters. Regardless, they were well cared for, showing that cats had become part of their lives and homes.

Food was being stored by people all over the world, and cats were in high demand! Merchants sold cats around the Mediterranean, and Romans took them to the Roman Empire, which expanded greatly.

Cats spread all over Northern Europe, including Viking sea ports, and there is evidence of cats in Japan in 300 AD.

Egyptians were the first ones, but not the only ones, who worshipped cats as gods. Many gods and goddesses took on the shape and/or characteristics of a cat in ancient Babylon, China, Greece, Italy, India, Japan, the Ojibway First Nation, Mayan culture, and Nordic countries.

Spotlight on Cat God Li Shou

In Chinese history, there was the cat god Li Shou.

Thoughtful and contemplative, the story goes that the creator gods gave cats the power of speech in order to talk with them and give instructions to the other creatures who shared the world. The Cat Goddess Li Shou was chosen to represent all cats, and for a long time all seemed to go well.

However, cats didn’t want to do the hard work of running the world and would rather enjoy the pleasures that the world offers, such as napping in a sun beam and playing.

It was Li Shou’s idea to make humans the animals in charge. The gods agreed, but took away cat’s ability to speak and gave it to humans. But the gods never forgot that cats were the first chosen ones.

According to this story,  a cat’s purr is the sound of the machinery moving the world around the heavens. If the cats stop purring, the world would stand still in the sky and the seasons, and all of time, would come to an end. This explains why cats are so self-important and smug.

Cats were associated with the devil

However, cats weren’t worshipped everywhere they went.

In the Middle Ages, cats were blamed for the spread of the Plague and began to be associated with Satan as his helpers.

They tried to permanently “exterminate” cats, and many cats were rounded up and killed.

The irony is that cats weren’t causing the plague, it was mostly spread by fleas! Some cats had these fleas, but the animals that carried the most fleas were rodents. So people were killing the animal that was preventing the spread of the plague by keeping the rodent population in check.

Wherever European colonizers travelled to, cats went with them. There is evidence of cats on the Mayflower that arrived in the United States.

Cats were also associated with witchcraft and the women who were accused of being witches. During the Salem Witch Trials, many people were terrified of the idea of witches, so they killed lots of black cats.

Transitioning from Employees to Pets

Although there is the evidence of cats being cared for in a 2,000-year-old pet cemetery, cats were hired hunters first, family second. Out of millions of years of existing, in only the past 200 years, cats have become primarily family.

British Queen Victoria (1819-1901) had a huge influence on the public’s perception of animals. She had many pets and many children who also loved animals. This led to pets, including cats, being commonly seen in photos and paintings of royalty. People started bringing their barn cats inside, letting them live with them as family.

This started cat shows, the breeding of cats for certain physical traits and temperaments, the mass manufacturing of cat food, and organizations for the protection of animal welfare.

There was also a rise in the acceptance of spaying and neutering cats and dogs so that we wouldn’t have so many stray animals that would have to be killed.

In 1947, cat litter was invented! Before this, cats went to the bathroom in cinder ash or sand.

While many cats still live outdoors and work on farms, many cats are exclusively kept inside of the house for their safety. This began in 1970s to keep cats safe from cars and larger predators.

It’s important to understand that cats are not 100% trainable the way that dogs are. Knowing how to keep them stimulated like the hunters they are is a big part of keeping them happy.

Shocking Cat Facts

Funny Cat Videos

Sources:

History of Cats Part 1

History of Cats Part 2

Cat Gods

Li Shou

September 27: Marilyn Monroe

• Marilyn Monroe was a very well-known actress. She had a very difficult childhood.
• Despite her difficult childhood she was able to become one of the world’s most famous actresses and sex symbols.
• Unfortunately, she died on August 5, 1962, at the age of 36 drug overdose.

Who was Marilyn Monroe?

• As mentioned above, she overcame a very difficult childhood to become one of the most famous actresses and sex symbols. Her films made more than $200 million.
• She is also known for her relationships with Arthur Miller, Joe DiMaggio and maybe even President John F. Kennedy.

Early Life and Education

• She was born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles California. This would mean she’s a Gemini.
• She was named Norma Jeane Mortenson at birth. She was later baptized as Norma Jeane Baker.
• However, she spent most of her time in foster care and in an orphanage.
• In 1937, a family friend and her husband named Grace and Doc Goddard took care of her for a while.
• They were paid $25 weekly by her mother to raise her. The couple was very religious and followed very strict beliefs.
• This meant that Marilyn was not allowed to go to the movies.
• However, when Doc’s job was transferred to the East Coast, they couldn’t afford to bring her with them.
• When she was seven years old, she returned to a life in foster homes.
• She was sexually assaulted on several occasions. She reported later that she was raped when she was 11 years old.
• She dropped out of high school when she was 15 years old.
• She married her boyfriend who was a Marine to get out of the abuse and the foster system.
• His name was Jimmy Dougherty. They married in 1942 when she was 16 years old.
• She never knew who her father was. She did think once that her father was Clark Gable. But
• However, there is no evidence that her mother Gladys ever met or new Marilyn’s mother.
• Gladys developed psychiatric problems and was eventually placed in a mental institution.
• Sadly, as an adult Marilyn would continually voice that her earliest memory was that her mother was trying to smother her in her crib with a pillow.
• She had a half-sister but she wasn’t close with her and they only met approximately six times throughout her life.

Career in Acting

• Marilyn always dreamt of becoming an actress just like her heroes Jean Harlow and LanaTurner.
• She worked in a factory in California when her husband was transferred to the South Pacific.
• It was because of her job in the factory that she was discovered by a photographer.
• When her husband returned in 1946 Marilyn had become a successful model.
• Later in 1946 she was able to sign her first movie contract.
• When she signed her first movie contract, she noticed her image began to change.
• She decided to change her name to Marilyn Monroe and decided to dye her hair blonde.
• When her acting career first started, she wasn’t considered to be a star. Her acting career didn’t take off until a few years later.
• It was because of her breathy voice and hourglass figure she was able to become one of Hollywood’s most famous actresses. She began to win various honours and attracting large audiences to watch her films.
• Marilyn became an international star despite her being very insecure about her own acting abilities.
• She suffered severe anxiety before a performance that even made her physically ill and often caused her to be late on film sets.
• She was often so late that it would anger her costars and the crew.
• During her career Marilyn was signed and released from several contracts with different film studios.
• In the mid-1950s, she grew tired of the “bubbly blonde roles” that she was receiving. She moved to New York City to study acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors studio.
• By the early 1960s, her professional and personal life was in turmoil because of a few unsuccessful relationships.
• In 1960 she made the film called Let’s Make Love and in 1961 The Misfits. They both did not do very well at the box office.

Movies

• Over her whole career Marilyn’s films grossed more than $200 million
• The first movie that gave Marilyn a lot of attention was called the Asphalt Jungle. It was made in 1950 by director John Huston. It was a crime drama.

• She was also in the movie with Betty Davis called all about Eve in 1950. Her character was Claudia Caswell.

• In 1953, she did the movie called Niagara. In this movie she played a married woman that wanted to kill her husband with the help of her lover.
• She also did a movie with Jane Russell. It was a musical comedy movie called Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
• In this movie they are showgirls the travel to Paris and are pursued by a private detective that’s hired by the father of Marilyn’s fiancé.

• In 1954 she did a movie called How to Marry a Millionaire in this movie she starred with Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall.
• In this movie the three women set out to marry millionaires but instead they find true love.

• She also starred in one of the most iconic films called There’s No Business like Show Business about a couple whose marriage starts to unravel when the husband meets a hat check girl played by Marilyn Monroe.

• In 1962, Marilyn was fired from the film called Something’s Got to Give costarring Dean Martin.
• It was because she missed so many days of filming.
• But in an article in the New York Times, she claimed that the absences were due to her illness.
• Dean Martin didn’t want to make the film without her, so they decided not to make the film.

Spouses and Lovers

• Marilyn had three husbands during her life. They were James Dougherty from 1942 to 1946, Joe DiMaggio in 1954 and Arthur Miller from 1956 to 1961.
• She also had relationships with a few famous people. Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Yves Montand and director Elia Kazan.
• James lived next door to a friend of Marilyn’s mother. Even at the age of 16 he suggested he should marry her so she wouldn’t get sent to an orphanage.
• Sadly, after Marilyn’s career began to take off she filed for a divorce.
• When asked about this James replied later, “I never knew Marilyn Munro and I don’t claim to have any insights to her to this day. I knew and loved Norma Jean.”
• In 1954 she married the famous baseball star Joe DiMaggio for only nine months. But following her death he had red roses delivered to her grave side for the next 20 years.

Marilyn Monroe and JFK

• there have been rumours that she was involved with President John F. Kennedy and/or his brother Robert Kennedy around the time of her death.
• On May 19, 1962, Marilyn made her now famous performance at John F. Kennedy’s birthday celebration when she sang happy birthday Mr. President.

• After she finished singing President Kennedy went on stage and said, “I can now retire from politics after having had some to me in such a sweet wholesome way.”
• Marilyn died at her Los Angeles home on August 5, 1962, when she was only 36 years old. They found an empty bottle of sleeping pills by her bed.
• She did not own a house until the last year of her life and had surprisingly very few possessions.
• The one that she treasured the most was an autographed photo of Albert Einstein which had an inscription on it that said, “To Marilyn with respect and love and thanks.”

Her Legacy

• Marilyn has been imitated a lot over the years by other famous female singers such as Madonna, Lady Gaga and Gwen Stefani.
• In 2011, several rare photos were published in a book of photography by a famous photographer named Sam Shaw.
• In 2017, another book of rare photos was published. It was called The Essential Marilyn Monroe. In it Joshua Greene retouched old photos that were taken by his dad Milton in the 1950s.

I thought we finished class by listening to a couple of songs by Marilyn. I hope you enjoyed learning about Marilyn as much as I did.