On Being an Ally
I’m a white person who wants to stop racism. Many of us – I’d like to think most of us – want to do something, we just don’t know what to do.
…Celebrities
Something Phishy
I’m prepared to be judged for this. Whenever someone is scammed, we like to assume they’re stupid because that leaves us feeling we’ll never be a victim. My response has always been, “They wouldn’t keep the scam going if it didn’t work”. I hesitated to write about it. But after something similar happened to the wise and wonderful Reta Ismail, she encouraged me to tell my story. Maybe it will help someone else.
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They Called Him Hitmaker
Canadian radio lost one of its last legends this week. Nevin Grant died during surgery. Had it not been for COVID-19, he would have been preparing for a big moment. He was going to receive the Allan Waters Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the Canadian Broadcasters Hall of Fame. This is the Hall which will also induct Erin Davis when the delayed event finally happens next year.
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Gaslighting
Gaslighting is my favourite term of the – whatever they call this era. Before it had a name, I called this behavior “bad boyfriend syndrome”. The bad boyfriend is toxic. He sleeps with your friend and then tells you you’re overreacting when you find out and get upset.
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The Big Deal
Misinformation about COVID-19 is traveling at the speed of light. Reactions range from hysteria (TP hoarding) to stupidity (See Donald Trump/Mike Pence) to apathy (what’s the big deal?). I find myself getting angry while viewing social media which is not the way I normally react to ignorance.
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Miss Sugar Gets Around
Father has been ill with a virus – not the one that’s been grabbing international headlines and causing worry. No, my extra-special human contracted a boring old strep throat virus. Sadly for me, he bounced back quickly. I don’t wish illness on him but the math is simple: Ailing Father + rest time = more opportunities to pet me. I really don’t see where the problem is.
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The Worst of Us
Social media brings us the worst human beings and causes us to talk about them and consider their ill-informed opinions as if they mattered.
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Brandt’s Rant 1/31/20
I haven’t let out a good rant in a while. Buckle up, kids, here we go.
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Gladwell’s Strangers & Better Choices
My reading relationship with Malcolm Gladwell started with The Tipping Point in 2000. It continued with Blink (2005), Outliers (2008) and What the Dog Saw (2009). David and Goliath came out in 2013. And now, Talking to Strangers. You might say I’m a fan of his work.
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Mr. Rogers’ Life Lessons
It’s taken me a while to digest the movie, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. We saw it in Palm Springs with Rob and Erin and while I think we all enjoyed it, Mr. Rogers was such an unusual man that I needed to sit with the story for a while. The movie was quietly moving and its message deceptively simple: be kind.
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Say “Yes” Like Betty
Betty White, my spirit human, will turn 98 in January. She’s on Twitter (@BettyMWhite) but she doesn’t tweet very often. She’s The First Lady of Television, with a career that spans 80 years. How has she done it?
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Flashback Friday
This week of flashbacks to my most-read posts comes to an end as I am no doubt searching for my slotted spoon and other necessities. And next week, I’m beginning a new blogging schedule and Miss Sugar moves to a new date. (HINT: there won’t be a fresh post on Monday. It’s all three-day weekends from now on, around here!)
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Flashback Wednesday
Welcome to another free-Lisa-up-for-unpacking flashback blog post!
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Miss Sugar’s Moving Diary – Entry #8
I love Father more than treats, my bacon toy or kibble. Perhaps you know the history, perhaps you don’t. Mother adopted me on her birthday a few years ago. She waited for me to get well because when we met, I was wearing an ugly cone and experiencing some gastric distress. When I finally came home with her and laid eyes on Father, I knew I’d found my protector and BFF for life. Mother says tiny hearts flew up like sparks between us. But I have to confess that I’ve developed a crush on another man.
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Rhoda and Me
Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern was my TV idol. As a sometimes-chubby, almost always self-conscious kid, she represented what I could become: confident, outspoken, and perfectly imperfect.
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Bedtime Stories
Two young girls from Dover, Delaware love to read and they wanted to share that love. They begged their Mom to let them read bedtime stories every night on Facebook Live. They reasoned that other kids don’t have someone to read to them. The girls found it easier to fall asleep to a story and wanted to help other kids do the same. Their Mom agreed, with a strict list of rules.
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