Journalism is alive and well at the BBC. One of my favourite shows is Hard Talk on BBC World News, hosted by Stephen Sackur. There’s a radio version of the show that’s so good, I can hardly stand it. How they get world leaders and others in the eye of news storms to sit down and face direct, difficult questions, is something wonderful to behold. As the title suggests, there are no softball questions on Hard Talk. …
Some Kind of Einstein Read More »
Volunteers do lots of good things for others and never brag about it. And some researchers decided to try to put a dollar value on what they do, to figure out what would happen if they suddenly stopped. It’s called the Halo Project. …
I Can See Your Halo Read More »
When someone who woke up at the crack of stupid as long as Erin Davis did gives you a recommendation that she says will make wake-up time easier, you listen. You don’t have to wake up at 3:15 am to relate, but it helps. …
I’ve Seen the Light Read More »
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend but I’m not a big jewellery nut. Oh, I can appreciate but I don’t often covet. When Derek and decided to get married I explicitly told him I didn’t want an engagement ring. There isn’t much in the way of bling that I wish I had for my own. Except for a Pandora bracelet. They’re beautiful and customizable and I’ve always wanted one. …
Sometimes it’s a struggle to remember the positive when you’re in the news business. News is, by definition, made up of anomalies and bad things. The sun came up, people helped each other and took care of their families, children got enough to eat – those are the things that are supposed to happen. News is about when things go awry. …
It Walks Like A Duck Read More »
Not all scientific studies are created equal. Having been a radio broadcaster for a long time, I also know how they can get distilled down to a couple of sentences of highlights, potentially making a worldwide study of thousands of people sound as credible as a small study of twenty. It rests on the public to look deeper into the data, but only three out of ten will bother in a stat I just made up.
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Studying the Studies Read More »
I love motivational quotes. When someone captures the essence of a feeling or a moment in a short phrase or sentence, it’s not only energizing, it’s made for Twitter’s 140-character limit. I believe I even coined one myself one day but I didn’t write it down. I remember the feeling, though, of nailing it, whatever it was. Maybe the feeling is enough. …
Motivation in Context Read More »
Erin Moran never would have made it on a sitcom in this era of instant critics on social media. She was cute but she was ordinary. She didn’t have a 22-inch waist or DD boobs. Unless she could write her own show and work nude, like Lena Dunham, a girl like Erin Moran wouldn’t have been able to stay afloat in the Kardashian sea.  It’s simply a sad fact. …
Long Gone Happy Days Read More »
Tall women have long been told that they shouldn’t wear heels, or look taller than men. This is, of course, ridiculous. A female friend who’s 6′ tells everyone she’s 5′ 12″. (She does it as a joke, though.) Â The crew dug a trench for Nicole Kidman to walk in as she was filmed alongside then-husband Tom Cruise for the 1992 romantic adventure movie Far and Away. And although there wasn’t much the royal spin doctors could do about live appearances of Prince Charles and his wife Diana – except perhaps require her to walk twelve paces behind him – their official portraits were doctored to hide the fact that they were the same height.Â
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Throwback Thursday – Rising to New Heights Read More »
In our house, I’m the technology expert. Once we walk out the door, I’m basically a dummy in this area.Â
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A Pirate’s Life is Not for Me Read More »
Lately I’ve been making fairly regular trips back to my hometown. Well, I have three hometowns, and I’m traveling past or to at least one of them on these road trips. I drink coffee. I always take along a bottle of water. When nature calls, I’m caught in that all-too-familiar state of wondering how to answer. A stroke of genius hit me on Sunday. Â …
EQ – emotional intelligence –  isn’t about getting in touch with your inner child or learning how to cry. It’s the dealing-with-people-and-life version of IQ, which is your book-learnin’ and problem-solving intelligence. And unlike an IQ, an EQ can go way up if you want it to. …
Our family is going through a personal, painful reality that so many have experienced: a beloved family member has dementia. My Dad now lives in two realities. The one we share, and one all his own.
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You may already be aware that the misuse of the apostrophe is my Achilles heel. Finally, I’ve come to a point where I can refrain from commenting on social media when my friends commit crimes against punctuation but it’s still a free-for-all if it’s out in the public domain for all to see. Banks, retailers, major food chains and publishers – you’ve been warned! I can’t help myself. I’m always on the alert for RAM.
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Analyzing RAM: Rampant Apostrophe Misuse Read More »
My head is full of details about news stories past and present. We all suffer from information overload but I think it’s different when that info is about your passion, say, competitive quilting. When it concerns the heinous and horrible things people do, it’s not as easy to store. …
Less (Information) is More Read More »
When did we get so sensitive? Did we lose our collective sense of humour while I was napping? I nap almost every day, so that’s entirely possible. What’s with the popular hobby of being offended and outraged where those things don’t exist? …
The Latest in the Outrage Industry Read More »
Corned beef. It’s one of those things I’ve heard about all my life and never really stopped to think about. Beef that’s been…corned? What the hell!? It turns out that a lot of people don’t know details about this traditional Irish fare. …
Do I Make You Corny, Baby? Read More »