Maybe I’m just old. So please respect old people by not looking at your phone!
Please Put Your Damn Cell Phone Away
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Michael Jackson
There's this thing we do when we hear about the worst of human behavior. We're shocked and disbelieving and then we distance ourselves from the act by wondering what kind of monster does such a thing. We feel certain that neither we nor anyone we know could ever do...
Please, American White Women
The open letter technique is a clichéd way to address a challenging topic and when I see a writer begin with "Dear Democratic Party" or "Dear President Trump" I think, "If you really want to address those people, why post your letter here?" But I'm doing it because...
Stop Talking about INTENTION
When a white person apologizes for having been racially offensive, they often say it wasn't their intention to do that and they didn't intend it to come out that way and they had no intention of offending anyone and it wasn't their intention to upset people. Why do...
Things in Chicago for $3 (or less)
Jane Sun of Sunnyvale, CA asked me for a list of things that cost $3, so here goes. Jane, I’ve modified your request so it’s about Chicago-specific things you can buy for $3. Obviously you can get a Starbucks cup of regular drip coffee for $3, etc. Things you can get...
If Not “Where are you from?” Then What?
Karen in Chicago asks "How do you start a conversation with someone about their nationality without offending them? For example, a Lyft or Uber driver. And, if that is possible, what should you ask them?" I love this question because I blogged Stop asking: Where are...
Don’t Like It? Send It Back!
For those who didn't grow up in the U.S. (and many who did) I was in a restaurant with a friend who ordered a beer and then didn’t drink much of it. I gestured at it and said, “So, you’re really not a big drinker.” She said, “It just doesn’t taste right to me.” I...
The True Meaning of Christmas
It's my annual posting of my summary of the History Channel's Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas. Part of our American Christmas tradition is for people to throw around the phrase "the true meaning of Christmas." What that phrase usually refers to is an...
Latina Equal Pay Day 2018
November 1, 2018 was the second annual Latina Equal Pay Day. Before last week I didn't know that Latinas earn less than not only white men, but white women. In fact, while white women get 79 cents for every dollar a white man makes, Latinas get 53 cents. Son of a...
Stuff I’ve Noticed
Inspired by the final blog post of Obesio the Loser, a former online-friend, here's a list of stuff I've noticed over the decades. 1. Sometimes it gets better. Sometimes it doesn't. 2. No two people are exactly alike, but few people are genuinely special. 3. I still...
Welcome Dialogue Christmas Party Makes the News!
Well, here's a story. Now I'm SO glad I bought that Christmas mantel covering! My new Christmas tradition is to invite any internationals over to my home who don't have a place to go and who would like to celebrate Christmas the American way. I do this through my...
The Word “Lady,” Part One
Sexism lives deep in a society when people can’t see it in the words they use.
My Black Is Beautiful
"The Talk" is a TV commercial for Proctor & Gamble that shows conversations between Black parents and their Black children about the realities of their lives in the U.S. The ad was done by BBDO New York advertising agency and was released in July. Let us not...
Only Bad Owners
FICTION Sunlight skipped off the surface of the lake and pierced the eyes of the dog owners and their charges. "Oh, Dan," said Imelda. "The new laws about dogs who attack people are so strict. Don't you think?" Dan turned away from his Great Dane, who was tentatively...
If They Died from Suicide
I've suffered from depression for most of my life and have had a couple of major episodes. There have been times when I decided dying would be better than living and while I'm not proud of that, I'm also not ashamed of it. My illness has caused lots of irrational...