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...
Comfort
FICTION Laura knew as soon as she walked into Georgina’s bright apartment that her friend wasn’t having a good day. Georgina looked sad as she greeted Laura and led her to the brightly colored sofa. “What’s wrong?” Laura asked. Georgina’s face crumpled immediately....
El amanecer
Shrieking Dawn was a nutjob And even though she's dead is a nutjob still. But even if I can't get her gibbering chorus out of my head, I can at least stop dancing to it.
Comey Day
Maybe many are ignoring it, but on Thursday morning I watched James Comey's testimony before the senate and I noticed parallels in the dynamic between Trump and Comey and any sexual assault case. First, Comey said he never wanted to be physically alone with Trump and...
Still Fat
Previous post on fat & heath: Obesity crisis is mental health crisis Here's some interesting stuff: 1. A 2008 documentary called My Big Fat Body shows comedian Frank Payne undergoing a series of tests to find out the health status of his over 300-pound body (over...
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...
Obesity Crisis Is Mental Health Crisis
Next post on weight & health: Determined At the age of 50, I'm now on my fifth year of being fat. When I went from size 10 to size 18 in the last months of my marriage in 2013, I thought, "I'm not worried about gaining weight. I've been thin and active my...
Dating While Depressed
When you're in a major depressive episode, get off your dating apps. I'm not talking about having a blue day. I'm talking about the chronic emotional disorder: clinical major depression that warps your view of the world. If you suffer from this and you're single and...
Stop Asking “Where Are You From?”
We Americans, especially those of us in urban places like the Chicagoland area, often welcome the chance to meet international people and hope to expand our knowledge of the world. When we notice that someone seems like they're from another place, we ask, "Where are...
El Idiota’s Positive Thinking
Americans like to believe we're bending towards justice, but we can no longer tell ourselves that now that we've elected Donald (or as my dad calls him, El Payaso) as our president. And those of us who didn't directly cast a vote for him, still allowed him to be...
I Was on NPR!
Jerome McDonnell is the nicest person! Hey, everyone: I was on NPR yesterday! National Public Radio (NPR) is a non-profit American news organization that provides news without advertising or government money. It's supported 100% by listerners and private grants. The...