Please…help…

The Smiths #SmithPartyOf3 I'm not one to ask for money. But, this isn't for - or about - me. My best friend, my hetero-lifemate, and adopted sister, her darling husband who dotes on her, and my nephew, need help. I know everyone is strapped for cash. But please donate. And please share the GoFundMe fundraiser. …

The State of New Jersey’s Recreational Pot Changes

(DISCLAIMER: This post is about the legal nonsense at work.  If you’re looking for a big bong party, keep on lookin’!  And then send me an invite. 😉 SECOND DISCLAIMER: I’m not a lawyer.  However, I am a little more familiar with the law than the average person.  (And, no, I don’t mean I’ve been …

Cutting down History… or just a Monument?

Coalition of the Brave

Robert E Lee is a name that may not be familiar to everyone, but if you’re even dimly aware of the history of the US Civil War, it’s a name you will know. Lee served as a general for the Confederacy in the Civil War (indeed, he was the commander of Confederate forces), and he desired to preserve the Union yet joined Confederate forces in his home state of Virginia. He privately opposed the idea of secession from the Union yet fought to accomplish exactly that. He reportedly was against the idea of slavery, yet fought against the Union in part because of abolishment. Lee is documented as having re-captured slaves who escaped their owners, even overseeing their punishment (usually in the form of whipping).

Lee is a romanticised figure in America’s South. He’s seen as a hero who fought for freedom and rights, which is ironic when you consider…

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Please look after this bear. — Overly Devoted Archivist

Coalition of the Brave

Here are some interesting facts about Paddington 2, one of the best-reviewed and most beloved films of the UK. Paddington was created by British author Michael Bond, whose family took in Jewish refugees during World War II. In a 2010 letter (seen in the 2019 documentary The Man Behind The Bear) he wrote, “We took…

Please look after this bear. — Overly Devoted Archivist

Here we have some great observations from Overly Devoted Archivist, who rightly mentions that the story of Paddington is an allegory for Afghanistan. In times of trouble we reveal ourselves; do we turn away those in dire need, or do we reach out a helping hand? As a country, who do we want to be?

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Loki: The Life & Trials Of One Black Cat – The Tough Times

As I said in the intro to this rambling parade of cat pictures, Loki lived up to his Norse namesake.  From a tiny kitten, to a brat teen, Loki charmed everyone he met.  Even my Dad, the die-hard dog fan. It was during the last four years of his life - the Tough Times - …

Anti-Vax Lunacy

Filosofa's Word

I am as stubborn as they come, but I am fully vaccinated.  Why, you ask?  Because I believe that while I have every right to take chances with my own life, I have absolutely NO RIGHT to put others in danger.  It’s called ‘having a social conscience.’  It’s called ‘caring about others.’  It’s called ‘doing the right thing.’

I am appalled by those who have cited every excuse in the book for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID.  This pandemic has killed over 4 million people around the world … 623,029 in the United States, as of this writing, though by the time you are reading it, the number will be even higher.  And WE … You and I … have the key to stopping it in our hands.  If we fail to use that key, then we are complicit in those deaths.

The excuses are myriad and utterly without…

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3 reasons to pay attention to social comedowns in a pandemic changed world

This is so true. Having fibromyalgia, I already had some issues after social events (no matter how awesome they were). Talking about it is the first step – It’s more common than you’d think!

Love Uncommon

Many people experience a social hangover or comedown after spending time with friends. Some people know it as con-drop. Others just recognise that social interactions have the cost of a night of rumination and worry or a morning of scattered brain. These experiences are not widely discussed, which means that folks can feel really ashamed when they have a hard time after an otherwise pleasurable social event. I think this is a great moment to start talking more about social hangovers and come downs because they are very likely to get more common as more places come out of lock down and people start to socialise more. The shift from relatively few social interactions to a great deal more social contact, and particularly contact with larger groups of people, is likely to cause increases in social anxiety, higher levels of adrenaline and cortisol in our blood as we have social…

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Loki: The Life & Trials Of One Black Cat – Middle Ground

Welcome back, dedicated readers and silent lurkers just here for the cat pictures!  This is the second post re-telling the life of my cat, Loki.  For those of you who wandered over here, and have no idea what I’m talking about – here’s where I felt it necessary to explain the premise, and here’s the …

Loki: The Life & Trials Of One Black Cat – Early Years

Loki was born around the first week in July in 2010.  When the vet gave that estimate at his first check-up, I picked July 4th for his unofficial birthday.  Because it was easy to remember.  I had wanted a cat of my own for a while.  When my ex-husband/boyfriend-at-the-time (long story – don’t drink around …