Roxanne Tellier – The Age of Bullies Part One

As a child, my sister was often the target of bullies. Bullies sniff out the weak, the vulnerable, those who have already experienced the wrath of others. I spent a lot of my own childhood trying to protect Jodi from those who had nothing better to do with their time than to torment a shy, fragile, little girl.

Roxanne Tellier – The Music of War and Ukraine

This has been a hellish week. We are watching the unthinkable perpetrated upon the peaceful people of Ukraine by a Russian despot who has become a madman.   

Roxanne Tellier – A Voting We Will Go

ELECTIONS! Whether we want them or not!

But first ….

FACEBOOK!  If you’ve been following my Facebook antics – or lack thereof, as I have sat banished and abandoned in Facebook solitary for the better part of the last six months – I am happy to report that I have been allowed to return to the site. Well, for the moment, anyway. I’m already getting warnings for doing really horrible things like posting links to how to determine if you might be addicted to social media.

Roxanne Tellier – Who Really Won the War on Terror?

In 2001, I had a small eBay business that was doing pretty well. I had five people that worked with me to expedite the collectibles that I shipped around the world. About 90% of my business income came from American buyers. 

That summer had been slow, as summers were, but as we headed into September, and with the holiday season approaching, I wasn’t worried about ramping back up to pay my staff. In fact, in preparation for the busy season, my husband and I had planned a well-earned vacation to Western Canada, to see my family there. We would be flying out on September 13^th.  

Roxanne Tellier – CERBing the Beat

COVID-19 hit Canada hard somewhere around the second week of March, 2020. I remember it well, because the shutdowns began in earnest just days before my husband’s birthday, and right about the time that Mirvish Theatre sent me an email advising me that I’d be receiving a refund for the tickets I’d purchased for a show that week. The theatre had gone dark, as had most of the city’s offices, stores, services, and restaurants. 

Roxanne Tellier – Into the Home Stretch

Okay – who stole July? It was just here a minute ago! In truth, I barely recognized it, under all that rain, but I know I saw it!

Roxanne Tellier – Smile Damnit. Smile!

To be honest, I haven’t much enjoyed the last five years or so. I’m not just talking about politics, though, if there was ever a time in which it became apparent how much politics affects every aspect of our every day lives, this was that time. 

Roxanne Tellier – What a Difference a Year Makes

On January 25^th, 2020, a Toronto man returning from Wuhan, China was the first presumptive COVID-19 case in Canada. By March, with the disease raging across Canada, the World Health Organization had declared COVID a pandemic, the NBA, NHL and most other sport leagues had suspended their seasons, while the Olympics were officially postponed to 2021, the Juno Awards were cancelled, Parliament went on break, and schools began to close from coast to coast. 

Pat Blythe – The Women of Rock Redux Part 2 – SOOOOOOZZZZZEEEEE…..and music

I seem to mixing up some of this series as I come across various versions from six years ago. I had Suzi with Joan and Chrissie but I’ve covered the latter two already. Beside, Suzi deserves her own column. So….although today’s piece is all about the Suzi Q, Joan and Chrissie are still part of her story.

I hadn’t thought of Suzi in ages…..eons really and surprisingly, out of the three women Suzi is the only one I’ve actually seen live. So, after trolling the internet (still my permanent residence these days six years later) I began to connect the dots and realized that not only she was a contemporary of both Joan and Chrissie, all three were the leaders of their own bands, a rarity for the times.