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 – Musings On Movings and Marijuana for Multinationals

Today is the 12^th of December, and that means that Shawn and I are exactly one month away from the Big Move, from Toronto, to Windsor, Ontario.  The drive is a mere 230 in earth miles, but, in some integral ways, it’s also the equivalent of moving from the Moon to the Sun.

Roxanne Tellier – I’ll Take Mortality for $200 Alex

When did people start ending every conversation with “be safe. Keep yourself safe”? Am I the only one that wonders when it was decided that we are living in a time of war or zombie attacks? And why is it so incredibly sad to know that the enemy we’re being cautioned against is a disease too often spread to us by our own loved ones and ‘friends’?

Roxanne Tellier – Whose Rights Are They Anyway?

The east end of Toronto has always been an interesting mix of peoples. Heavily treed and with many well tended parks, it’s a beautiful area, diverse and dynamic. 

Pat Blythe – Chris …and Music

Boy, am I late!!! Soooo late starting this column. Tuesday is my “writing” day, but far too much seemed to get in the way and now it’s 6:15pm and I’m on my third sentence! Good news is I received congratulations from our friends in Ottawa for attaining “senior citizen” status. Not only that, how absolutely thrilled they are to be sending me a monthly stipend of what nobody could live on. I should be grateful I receive anything (and I am), but if that’s what today’s 65-and-up population have to survive on, it’s no wonder we’ve got so many elderly living far below the poverty line. What I am extremely grateful for is that I can still work (when we’re not in the middle of a shitstorm) and continue earning a reasonable living. For how long is anyone’s guess, but this body and brain just keep chugging along.

Segarini Gets a Label and an Album: The Cliff Notes Version…

I have been working on my first new column in months, but it is taking longer than I thought it would. Fortunately, I found this excerpt from a column written and published 11 years ago in 2012, that leads nicely into the one I am working on, which, God and the Grand Wozzel willing, I will share with you next Friday. That said, there are a lot of new words and pictures here, so, yeah, we’re not here to waste your time.

Segarini – The Birth of The BobCast Part Two – How Do You Know It’s Impossible If It’s Never Been Done Before?

Over the years, a lot of dumb things have been said by a lot of smart, experienced, people.

“The greatest scientific minds have assured us that this ship is unsinkable, Lady Astor”.

“Guitar groups are on their way out, Brian”.

“No one is going to tune in to a television network to watch people cook”.

“Trump isn’t a career politician, he’s got fresh ideas and will lead America into the future”.

Shut up.

Montreuil – Peter Montreuil

Last week’s column inadvertently underscored the fact that working as a records clerk was a mundane experience, After all, it’s impossible to animate paper, unless you are Stephen King or a Disney artist  😉 .

However, the tedious nature of the job did not diminish its impact on the circumstances of the individual who had made the application. If anything, it underscored the importance of matching correspondence to the correct file. My exposure to this process made me acutely aware of how “all the parts fit together” to allow the system to work.

This week, I am writing about something more personal, and what could be more personal than your name, or to be pedantic, your identity.

Roxanne Tellier – Up Up and Away

There was an interesting article in the New York Times last week that talked about a phenomenon known as ‘collective effervescence.’ This term describes the sense of energy and harmony people feel when they come together in a group in a shared experience. That could be anything from a gathering of friends in a restaurant, to the frenzy of wedding guests doing a line dance in synchrony, to the sort of nationalistic madness seen in Little Italy or Little Portugal when their country’s team wins the World Cup.

Segarini: Remembering My Dad – Father’s Day June 20th 2021

 I miss my parents a lot, and I never got to thank my dad for all he tried to teach me, all he tried to instill in me. If your parents are still alive, your grandparents, even your aunts and uncles. call them up today, tell them you love them, and cherish the ability you have to tell them first hand. Someday, they will all be gone, and even though you will hear their voices and feel their presence for the rest of your life, there will be times when you experience a longing, and an ache so profound, that you will wish with all your heart you could see them again and let them know how much they meant to you. Family is more important than any other aspect of your life…don’t ever forget it.

Happy Fathers Day, Pop…I miss you…and I love you.