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Rather than live her 'happily ever after,' Meghan Markle has had to endure the constant onslaught of criticism leading up to, and after, her May 19, 2018 nuptials to Prince Harry. The abuse did not slow down after the birth of Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6, 2019. If anything, the British press has ramped up their attacks on Meghan. Why is the media so hard on Meghan? Yes, yes, yes, we get it…marrying into the British Royal Family means embarking on a life of public service and, along with all those fabulous perks there’s a loss of privacy and you’re ‘open’ to the global court of public opinion. But this poor woman can't do anything right. The list of Meghan's wrong doings is long—from her fashion missteps, breaking royal protocol, cradling her baby bump too much, feuding with her sister-in-law Kate to the unflattering adjectives ‘demanding’ and ‘difficult’ that are used to describe her. BTW...it has been acknowledged in the British press that it's William and Harry who are feuding. Meghan and Kate were fine all along. And to add, Meghan texting her staff at 5:30 am with ideas because she’s excited about her new role…'demanding' and 'difficult' are not the adjectives I'd use in this context. The Heat's on Megan For Meghan, there's been no reprieve from the heat this summer. At a polo match in July, Meghan was mom-shamed by Instagram users for the way she held Archie. Comments such as...Meghan doesn't know how to hold her own baby. She's gonna drop that baby! and The way little Archie is being held. Scary. Seriously?! Come on people. What happened to supporting new moms? BTW...pediatricians (the professionals) came to her defense and said there is nothing wrong with the way she held her baby. The Daily Mail couldn't resist slipping a little shade in their article when Meghan went to Wimbledon to watch her good friend Serena Williams play in the ladies singles finals, “she clapped vigorously, despite the fact royals should remain neutral when attending a game in an official capacity.” Yet, when Prince William, President of the National Football Association attended a league championship in May, the headline in the Daily Mail read, "William goes wild! Delirious prince hugs former Aston Villa star as they watch their team triumph in Championship play-off final at Wembley..." Seriously?! This is the same paper that took a swing at Meghan because of the way she clapped. I would like to know...with the recent arrest of Prince Andrew’s good buddy—billionaire pedophile Jeffery Epstein, why we are even hearing about the way Meghan behaved at Wimbleton? Isn't Prince Andrew’s association with a convicted pedophile a more news worthy headline? This should be dominating the front pages of British newspapers. And, while we’re at it…when there were rumblings of an alleged affair between Prince William and Rose Hanbury where was the British press? Again, it needs to be asked...why all the negative focus on Meghan and not the princes? What's wrong with this picture?The British press has complained that Prince Harry has changed since he met Meghan and he is no longer the fun-loving royal he once was. Perhaps, the British press should consider the possibility that Prince Harry may not be as easy going with them because of the way they attack his wife.
Meghan’s entry into one of the world’s oldest intuitions has not been flawless—yes, she’s made mistakes—but the attacks on her have been more than unkind and one has to to question the motivation behind these attacks. She has embraced her royal life with enthusiasm yet, why can't the British press embrace her with the same enthusiasm?
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Happy New Year! As I’ve committed to extending well wishes in writing, four-days into the new year I can’t help but wonder…when does one stop wishing people a Happy New Year? Is there an etiquette surrounding this? I of course turn to Google, and apparently, I am not the only one who has wondered (CNN has even tackled and consulted etiquette experts on the subject—who knew there was such a thing?!).
Anyway, I’ve discovered that there are no set rules, but there are certainly some very strong opinions surrounding the termination of this holiday greeting. For some, after Jan. 1 has come and gone so must the ‘Happy New Year!’ Yet, for others, it is deemed appropriate to stretch it out for the first week of January (and it would appear I am falling into this bucket although, I did take my decorations down January 1st). So, despite my bit of a ramble I am going to leave my LONG festive greeting as the opener for my post and get to the point…which just so happens to coincide with the new year theme and that being ‘resolutions.’ Again, a topic which divides the masses. I turn to google again for some assistance. According to Collins dictionary a New Year resolution may be defined as a promise to yourself or decision to do something, especially to improve one’s behaviour or lifestyle in some way, during the year ahead. What are the most popular resolutions? According to Statista, the 10 Most Popular Resolutions for 2019 are: 1. Diet or eat healthier (71 percent) 2. Exercise more (65 percent) 3. Lose weight (54 percent) 4. Save more and spend less (32 percent) 5. Learn a new skill or hobby (26 percent) 6. Quit smoking (21 percent) 7. Read more (17 percent) 8. Find another job (16 percent) 9. Drink less alcohol (15 percent) 10. Spend more time with family and friends (13 percent) *2000 people surveyed. USA I must confess I am one of 'those people’ who every January 1st, sits down with a coffee and logs her resolutions for the upcoming year. Some of the Top 10 are on my list and yes, yes, many of my resolutions are the same year after year—in particular, the healthy mind and body. But I have come to this conclusion--rather than view the execution of my list as simple successes and failures I have opted to frame it differently. For example, one of my resolutions from 2018, was to try a new experience every month. Did I make it to 2019 with 12 new experiences—no, I did not. Was this a failure because I did not accomplish EXACTLY what I set out to do? No, it was not. I had 6 new experiences I might not of otherwise had, had there not been a resolution—one of which was dog sledding in Haliburton, Ontario and it was fantastic--hurray for me. For 2019, I have put 'to try a new experience every month' on my list again. It doesn’t have to be expensive or earth shattering it can be…dining in a new restaurant or hiking in a new location. Easy and manageable feel good experience goals. And, can I just say...I very much look forward to the execution of these new experiences. And IF for some reason I fall short of my target number, I will still be further ahead than if I didn't try at all—the same may be said for exercise or weight loss—any goal. Happy New Year! (I just had to write it one last time). I wish you all the best in 2019 and when tackling your resolutions be kind to yourself and may you have many hurrays along the way. Contrary to what we were taught in school slavery was not abolished in the 1800’s, it continues today. The victims are drug addicts, runaways, LGBTQ, indigenous, foster kids—they are often the vulnerable marginalized members of our society and they are also the girl next door. They are from all socio-economic and racial backgrounds. No one is immune. It can happen to anyone. And, it happens every day. The Pimp Playbook We live in a world where the sale of human beings is a billion dollar industry. In the current climate, technology has changed, as it’s known on the streets ‘The Game’ and made it even easier for traffickers to operate under the radar. They utilize the online world to recruit their victims and from the security of their home johns can peruse ads, anonymously book their dates and set up a meeting location using smartphone texting features, texting applications, private or instant messaging apps, or Voice Over IP (VoIP). Alongside social media the victims are hunted in shopping malls, coffee shops, movie theatres, libraries and at school. Yes, you read that correctly…at school. Not all victims are confined, there have been cases where young girls were picked up at school, pimped out and then dropped off at home. In Canada, the average age of a girl tricked into ‘The Game’ is 13 years old. In 2015, the Toronto Star interviewed a pimp who was waiting to appear before the court on trafficking charges. Matthew Deiaco explained his rationale behind the demand, “Sex is a part of life…why should anyone be getting in trouble. Some people don’t want a relationship. They just want to get what they want and go home—with no strings attached—no relationship, no feelings, no fighting.” And who are these ‘no strings attached’ customers? They’re men and sometimes women. They could be your neighbour. They’re doctors, lawyers, businessmen, police officers, labourers, drug dealers, college students, teachers, judges, accountants and soldiers. Deiaco also sheds some light on how traffickers recruit their victims. Traffickers are master manipulators who prey upon girls, “who are broken, and you just move to answer their call.” Traffickers find the girl’s crack be it insecurity, loneliness, drugs and they bust it open until they have total control of the girl’s mind, body and soul. All is done under “the illusion of love and security. You tell them what they want to hear.” The luring of a victim by these 'Romeo pimps' is a clearly defined strategy referred to as ‘grooming,’ in which the pimp gains their trust while isolating them from friends and family. The luring can happen quick--a victim can be hooked in 2-4 days. Targets are predominately female but males are also targeted. Please see below for a breakdown of its stages. Basic Stages of Grooming Adolescent Engagement ='s Prevention
Because traffickers primarily target adolescents it is crucial that parents and guardians are aware of their child’s social media activity and recognize potential flags. In December 2018, a national study* to gain a better understand about the attitudes and behaviours that put teen girls at greater risk for sex trafficking revealed, “talking to our daughters about sex trafficking can have a big impact on the decisions they make. 59% of girls said they have a friend who has done things online that were not safe. The more girls and their parents know about the risks, the better equipped they are to protect themselves,” said Julie Neubauer, Manager, Human Trafficking Services with Covenant House Toronto. Neubauer added, “Survivors we’ve worked with have told us they would have been more likely to seek help sooner if they had felt comfortable sharing their experiences with their parents without fear of judgement or punishment.” Police recommend that parents:
For your children... How to tell if your friend is being “gamed:”
Signs a young person, may be in trouble include;
Doesn’t it make you mad? It makes me mad. The next time you drive along the 400 Highway series, look at all the hotels and motels that line the corridor and you may assume that at one time a victim of human trafficking occupied one of the rooms in all of them. Let’s do something about this…
The novel I'm currently reworking, Tears from the Sea has brought me back to more than a character, it’s brought me back to the issue of human trafficking. My heroine Iphim is a sea gypsy from Myanmar, who lost her family in the tsunami and was swept into the world of human trafficking. Because the novel has been percolating for 10++ years, I feel like I’ve failed her because I’ve allowed her story to sit for such a long time. While Iphim has been waiting for my return, the growth of human trafficking has waited for no one.
Therefore, to grow awareness as I continue to work on Iphim’s story, I wanted to share some information about human trafficking--which is modern day slavery and, when we’re ready-- Iphim’s voice will add to it. What is human trafficking? Human trafficking involves the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring or receiving a person through the use of force, deception or other means for the purpose of exploiting them. Did you know…
I used to think that human trafficking was something that happened outside of my beloved Canada. When I learned it wasn’t, I was under the impression it was foreigners who were being trafficked across our borders—oh, how wrong I was again. Did you know that in Canada...
+ Enslaved and Exploited: The Story of Sex Trafficking in Canada Transcript
What can I do?
OK...as the Jeffery Epstein scandal heats up so does the British press coverage of Prince Andrew's connection with the CONVICTED pedophile and registered sex offender (finally). But I'd like to know...why is Prince Harry and Meghan's vacation transport fiasco sharing front page coverage with Prince Andrew? I'm sorry, the 'alleged' accusation that Prince Andrew was a willing participant in multiple sexual liaisons with an underage woman trumps the environmental loving Sussexes flying in a private jet. The Prince Andrew story line should be upfront and center. Also, note the page numbers for the continued coverage of these stories. Harry and Meghan pages 4-5 and Prince Andrew buried a little deeper on pages 12-15. Although, I can appreciate the hypocrisy surrounding these climate change activist's decision to use private jets while trying to save the climate. (they flew to both Ibiza and France this month). I question why the negative coverage focuses exclusively on the Sussexes rather than shared with the other royals. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charles have used private jets...all are passionate environmentalists yet, Prince Harry and Meghan are the targets. Why? And while I'm at it...on August 19th, the Daily Mail featured an article by Guy Adams. Note the language around the Prince Andrew's connection to Epstein. But the Prince has had a seeming blind spot for the unsavoury aspects of Epstein’s character, as their long, close relationship attests. ... Andrew was dragged into Epstein’s grotty orbit during the late 1990s, apparently via his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who became chummy with Ghislaine Maxwell, the New York-based socialite daughter of disgraced newspaper tycoon Robert. Are you kidding me?! Epstein was a CONVICTED pedophile when they met. How is that even classified as a 'blind spot?' It's beyond bad judgement. And, I just love how apparently Prince Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson 'dragged' him into this 'grotty orbit.' COME ON people, he's a big boy. COME ON Daily Mail, you can do better than this. Well...A LOT has changed since my last post. Prince Andrew has catapulted his way into the global headlines thanks to his interview on BBC's Newsnight with Emily Maitlis about his relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffery Epstein. The Prince had hoped the interview on Saturday, Nov. 16th would clear his name and rehabilitate his reputation. According to the Newsnight, he thought it went well. IT DID NOT GO WELL. The interview was disastrous and it is doubtful that Prince Andrew will ever be able to recover from the fallout. What went wrong...Oh my gosh, where to start...
Arrogant & Out of TouchPrince Andrew's interview was a PR disaster which no doubt will be studied in PR classes as a 'what not to do' case study for decades to come. Certainly for the Queen, this catastrophic Prince Andrew mess classifies as another 'annus horribilis' for her.
What I will say, is that in the era of #Metoo I hope the walls that have protected people of power and influence will continue to be pushed down and people will be held accountable for their actions. Unfortunately, because of Jeffery Epstein's 'suicide' he will not be. But there are many individuals who participated and facilitated Epstein's trafficking activities and they should stand trial. I for one, will be watching. I like being a woman. But I find it frustrating I am treated differently because I am of the ‘female persuasion.’ I can site MANY examples of this, but I’d like to share the most recent incident.
Last night, I was on the phone with my cellular provider (such a joy) being guided in how to reset my phone. This is not hard to fix. It involved pressing buttons. Now, I am not the most tech savvy individual on the planet, but I can press a button and I can most certainly press three buttons at the same time. But my mobile wouldn’t respond. After extensive button pressing and being put on hold multiple times—I was asked, “Is there someone at your home who can press the buttons for you?” Are you kidding me? Thank you for your help and for making me feel like an idiot. As it turns, my phone just needed a break from all the button pushing and, I got it sorted out all by myself thank you very much. I can appreciate this experience is MINOR on the frustration spectrum, but comments that undermine a woman’s competency happen all the time. And, I like most women, can site multiple examples of harassment both in and out of the work place. But I am fortunate my experiences have not left me traumatized. Whereas, there are many women who have not been so lucky—they live in fear, have been victimized in unimaginable ways and continue to be daily. I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge all the woman who are suffering—may you find the strength and continue to be brave in your struggle to survive. I’d also like to say a special thanks to all the women and men who are embracing feminism. And, thank you to those who are pushing the boundaries for equality and celebrating our differences rather than undermining the way women are valued. I am inspired by all the events being held in Canada and globally to commemorate International Women’s Day. I’d like to dedicate this post to all women and wish you a Happy Woman’s Day! Today June 21st, is National Indigenous People Day and I would like to acknowledge and celebrate it. What is National Indigenous Peoples Day?National Indigenous Peoples day is a day to both celebrate and recognize the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples. Why June 21st?For many generations Indigenous peoples celebrated their culture and heritage either on or near the summer solstice because it is the longest day of the year. This significance is also why National Indigenous Peoples Day has been chosen to be commemorated on June 21st across Canada. Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day!In celebration, I'd like to highlight some very special contributions. Firstly, influential song-writer social and political activist Buffy Sainte-Marie. The magic of the Haida Totem Poles. These remains are located at SG̱ang Gwaay Llanagaay on the southwestern edge of Gwaii Haanas in BC. Above is an example of the incredible Inuit textile artist Marion Tuu'luq (1910-2002) work. It's called Together in Spring; she is also well known for her drawings, prints and wall hangings.
Better Late to the Party than Not @ AllConfession #1. Yes, I will happily admit I jumped on the Raptors bandwagon. And, can I just say...what a band wagon it was! I am so glad I jumped. In fact, I wish I had of jumped sooner. I really don't understand basketball but OMG! watching those final games my heart was pounding, I was lipping-off the TV, covering my eyes and making frequent trips to the bathroom because I couldn't stand the tension. Can you imagine if I understood the game? I'd need a pacemaker. There's Still Room on the BandwagonI don't know about you but whenever I become fascinated with something I hit google pretty hard. Confession #2. To say I dedicated a fair amount of energy to getting up to 'Raptors speed' would be an understatement. A BIG shout out to the Huffington Post for their article Toronto Raptors Players Have Many Talents Off the Court, Too to help get me there. (I can assure you it's worth the click). I learned about the player's linguistic abilities (impressive), their charitable activities (impressive) and what they do in their spare time (impressive). These guys are all around, you guessed it... 'impressive.' Here's a little sample from the impressive compilation...Serge Ibaka has a cooking show on YouTube it's called "How Hungry Are You?" Confession #3, I watched every single episode (b-i-n-g-e-d). You should see the 'lovely treats' Serge whipped up for his teammates Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry; he brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'how hungry are you?' Proud to be CanadianThere is nothing like a sporting event to pull the country together. I am a proud Canadian and it was fantastic to celebrate this pride with the entire nation as we witnessed the Raptors playoff journey and ultimate NBA Championship win.
On Monday, I could not peel my eyes away from their victory parade. To see Superfan Nav Bhatia and all the other fans from so many diverse backgrounds, young and old collectively gather was both emotional and uplifting. I LOVED IT! Confession#4. Next year, I will be watching basketball and learning why a player takes one, two or three foul shot(s). I have officially settled myself on the Raptors bandwagon and, have jumped on board with the rest of Canada in crossing our fingers, hands, eyes, toes, legs (anything that will cross) that the outstanding Kawhi Leonard will decide to STAY. That's enough confession for one day. A GREAT BIG thank you to the Raptors for uniting our country. If you have the luxury to hop on a plane you're lucky. And, I was one of the lucky one this year. My exploration of the world had unfortunately been on a bit of a pause, but in 2019, I was able to fly to the other side of the world and land in Africa. This trip was a great reminder that travel is a gift. Vacation Withdrawal
Like anyone who returns home after a holiday, I was filled with mixed emotions. Although, it's nice to be home--it was quite fabulous to be away on vacation. A vacation for me, means my senses are in overdrive, my brain is buzzing, every day is different, and filled with new friends and meeting the locals. Now that I'm home, I have the luxury to process what 'went down' so to speak and will blog about it in the future. But in the interim, I will keep it short and sweet. I want to mention one of the things I was reminded of while I was away...I wish everyone had the privilege of being able to travel to a foreign country. Travel is a Gift Travel opens your mind and heart in a way that cannot be opened unless you're immersed in a world that's different from the one you were raised in. Morocco is one of the most stunning countries I have ever set foot in and the Moroccan people are friendly and kind. THEY ARE LOVELY. Morocco's population is 99% Muslim. In today's unfortunate climate of 'them vs us,' travel shows you there is no 'them,' it's 'we.' And, 'we' are all in this world together. I HIGHLY recommend travelling to Morocco, or Central America, or Asia...anywhere that's different from the familiar. I am most grateful to have been able to explore Morocco and so many different pockets of the world. I can hardly wait for the next adventure. Now, back to processing. Stay tuned for 'what went down.' |
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