PicoBlog

Today’s issue of Dust On The VCR is another subscriber request! This film was chosen by Ashley Russell Dodson, one of my dear friends from way back in college who still puts up with my nonsense to this day. Even though she’s a St. Louis Cardinals fan, Ashley has taught me a lot over the years—about life in general, that is, not just baseball—and she’s been a part of some of my fondest memories.

Hi, welcome back to Mixed Messages! This week I’m speaking to actor and author Hanako Footman, who is of Japanese, white British and Irish heritage. Hanako’s debut novel, Mongrel, follows the stories of Mei, Yuki and Haruka, three young women across Japan and England whose intertwining narratives reveal “a tangled web of desire, isolation, belonging and ultimately, hope.” It’s a lyrical read that will stay with you long after the final page.

Image: Stacey Clarke Hi, welcome back to Mixed Messages! This week I’m speaking to Sharon Gaffka, who is of Indonesian, Polish and English heritage. You may recognise Sharon from Love Island 2021, but since then, Sharon has continued to fight for women’s rights, including playing a key role in an anti-spiking campaign, and has just launched the women-focused Girls Know Nothing podcast. Read her story below. I’m 50% Indonesian, a quarter Polish and a quarter English.

This week, something landed on my doorstep that I had been looking forward to for a long time, something that intrigued me and something that seemed impossible; Chocolate made without cocoa. How is it even possible to make chocolate without cocoa? Would it taste the same, would it have the same texture, why was it being made? I had a lot of questions. Before we get to the product, let’s remind ourselves what chocolate actually is.

In 2010, the family of Monica Harris’s partner held a reunion in southeastern Montana. “She says, ‘Hey, babe, would you ever want to go?’ And I don't know about you, but Montana was one of these places that had always been on my bucket list. It's Big Sky country, you know? So I said, ‘Sure, let's go. And we were there for a week, and it was just — I think it was life-changing.

South Korea’s Penis Park Ask any woman and she will tell you exactly where she was - the weather, the time, the year, her age - when it happened to her. Because being flashed at has happened to an awful lot of women. The first man to expose his penis to me has become part of my life, because five decades later I still can’t get him out of my head.

"Absolutely unmixed attention is prayer.” – Simone Weil (Note: I am experimenting! I recorded myself reading this sonnet and am making that recording available to all readers. I’m also opening the comments to all subscribers, too, because I’d love your feedback about whether or not you want me to read future posts or passages therein. Let me know what you think! Or even if this worked or not, LOL … )

"When one door closes, another one opens." What an incredible metaphor for life, a proverb that conveys the idea of optimism and opportunity in the face of setbacks or challenges. It suggests that when one opportunity or situation ends or proves unsuccessful, another one is likely to present itself. The metaphor's message is to remain hopeful, adaptable, and open to new possibilities, even in difficult times. It encourages a positive outlook and the belief that change, even if initially perceived as negative, can lead to unforeseen and potentially positive outcomes.

SUPERB ARTICLE ERIC : MECHANISMS ARE THE CHERRY ON THE CAKE, NOT NECESSARY IMMEDIATELY, BUT ESSENTIAL IN FUTURE TO ADVANCE THE SCIENCE. FOR IMMEDIATE MEDICAL APPLICATION, WELL EXECUTED AND WELL DESIGNED CLINICAL TRIALS WILL DO NICELY FOR NOW. ANYWAY, ONE DID NOT NEED TO KNOW THAT THE EARTH REVOLVES AROUND THE SUN OR EVEN DISMISS THE THEORY THAT THE SON GOD RODE HIS CHARIOT ACROSS THE SKY FROM DAWN TO DUSK, TO KNOW HOW TO USE THE SUNS SHADOW TO DETERMINE WHEN TO PLANT AND HARVEST CROPS.