International Women's Day, March 8, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
International Women's Day has occurred for more than a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. Prior to this the Socialist Party of America, United Kingdom’s suffragettes, America’s suffragists, and other groups campaigned for women’s equality.
This year’s theme is Balance for Better. The IWD website explains the theme this way:
Every year I write about the Academy-Award nominated movies and evaluate them for violence, ageism, sexism, and diversity. The results this year? Movies are more diverse, but still too violent. And more films are needed where women and older adults are the leads.
While I’ve spent hours this week finishing up my marathon movie watching, my baby boomer writing friends are continuing to write great articles such as the following:
Travel is high on Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting’s list of favorite things to do. Her latest adventure found her on a South American adventure. Although not a professional photographer, she enjoys taking photos of the sights. In this week’s post, she shares photos of some of the natural wonders of the Southern Hemisphere.
Tom Sightings at Sightings Over Sixty has been snowbirding in Charleston, South Carolina, for the month of February, where the weather isn’t tropical, but more like April or May in the north. In his post this week he takes us on a tour of the city from the vantage point of its historic harbor. So hop aboard “Sightings of Charleston” to see . . . what else, the sights.
Carol Cassara at A Healing Spirit wonders why some people don’t get the message no matter how obvious it is. Such was the case at a recent lecture, after which some of the attendees acted out in ways directly opposed to the message of the lecture. Cassara offers a helpful way to view tone-deaf people in “What Tone Deaf People Are Really Telling You.”
Laura Lee Carter of the Adventures of the New Old Farts writes that growing up a boomer wasn’t as easy as many today think. Most boomers are under serious financial strain today, worrying more often than their parents did about money, and suffering stress-related illnesses as a result. Boomers are also feeling financially stretched because they’re supporting both their children and their aging parents. More than half of boomers still provide financial support to at least one adult child. See “Boomers: Not the American Generation Who Has Had It So Easy as You Think” for details.
This is the Best of Boomer Blogs #585. Be sure and take a look at our boomer group’s articles this week. And, do join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.
Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist
There are some great 2018 movies, but as usual too many violent movies and more movies are needed with women leads. It was good to see more racially diverse movies.
Best picture
I liked “Vice” the best. Christian Bale’s performance as former Vice President Dick Cheney is amazing. I also think “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Green Book,” “BlacKkKlansman,” and “A Star Is Born” are excellent. “Black Panther” is a good story, but it’s too violent. “Roma” is a compelling story, but it’s too slow. “The Favourite” is a strange movie, a made up story based on rumors that Queen Ann had a lesbian affair late in life.
Actor in a Leading Role
Christian Bale in “Vice.” Rami Malek in “Bohemian Rhapsody” also does a masterful job.
Actor in a supporting role
Richard E. Grant in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” It was nice to see a movie that was just a story and not a lot of violent fighting.
Actress in a leading role
Glenn Close in “The Wife.” Close does an excellent job portraying a writer who has a complex relationship with her profession and her husband.
Fortunately, my daughter urged me to start watching movies earlier this year. I usually wait for the list of Academy Award-nominated movies before I begin my marathon watching. I review the top movies every year to see if there’s a reduction in the amount of violence, ageism, and sexism in the latest movies. I think movies, like television, are too violent, and consumers need to take action to reduce the violent images that bombard children.
I’ve seen almost all of the movies with the most nominations. Last night, I saw the documentary short subjects. All were very good.
I have several foreign language films to watch: “Capernaum,” “Cold War,” and “Never Look Away.”
Romance scams are different from other scams. Fraudsters prey on lonely people looking to connect with someone, and the scam can often take months to develop to the point where money changes hands. The emotional harm to the victim can be even more painful than the money lost.
The use of online dating sites and apps has made romance fraud easier. Victims in the United States and Canada report losing nearly $1 billion over the last three years, and the Better Business Bureau estimates there may be more than a million victims in the U.S. Because most people don’t file complaints about romance scams with the BBB or law enforcement, this may a small number of those affected.
For years, I’ve written about the Super Bowl ads because they get so much attention. Since so many of them have been violent, ageist, and sexist, I think it’s something that consumers need to know about.
However, this year, before I evaluate the ads, I need to comment on the NFL’s attempts to smooth over its botch response to black athletes kneeling when the national anthem is played to protest police brutality and racism.
Dr. Bernice A. King, the youngest child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, came out on the field before Super Bowl LIII for the coin toss. Two civil rights leaders, Ambassador Andrew Young and U.S. Representative John Lewis, joined by her.
It’s that time of year. The holidays are upon us. Hanukkah has been celebrated and today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the least daylight and the longest night. Christmas is approaching rapidly as is Kwanzaa, Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.
Celebrants
Nine-in-ten Americans — and 95 percent of Christians — say they celebrate Christmas, according to a Pew Research Center survey. These figures have generally held steady in recent years. Today, 46 percent of Americans say they celebrate Christmas as primarily a religious rather than cultural holiday.
The holiday season is here. My daughter and I have been shopping and we’re planning the Christmas Eve dinner. We’ll be having roast beef again, my son-in-law’s favorite, and making pumpkin and chocolate cream pie. The twins, now teens, like pie – finally. In years past, we’ve made birthday cake-style Christmas cakes because they didn’t like pies.
But sometimes, the holidays are tough, Carol Cassara tell us on Heart·Mind·Soul. Cassara said four of her loved ones died over this holiday and so, for her, it’s always tinged with grief. If you’re having a tough holiday, she offers some advice at “If You Don’t Feel That Holiday Sparkle.”
Cassara reports other boomer bloggers in our group are writing about:
About 500 million Marriott customers appear to have had their credit or debit card numbers stolen four years ago.
These consumers are at risk for existing account fraud and should consider requesting a new card. All consumers should check their monthly credit card and bank statements.
“The Marriott breach raises serious questions about Marriott’s data security and its response,” said Mike Litt, consumer campaigns director for U.S. PIRG, a public interest organization. “For starters, how did Marriott’s data breach go unnoticed for four years?”
