I have known this amazing woman for 69 years. She has dedicated her life to taking care of children with special needs, especially the blind. She is a great friend to Leah. She has a special place in the hearts of Christopher and Katy. She gives of herself unconditionally to people, to her church and to her community. She is a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and aunt. Her many friends adore her. She is one of the most caring and giving people I know. Most of all she is accepting. Accepting without judgement. I am blessed to have her as my sister. Happy Birthday Nancy.
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The following story from Fox News exemplifies the good, the bad and the ugly that our society has become.
A 10-year-old girl was spat on by a Los Angeles Kings fan while she was wearing an Edmonton Oilers jersey at the teams’ playoff matchup in Southern California, Edmonton winger Evander Kane says.
Cecily Eklund, who was diagnosed with brain cancer at age six, attended Game 3 on Friday at Crypto.com Arena as a guest of Kane and the Ben Stelter Fund, as she has grown a friendship with Kane since her treatment. However, she was subjected to “gross and completely unacceptable” behavior by at least one Kings fan, Kane claimed. “My dear friend [Cecily] got to go on an amazing trip to LA last week that created some incredibly fun memories. But some of her experience in LA, specifically at Game 3 was not. I’m disgusted and appalled at what happened to this amazing little girl in the stands and in a woman’s restroom where she was harassed for wearing her jersey and was spit on by an LA fan for doing so,” Kane wrote on Instagram, via the Daily Hive. “This type of behaviour is gross and completely unacceptable. For any young girl especially someone battling cancer to be treated in such a manner is pathetic. Grow up and as this smart young lady always says BE KIND!”
If there is a silver lining to the harsh allegations, a bulk of Kings fans have made up for someone else’s wrongdoing by donating thousands to Eklund’s charity.
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It was all over the news yesterday that former Michigan House Speaker Rick Johnson pleaded guilty Tuesday to accepting more than $100,000 in bribes to expedite the approval of medical marijuana business licenses.
During a Tuesday arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Phillip Green in Grand Rapids, Johnson admitted taking cash and other benefits from lobbyists and others while chairing the state’s now-defunct medical marijuana licensing board from 2017 to 2019. Johnson, 70, could face up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in the next few months. His court comments were limited to brief responses to the judge, and he and his attorney did not take reporters’ questions following the hearing.
With AG Nessel’s investigation into former Michigan Speaker of the House, Lee Chatfield in full swing, there is a strong possibility Michigan might have two of its former Speakers in jail at the same time.
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The following story from the NY Times today should not be a surprise to anyone. Although the story is about New York City, it can apply to every city in the country.
Rapidly rising interest rates have intensified concerns that the New York City office market, the largest in the country and a pillar of the city’s economy, could be at grave risk. That one-two punch could be worse than anything corporate landlords have experienced before, experts on the sector say, leading major banks and real estate analysts in recent weeks to warn that languishing properties along with falling property values and higher borrowing costs could increase the odds of a recession nationally and a budget crisis for the city.
More than two-thirds of all commercial real estate loans are held by small- and medium-size banks, prompting concern that regional banks might be unable to withstand a wave of defaults if landlords cannot pay off loans. Some analysts have forecast a dim future for city centers, likening the crisis to the slow death of many American shopping malls.
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If you have some extra money lying around that would allow you to buy something unique and special, you might consider the following as reported by The Guardian.
For more than 30 years, Freddie Mercury’s London home has been untouched, a shrine to the legendary superstar of the rock band Queen who died in 1991 at the age of 45.
Now its contents – from Mercury’s dazzling stage costumes and handwritten lyrics to paintings and beautiful objects collected on his travels – are to go on show in London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong ahead of being sold at auction.
Among the items are a crown modelled on St Edward’s crown, which will be worn by King Charles at his coronation next weekend, and an accompanying cloak made of red velvet, fake fur and rhinestones. Mercury wore the outfit for the final rendition of God Save the Queen, which ended the band’s last live performance at Knebworth in 1986.
Also included are the star’s handwritten working lyrics to We are the Champions, Queen’s greatest anthem that was sung by arm-waving fans at live performances, including the crowd of 72,000 at the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium in 1985. The item is expected to fetch up to £300,000. See my Video of the Day
Mercury’s home, Garden Lodge in Kensington, was his haven from his flamboyant public persona, a place that friends could visit and stay. He filled it with works of art, including Victorian paintings and pieces by 20th-century artists, glasswork, and Japanese art and fabrics. See my Quote of the Day.
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Quote of the Day: “I like to be surrounded by splendid things … exquisite clutter,” Freddie Mercury
Orchid of the Day: The Los Angeles Kings’ fans who made up for someone else’s wrongdoing by donating thousands to Cecily Eklund’s charity.
Onion of the Day: The Los Angeles Kings’ fan who spit on 10-year-old Cecily Eklund because she was wearing and Edmonton Oilers jersey.
Question of the Day: What kind of person would spit on a 10-year-old child just because they are wearing an opponent’s jersey to a sporting event.?
Video of the Day: Queen’s performance at Live Aid side by side with the scenes from Bohemian Rhapsody. The real Freddie Mercury is on the left.