An Ode to the Oddities in My Head

1. I went to the Hallmark store recently to buy a bunch of birthday cards for the coming weeks. The terms of my loan run for 3 years.
2. I find that whenever I ask someone how to do something that they know and I don’t, the instructions always seem to start with, “You just…” That’s when I know I am in trouble, because whatever they are doing never seems to work the same way for me.
3. Do you know how hard it is to find pantyhose these days? I know, I know, nobody wears pantyhose, but for a semi-formal wedding with a black dress, I didn’t want my pasty white legs showing. It has always been tough for me to buy pantyhose. When you are short and heavy, the pantyhose that fit around your hips are about two feet too long. And the ones that are the right fit for your legs come up between your knees and your crotch. Don’t give me those dreaded control top versions: I can’t get them over my hips and, if I could get them on, I couldn’t even think about taking them down for a trip to the bathroom. Gone are the days of buying L’Eggs in the egg-shaped package. What was the significance of that branding anyway? Did the pantyhose hatch?
4. If I ran for office, part of my platform would be that all toilets must be “comfort height” as the higher ones are described. And public restrooms would require grab bars or something that would make it easier to use the toilets. I am accustomed to the higher type toilets in my house and using a public restroom makes me feel like I am squatting over a hole in the floor. And while we are at it, why do we call them “restrooms?” Who goes there to rest?
5. Why is it that the days of the week all incorporate the word “day” but the months of the year don’t include the word “month?” I guess we have to figure out that they are months.
6. I liked the days when I could find the Yankee game on good old WPIX in the New York area. I could turn it on, listen to a few commercials for Ballantine, and enjoy the game. Now finding the game is like a scavenger hunt. Is it on the Yankee Network? Possibly, unless it is the featured game on ESPN or another network. Or it could be on Prime Video, a streaming network. Or Peacock, or some other place I can forget to look. The olden days were so much simpler for sports fans.
7. And speaking of the Yankees, the baseball season for me ends when the Yankees lose. After that happens (which seems to be every year), I no longer watch. At least I won’t be staying up late to watch games. Bring on college basketball!
8. We seem to agonize over which color to pick when we paint a room. But before long, they all look the same anyway, unless you choose a bold color for an accent wall. Otherwise, it is impossible to tell the difference between countless shades of gray or beige.
9. Why do we need two ways to spell “gray?” “Grey” and “gray” have exactly the same meaning, don’t they? Why couldn’t we settle on one version?
10. The other day my weight was down a pound. That must have been a good haircut the night before!
11. I got a new picture taken so I could renew my passport. You can’t wear glasses or smile in the picture, and with the bags under my eyes not obscured by glasses, I looked like an ad for Botox or cosmetic surgery – before! I guess the passport police don’t let you smile because if they need to track you down, they can use your passport picture as a mug shot. Look for mine in the post office!
 12. My nail salon is very quiet: no people talking loudly on their phones or with each other or engaging in conversations with the nail techs. The sound there comes from the whirring of the grinders and sanders and polishers, sounds that you would expect to hear in a workshop or dental office! And to relax clients, there are large monitors showing colorful fish swimming amid coral, snowcapped mountains, seaside vistas and even views of earth from space. The one scene that perplexes me is the shot of complicated, winding highways, with dozens of ramps and curves that immediately make me nervous, even though I’m not driving. Stick to the scenic views!
13. My dentist cleaned my teeth the other day. He shot so much water into my mouth that I should have worn a cape like I wear at the hair salon instead of a useless paper bib! And, by the way, his name is Dr. Chu – a great name for a dentist!
14. Can we talk for a minute about actress Diane Keaton, who died last week? We should all wish that we would be as beloved as this independent, talented woman, who could be a dramatic actress (as in “The Godfather,” all three of them) or a comic actress (as in countless Woody Allen and Nancy Meyers films). In every interview, she exuded a quirky charm, humility and grace. Her iconic style – menswear, large belts and her trademark hats (See “Annie Hall”) – was unique to her. She was not just likable on the screen; she seemed like someone you could join for lunch and have a wonderful time. Her legacy is dozens of movies that viewers will enjoy for generations. Since she passed away, I have already watched several of her movies, and viewing “The Family Stone” this year during the holidays will take on a special significance. Thanks for the memories, Diane Keaton.
15. I must also salute one of my all-time favorite actors, Robert Redford, who passed away recently. He was extraordinarily handsome; his Sundance Kid poster hung on the walls of my bedroom. He was also a terrific actor. I loved him in the big movies, like “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “The Sting,” and I have seen “All the President’s Men” too many times to count. But watch him in “Three Days of the Condor” and “The Electric Horseman,” and laugh with him in “Barefoot in the Park” or “The Hot Rock” to see his range. And then there’s “The Way We Were.” When Barbra Streisand touches his face and hair in the final scene across from the Plaza Hotel, millions of women (including me) swooned. Now that was a love story! RIP, Sundance.
16. With Taylor Swift always making news AND music, I realized that I knew very little about her work. So lately I have listened to her music on Sirius Radio (until they discontinue her station). I knew some of the big songs they played on the radio, like “Shake It Off,” and I believed her when she declared, “We Are Never, Never, Ever Getting Back Together,” but I never explored the breadth of her catalog. I can really hear her country roots in her earlier songs, with the teenage lyrics and twangy guitars, but as she grew as an artist, her songs became more sophisticated. She has her share of angst, and, if you are one of her former boyfriends, you probably think this song is about you. But her more recent work shows a maturity and depth that I did not see coming. Normally, I listen to oldies stations, and I’m never, ever, ever going to hear Taylor Swift there – at least not for 20 years, so this experiment gets me into the Taylor Swift game.

Tina's September 2025 Movies and More

My September collection is typically eclectic, with some comedies, suspenseful dramas and interesting documentaries. Those items marked with an asterisk were new to me. Numbering picks up from previous months, and all entries are rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 as the top rating. If you leave a comment, feel free to include your name at the end so I'll know who you are. Or not.  

97. Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain* (2025, CNN) – Actress Eva Longoria offers a delicious tour of Spain, the land of her ancestors, as she discovers traditional cuisines unique to various regions and experiences new culinary delights in this 8-part series. Longoria takes great pleasure in showcasing the culinary experts of Spain and learning about their specialties and commitment to their craft. In fact, Longoria enjoyed herself so much that she discloses that she has moved to Marbella, a beautiful city on the coast of Spain, where I can personally attest to the outstanding food. If you liked Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy, you’ll love this yummy series. 3½ dishes of paella.
98. He’s Just Not That Into You* (2009, Netflix) – Follow the story of some shallow young people and their dating lives and you will share their frustration and fun. 3 cans.
99. The Girlfriend* (2025, Prime Video) – This 6-part series is full of suspense and intrigue. Robin Wright is the classy, rich art gallery owner who dotes just a little too much on her adult son. When he brings home beautiful, sexy Cherry Lane, the girl of his dreams, her red flags become his mother’s nightmare. The two psycho women develop an instant mutual distrust and try to sabotage each other’s relationship with the man in the middle. If you liked “Fatal Attraction” and “Gone Girl,” this one’s for you. 4 cans.
100. Highest 2 Lowest* (2025, Apple TV+) – Denzel Washington plays powerful music executive David King, an aptly named mogul who is on top of the world. He has fame and fortune, literally sitting on top of the world in his gorgeous penthouse overlooking Manhattan, with his beautiful wife Pam and beloved son Trey. Everything is perfect – except for some potential financial setbacks, but none of that matters when his son and his son’s friend are kidnapped. This thriller takes us on car and foot chases as the police follow the case with King and company staying a step ahead of them. Considered the “best ear in the business,” King hears something in the kidnapper’s messages to him that gives him a big clue on how to get his son back safely. Spike Lee directs the thriller and Denzel is convincing as a man who knows how to get what he wants. 3½ cans.
101. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale* (2025, Manville Cinema) – After six seasons on TV, two follow-up movies and the death (in real life) of Downton’s matriarch, the unforgettable Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess Violet, we have finally reached the finale of this esteemed and precious franchise. It is 1930 and so much has changed. The characters routinely ride in cars and use the telephone; the downstairs staff is reduced in size (where’s another footman when you need one?), and the natural progression of responsibilities has come about for the family. Lady Mary is due to take over running the estate, just as Mr. Carson and Mrs. Patmore (now Mrs. Mason) are scheduled for retirement. It isn’t easy for some folks to let go (Lord Grantham), but it also won’t be easy for viewers who loved the series (raising my hand) to bid these characters farewell. The film brings together past, present and future with plenty of heart, with a few genuine chuckles along the way. Godspeed, dear Downton, and thanks for the joy you have provided us for these many years. 4 cans.
102. Remember the Day (1941, Cable TV) – Beloved teacher Miss Trinell (Claudette Colbert) adores her students, but one young man stands out from the class. Years later, that student, Dewey Roberts, has just been nominated for President and Miss Trinell goes to his reception at a Washington hotel to see him after many years. As she waits, she recalls their time as teacher and student, her love affair with a fellow teacher and her memories of days gone by. There’s not a lot of action here, but the sweetness and innocence were a welcome change from action movies and the news. I probably first saw this one as part of the “Million Dollar Movie” on WOR (the series whose theme was the music from “Gone with the Wind”) back in the 1960s. 2½ cans.
103. The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019, Cable TV) – This is the sweet story of race car driver Denny (Milo Ventimiglia), his dog Enzo (perfectly voiced by Kevin Costner), his wife Eve (Amanda Seyfried) and his daughter Zoe. Denny and Enzo have an unbreakable bond right from the start. The perceptive dog reluctantly welcomes Eve to the family but eventually falls in love with her. And when baby Zoe is born, Enzo becomes a watchful big brother. Denny shares his theories on car racing with his family (Enzo especially takes the information in) and leaves for races knowing Enzo will watch over his girls. I won’t ruin the story in case you haven’t seen it, but this movie doesn’t just make me cry, it makes me sob! 4 cans and a box of tissues!
104. The Unknown Number – The High School Catfish* (2025, Netflix) – Lauryn and Owen are young high school students in the throes of adolescent love at their tiny high school in Michigan. Their bliss is interrupted by a barrage of texts that are hateful and threatening, telling them to break up and suggesting that the young girl kill herself. As the texts continue, their parents go to the school, the police and the FBI for help, but to no immediate avail. The texts get sexually explicit and contain information only the two young lovers would know. Was it a jealous classmate? A cousin? High school is tough enough for kids learning to fit in and thrive socially, but these cruel messages made life even more difficult. The extent to which the texter goes is beyond belief, but this is a documentary, so all of it – including a major twist – is true. 3½ cans.
105. The Intern (2015, Cable TV) – This is NOT the Robert DeNiro you associate with “The Godfather” and “Good Fellas.”  Here he is 70-year old retired widower Ben Whittaker, whose ordered life needs a lift, so he applies for a “senior” intern position at an e-commerce clothing company led by its dynamic young founder, Jules (Anne Hathaway). Dressed in his neat business suits, always carrying a briefcase and a handkerchief, Ben is hardly the typical intern, but even with his extensive experience, he knows to defer to the boss and be ready when needed. And he is, as Jules’ personal and business lives run toward chaos, and Ben lends a helpful and guiding hand. I really like this movie as it shows that not everyone in their 70s needs to be put out to pasture and that not all up and coming entrepreneurs can make it without some support -- and a handkerchief at the ready. This movie was written and directed by Nancy Myers, and you can always count on her for contemporary charm. 4 cans.
106. All the President’s Men (1976, Cable TV) – With the passing of iconic actor and director Robert Redford, I decided to watch a few of my favorite Redford movies. This is the story of the Watergate crisis that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Redford’s Bob Woodward and Dustin Hoffman’s Carl Bernstein play two dogged reporters for the Washington Post who start with a small story about a break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate complex and unravel the dirty tricks, slush money and the role of White House officials in the plans and the cover-up. I wish a reporting team today could be as successful in revealing the truth about the current administration and lead to its legitimate ouster. 4½ cans.
107. The Sting (1973, Cable TV) – Newman, Redford, slicked back hair, fedoras and Scott Joplin music. The combination of these factors and a slick plot about a couple of grifters out to avenge the death of their pal at the hands of a mob boss with a predilection for gambling make for a clever caper movie that I had not seen for many years. 4 cans.
108. Fisk, Season 3* (2025, Netflix) – This quirky Australian comedy centers around a woman (Fisk) who serves as an attorney in a small law firm. She wears the same bland, brown suit every day and she has to deal not only with annoying clients, but also with her officemates and her father and his male partner. I loved the first season, but I think this series may have worn out its welcome. 3 cans.
109. The Baltimorons* (2025, Montgomery Cinema) – Poor, hapless Cliff (Michael Strassner) can’t even kill himself successfully! When he goes with his fiancée to her family’s Christmas Eve gathering, he runs into the door frame and loses a tooth. Desperately seeking a dentist, he ends up with Didi (Liz Larsen), the only dentist who is available on the holiday, who treats his dental problem. Then his car is towed, he can’t get back to the party and the movie turns into both a buddy movie and a rom-com with Cliff and Didi going all over Baltimore so Cliff can perform his improv routine at a comedy club. This younger, lost but charming guy doesn’t fit with a middle-aged dentist, but the two hit it off after spending most of the day running around the city. You can wait until this movie is available to stream, but it is worth seeing. 3½ cans.
110. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry* (2023, Prime Video) – Harold (Jim Broadbent) and his wife Maureen (Penelope Wilton) lead a quiet life in England. She cooks and cleans the house and he takes out the trash. When he gets a brief note from “Queenie,” an old work friend, letting him know she is in hospice care, he decides to send her a note and sets off on foot to mail it in town. But a young woman tells him the story of her aunt, whom she “saved” by having faith in her recovery, and suddenly, Harold hits the road, determined to walk the 500 miles to see her in person. After a few days, he lets his wife know about his plan and she thinks he is crazy, but he is resolute, even calling the hospice so they can encourage Queenie know to hang on and wait for his arrival. Along the way, he meets a whole series of kind people who inspire him and are inspired by him, and the truth of his painful past and his friendship with Queenie are revealed. Although my feet hurt just watching his elderly man walk, it was a revelatory journey. 3½ cans. 

See You in September!

1. Now that we have to do practically everything online, why do I still have so much paper in this house? Remember when you would write a check with those carbonless copies and retain the copy? Or when you received the cashed checks back to retain them for your files? I had copies of checks from banks that no longer exist. I purged them all (or so I thought) each time I moved, but there would always seem to be a few that came along for the ride. I also used to save the receipts I got from the ATM machine; now they aren’t available. So at least a few sources of paper have been eliminated, but why do I still have so much?
2. My local ShopRite is reorganizing the aisles in the store. I wish they would ask me if they are doing it right. Just when I finally can remember where the Parmalat milk is located, they are going to move it again. Some of us are creatures of habit, so please don’t change anything!
3. The guy checking out ahead of me at ShopRite the other day had no bags to put his groceries in, he forgot his ShopRite card AND his glasses, so he couldn’t see well enough to enter his phone number into the terminal for identification. What a mess!
4. This morning I heard the song that my freshman year roommate at Douglass selected as her wedding song at her nuptials after her sophomore year – “Run Around Sue.” I don’t think the marriage lasted much longer than the song!
5. What does an emu have to do with insurance? That Liberty Insurance commercial with Lemu the Emu is so annoying! But I guess it is effective since I remember the company name.
6. Remember when you could go to the “Travel Size” bins in the store and find deodorant, shampoo and other necessities for 99 cents? Man, those days are over. You might as well buy the full size and portion it into a smaller bottle. I know I’m not paying $4 for a tiny bottle of shampoo!
7. This summer was filled with tennis watching for me. I watched Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in the French Open and then lose to him at Wimbledon. They were matched up again at the US Open, with Alcaraz taking the crown. Sinner is 24 and Alcaraz 22. If they stay healthy, these two superb players will be providing tennis fans with about 15 more years of great tennis.
8. Do you think the term “cul de sac” is actually French? I don’t remember that phrase from the 4 years of French I had in high school.  Of course, I can barely remember that I TOOK 4 years of French in high school! It has been 57 years since I graduated from good old Somerville High School – SHS, we are the best! Pioneers forever!
9. I can’t seem to open anything these days – bottles and wrapped food seem impenetrable to me. When the package claims it is “Easy to open,” I know I’m in trouble. A wrench, pliers, bottle openers, rubber thingys – nothing seems to help. I’m losing my competence and confidence at the same time!
10. I love to watch food shows on TV, whether they feature competitions or highlight specific chefs at restaurants, diners, drive-ins and dives. I find it fascinating that chefs can take random ingredients and, using their culinary know-how, create mouth-watering dishes. The only drawback of these shows is that I can’t TASTE the food. I wish I had a fork and a way to grab a bite of these delicious-looking concoctions.
11. As I said, I love the food shows, but the Halloween baking shows with scary and spooky cakes are not my thing. I’m already scared by the thought of the calories these concoctions carry!
12. My credit card was "compromised" recently so I had to notify the credit card company so they could send me a new one. The new one doesn’t expire until 2030. Let’s hope I don’t expire before the card does! And what a pain! I had to try to recall all of the subscriptions, etc., that bill directly to that card, including EZPass, Norton, Sirius radio, Microsoft, media and newspapers and so on. Our technology is wonderful – except when it isn’t.
13. I had a RING camera installed at my front door. The thing works fine, except that it gets all excited when the lawn service guy rides by on the mower. It can’t wait to let me know there is someone at my door – repeatedly! Thank God I figured out how to turn off the audio!
14. Sometimes it pays to be a hoarder. I always stashed away most of the clothes I outgrew, thinking that someday I might fit into them again. After a considerable weight loss this year, I have gone shopping in the bins in the basement where jeans of every size have sat patiently waiting for an eventual reunion, and that time is now. (Classic jeans don’t go out of style, right?) But will I store the jeans that are too large in case I need them again in the future – God forbid? Who knows? I have already traipsed to Good Will several times to donate some of the clothes – even things that now fit but which I know I won’t wear again. Even things that I never wore and still have the tags on. But the rest can relax until I make up my mind. I’m just glad I kept the stuff I didn’t think I would ever be able to wear again!
15. I’m going to be 75 in October (even I can’t believe it), but I still have a collection of baseball caps and sweatshirts that I don’t recall my mother wearing when she hit 70, so I really don’t look or feel my age. Except that body parts are failing (hence my left knee replacement in May with the right knee replacement looming) and my hair is no longer thick and full. I have less hair on my head and more on my chin, and I object to this age-related transition. I also object to hearing the phrase, “Considering your age…” from doctors who want us to just accept that we are getting older. Aging isn’t easy, but it beats the alternative!
16. After a year apart, a knee replacement for each of us and various health challenges that made a get-together impossible, reuniting with my BFF this month was especially sweet. We have been friends since the first day of our freshman year at Douglass, 57 years and counting, and except for during the pandemic, we have never gone this long without seeing each other. I took my new knee to the highway and headed her way, arriving stiff but intact 4 hours later. Seeing her was well worth the trip.

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Tina's August 2025 Movies & More

This month's collection features murder mysteries, sure-bets with Tom Hanks and Helen Mirren, the debut of a funny series with a bright comedian, documentaries about an iconic sports star and a man whose tragic end deprives us of a promising future and many more. You have an extra day this weekend so use it wisely. Those items marked with an asterisk were new to me. Numbering picks up from previous months, and all entries are rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 as the top rating. If you leave a comment, feel free to include your name at the end so I'll know who you are. Or not. 

86. Leanne* (2025, Netflix) – I am a big fan of comedian Leanne Morgan, a down-home woman from Tennessee whose act focuses on her family and is easily relatable for women in their 50s. Her new sitcom capitalizes on her experiences but broadens the scope, as she deals with a cheating husband, aging parents, grown children and her sometimes wild sister (Kristen Johnson). I binged all 16 episodes the day it was released (each one is only around 20 minutes), and it grew on me. There is plenty of contemporary humor and references to make it fresh and funny. This show isn’t a classic comedy like Friends, but I found it cute and funny. Leanne always looks perplexed by the events going on around her, and Kristen Johnson’s Southern accent seemed to drift in and out, but the show is well-cast and amusing. Whenever season 2 comes around, I’ll be ready to binge. 3½ cans.
87. The Rebound* (Netflix, 2008) – Sandy (a stunning Catherine Zeta-Jones) is a dedicated, suburban, stay-at-home wife and mom to two young children when she catches her husband cheating on her. She quickly divorces him and moves with her kids to New York City. She almost immediately gets a good job and hires Arum Finklestein (Justin Bartha), the 25-year-old kid from the nearby coffee shop, to babysit her children. After going out on a series of disastrous fix-up dates, she realizes that she would rather spend her time at home. Arum is adorable, great with the kids – and 15 years younger than Sandy. Do I have to spell it out for you? This wasn’t a great movie, but it was light and sweet and I enjoyed it. 3½ cans.
88. Taurasi* (2025, Prime Video) -- Love her or hate her, Diana Taurasi is one of one when it comes to basketball. She's a fiery competitor who will knock down opponents and 3-pointers. She was always barking at the refs and was known to “welcome” new players to the WNBA with an elbow to the gut. 6-time Olympic Gold Medalist, 3-time WNBA Champ with Phoenix, 3-time National Champ with UConn, Taurasi retired this year as the all-time scoring leader in the WNBA. This 3-part documentary tells the story of a woman who loved playing basketball and became an icon. 3½ cans.
89. Mr. and Mrs. Murder* (2025,Huly) – Two young, vibrant couples, close friends and hunting buddies, seem happy, until suddenly one of them disappears, apparently drowned while hunting ducks alone on a nearby lake filled with alligators. That sounds like a fairly simple case, although no body was found. The assumption was that the gators got him. Or did they? This is a captivating documentary that covers years of investigation by the authorities, urged on by the dead man’s family and the wife of the other couple. 3½ cans.
90. Sullivan’s Crossing, Season 3* (2025, Netflix) – I discovered this show recently, when Netflix began streaming seasons 1 & 2. Now the third season of popular program about a closeknit community in Nova Scotia is available so I continued watching. Despite its predictable plots, it is a pleasant show with characters you become invested in. Inevitably, someone will face a big accident or a disease; there will be a natural disaster of some sort; and the main character, Sully (Scott Patterson), will almost lose his beloved campground for whatever reason, only to have things work out in the end. And you can count on Dr. Maggie Sullivan (Megan Cohan) and her love Cal (Chad Michael Murray) to go through relationship woes, but somehow it all stays together, despite the evidence of any visible means of support for the former doctor and lawyer. Season 3 ended on a big cliffhanger, but season 4 hasn’t even been produced yet, so it looks like a long time before we find out what happened. I’m ready when they are. 3½ cans.
91. Fit for TV: The Reality of the Biggest Loser* (2025, Netflix) – I will admit that I was a faithful follower of NBC’s reality show about obese people trying to lose weight. In most cases, they did just that, sometimes shedding more than half of their body weight. It always struck me that if someone gets on the scale and is down 26 pounds in a week, that cannot be healthy. These folks not only ate a restricted number of calories, but the trainers on the show – Bob and Jillian – pushed them beyond reasonable limits, forcing them to exercise for up to 8 hours a day, shaming them and shouting in their faces, all under the guise of helping them. Many of them ended their stint on the show with slim, trim bodies, and some remained that way after the show ended, but not everyone. Featured in this 3-part documentary were some people who kept the weight off, while others looked heavier than ever. The producers of “The Biggest Loser” were there to make a TV show, not to provide medical guidance. They, as well as the trainers, come across badly in this show, in some cases pushing caffeine pills, and in other cases just humiliating the contestants. This is NOT the way to lose weight! 3½ cans.
92. American Prince: JFK Jr.* (2025, CNN) – The Kennedy family has always been intriguing, filled with possibilities and tragedy. This 3-part look at John F. Kennedy Jr. covers mostly his last few years, when he decided to start a political magazine called George. He married Carolyn Bessette, tried to avoid the paparazzi and ultimately was killed while flying his wife and her sister to a family wedding in Massachusetts. The program includes interviews with his friends and associates and the wife of his late cousin, Anthony Radziwill, his best friend. This rugged, handsome and charming young man was just entering the prime of his life. Would he have entered politics, the family business, and become an important figure? Who knows? But the loss of such a vibrant man with endless possibilities remains a painful piece of Kennedy history. 3½ cans.
93. Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print* (2025, HBO) – 50 years ago, women’s magazines featured articles on recipes, fashion, taking care of the home and catering to the husband or family. Then along came Ms. Founded by writer Gloria Steinem and other feminists, Ms. tackled subjects that previously were overlooked or ignored, such as equal pay and rights for women, abortion, domestic violence and sexual harassment. Many women felt affected by these topics, most of which were not discussed publicly. This documentary traces the founding and development of Ms. Magazine and its importance in opening up dialogue and giving women a voice. It is sad that so many of society’s ills and inequities still exist today. Don’t get me started! 3½ cans.
94. A Man Named Otto (2022, HBO) – Starting my day with almost any Tom Hanks movie is a good thing. Here Hanks is taciturn Otto, a widower living in a community and fending off developers who want the land to build luxury condos. Otto makes his daily rounds, sorting out recycling gone wrong, enforcing the community rules and refusing to engage with strangers and even most neighbors. Eccentric? Yes, until Marisol and Tommy move across the street. They somehow penetrate his shell and open him up to having a life again since he is still mourning the death of his beloved wife. He even adopts a cat. I never read the book this movie is based on, but the film stands on its own merits, with Tom Hanks doing his best to be an ornery old man. 4 cans.
95. Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022, HBO) – It was nice visiting my Downton friends again, and I felt like rewatching this movie was a prerequisite for the new Downton movies due in theaters in September. The plot is constructed to give each player a chance to be featured. The Dowager Countess (Dame Maggie Smith) unexpectedly inherits a villa in the South of France from an old suitor and several members of the family go to check the place out. Meanwhile, back at Downton, Lady Mary is supervising a movie crew that is using the estate for a silent movie, much to the delight of the servants who are enamored with the idea of movie stars in their home and much to the consternation of former butler Mr. Carson, who is shipped off to France to stay out of the producer’s hair. The Crawleys need the money: the Downton roof is leaking, and the producers offer plenty of cash to cover its replacement. Is Lord Grantham actually the son of Violet’s suitor; will married Lady Mary fall for the dashing director in the absence of her traveling husband; and is loyal servant-turned local schoolmaster Mosley capable of doctoring the movie script? Creator Julian Fellowes promises that the new Downton Abbey movie is the last Downton Abbey movie, and I have its debut date marked on my calendar. 3½ cans.
96. Thursday Murder Club* (2025, Netflix) – There aren’t that many roles for actors of a certain age, so grouping together such notable performers as Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie in a movie that shows they aren’t quite over the hill yet seemed like a good idea, I guess. I also guess that this movie about the residents of a lovely British retirement home who enjoy solving murders will be the first of a franchise. Mirren steals the show. 3 cans.

August Amusements

 1.    There was a lot of excitement in baseball last week when Jen Pawol made her major league debut as an umpire, the first woman ever to work in a regular season MLB game. While I am happy for her, the fact is that I have been watching major league baseball since 1959. You mean to tell me that there were NO WOMEN during that 66-year period who could have qualified to be an umpire? Come on! Let Jen be the first of many qualified women to umpire in the Bigs!
2.    Did you hear the news that Bed Bath & Beyond is coming back from bankruptcy and opening stores again? How many of you ditched those ubiquitous blue coupons when the store closed? Not me! I kept the faith – and the coupons. When they are ready to open a store near me, I’ll be there with a fistful!
3.    I did the unthinkable the other day! When cleaning out my freezer – which contained more ice packs for various body parts than it did food – I threw out Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies of an indeterminate date. I know they are supposed to last forever if kept frozen, and the fact that I had stashed them and refrained from eating them was a monumental achievement, but what if they really aren’t good? Do I really want to die from eating old Girl Scout cookies? What would my nutritionist say? I didn’t want to donate them for fear of poisoning someone, so into the garbage they went. I nearly shed a tear…
4.    The other day I read a story about something that happened to an “elderly” woman. She was later reported to be 68. I was 68 nearly 7 years ago, so what does that make me? What is older than elderly? Decrepit? Dancing around death’s door?
5.    Speaking of which, recently I went to Kohl’s on a Wednesday and the cashier automatically gave me the Senior Discount (that was a $17 saving!). I asked her what age was to be considered a senior and she said she actually didn’t know. I guess I look old enough that she assumed I qualified. I’ll take it.  
6.    Although the screen in my car is probably larger than my first TV, and it is so beautifully clear, I still find myself turning around to look over my shoulder when I back up. Force of habit.
7.    Nothing humbles me more than doing the daily Spelling Bee and finding so few words. Then I look up Spelling Bee from the day before, only to see how many obvious choices I missed!
8.    My neighbor loves her wind chimes. But when I hear them, I immediately think the ice cream man is in the neighborhood. Nothing could make a kid stop dead in his tracks and sprint back to the house for money more than the sound of the Good Humor man, ready to dole out those chocolate eclairs! 
9.    I watched the recently-concluded season of “The Gilded Age” and I am grateful that the practice of wearing dresses with bustles no longer exists. I don’t think I would be able to pull that off. And while we are on the subject of this sumptuous period drama, I will voice my usual objection to the lack of light in the program. I can hardly determine which character is on screen because so many of the scenes look dark. Lighten up, folks!
10.    I demand to know who has been sneaking into my house and leaving silver hair in my hairbrush. That can’t be mine, can it?
11.    The other day my Echo Dot stopped working, the latest in a series of failures. Once I determined that it was the device, not my network, I simply ordered another one from Amazon. My new dot arrived within hours, and I set it up in a minute. Maybe the name of the company should be Amazing instead of Amazon. I love the service, even as I am appalled by the extravagant wedding founder Jeff Bezos threw himself and his new bride. It was a display of disgustingly conspicuous consumption – and I’m sure I chipped in my part!
12.    By now, you all probably know I have a new 2025 Mercedes. Her name is Victoria, and she is quite friendly. When I get into the car, she greets me with “Nice to see you, Tina Gordon.” She has one of those voices that sounds haughty and friendly at the same time, like someone dying to get into showbiz. I can ask her questions about the weather or directions by saying, “Hey, Mercedes,” and she will respond accordingly upon hearing her name. But sometimes, when I am talking to someone on the phone or in the car, she tries to horn in on the conversation by saying, “I’m sorry, but I didn’t get that.” Right, you didn’t get it because I was not speaking to you! Big Brother?
13.    Social media like Facebook and Instagram features “Reels,” which are short videos showing everything from barbers giving haircuts to a landscape service cleaning up lawns to babies belching. Something that always captures my attention are the tiny houses. I don’t understand how people can live comfortably in 399 square feet. I’ll concede that the houses demonstrate the efficient use of space, but my winter coat would take up all of the closet space available. Yet the owners, who conduct video tours of their homes, always boast that there is a “ton” of storage, as they utilize space within the steps leading to the loft for stashing kitchen or office supplies, shoes or towels. And the loft spaces are generally not tall enough to allow an adult to stand, so occupants virtually crawl into bed and can barely sit up to read. I guess you can adjust, but a “ton” of storage? Please!
14.    In the morning, my bedroom looks like it has been ransacked. I don’t sleep well, so all that tossing and turning makes it look like there was a break-in and someone was looking for valuables. And my morning hair looks like I might have been a victim of a crime.
15.    It is three months since my knee replacement surgery and I have made good progress. I can walk up the stairs now (walking down is a different story) and getting into the car is much easier. But my knee stiffens up if I don’t move for 10 minutes, so the healing is not complete despite ongoing physical therapy and home exercises. The replacement was done in my left knee so my right leg has assumed the role of the “good leg.” But with arthritis in that leg, too, it looks like I’m facing another knee replacement in my future. I’m holding off until next year – after basketball season. I need a leg to stand on, so Mr. Left Knee had better get better and step up to the job!
16.    Every year I look forward to the Kennedy Center Honors. I mark my calendar when the broadcast date is announced and I post promos on my Facebook page to alert my friends to the air date so they don’t miss it. But now that the President has installed himself not only as the chairman of the prestigious Kennedy Center but also has declared himself the host of the event (Walter Cronkite is turning over in his grave), I will not be watching. Apparently, it is more important to be in political lockstep with the president than to have achieved artistic greatness in music, dance, or the other arts. In fact, he fancies himself as a future honoree, though I am trying to figure out what contribution he has ever made to the arts. Sadly, I will not be marking my calendar this year, nor watching the show nor promoting it online. I hope viewership plummets so he can’t brag about that, either. I will miss my December tradition – I don’t think I have ever missed the show since its inception – and apologies to new inductee Gloria Gaynor, but I will survive without having to watch a phony blowhard pretend that he has any class or culture. I’m done.

Tina's July 2025 Movies and More

This month was full of mystery and murder, comedy and sports, and a few of my all-time favorites, along with an outstanding two-part documentary on one of my favorite artists. Those items marked with an asterisk were new to me. Numbering picks up from previous months, and all entries are rated on a scale of 1-5 cans of tuna fish, with 5 as the top rating. If you leave a comment, feel free to include your name at the end so I'll know who you are. Or not.

71. Cast Away (Cable TV) – Poor Chuck Nolan (Tom Hanks), dedicated FedEx employee, tells his girlfriend (Helen Hunt) that he’ll be right back – and then his plane crashes in the South Pacific and he spends the next 4 years using his wits to survive on a deserted island. At first, he can’t figure out how to start a fire or feed himself, but he somehow manages to endure the brutal conditions and loneliness with no other people around. I have seen this movie many times and I always marvel how a movie with so little dialog (except for Chuck’s “conversations” with the volleyball he calls Wilson) can still be so captivating. I won’t ruin it for you, but Helen Hunt has a line at the end that ALWAYS makes me tear up. This is bravura filmmaking! 4½ cans.
72. Steel Magnolias (1988, Cable TV) – No actress can portray utter anguish and determination better than Sally Field, which is why we really, really like her (think “Norma Rae” and “Places in the Heart,” her two Oscar-winning performances). Here she is Southern mother MiLynn, and we meet her and her besties as everyone prepares for the wedding of her precious daughter Shelby (Julia Roberts). The bond between these women is unbreakable and the actresses who play them bring plenty of moxie and humor to the game (Shirley Maclaine, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis and Darryl Hannah). The movie has plenty of memorable lines, lots of good-hearted humor and pathos. It’s a classic for women of a certain age (that would be me)! 4 cans.
73. Quarterback, Season 2* (2025, Netflix) – For someone who loves behind the scenes stuff AND sports, this 7-part series hits the sweet spot. This time around, the focus is on QBs Gerald Goff of the Detroit Lions, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals and Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons. These players are fierce competitors, pushing themselves on and off the field to excel physically and to lead their teams to victory. All are smart, gifted and handsome. Being a pro football player is not an easy job for the player or his family. Both Cousins and Goff have played in multiple cities, which means uprooting the family. Burrow has had to fight his way back from severe injuries. The documentary traces the 2024-2025 season, where, despite thrills and chills, none of these teams made it to the Super Bowl. Better luck next year! 3½ cans.
74. One Night in Idaho* (2025, Prime Video) – This 4-part documentary is the sobering tale of four fun-loving college students who were murdered in their small college town of Moscow, Idaho. Were these random murders or did the killer target these particular students? Why did two other people in the house escape unharmed? This series spends most of its time talking to friends and families of the victims, showing their profound loss of loved ones and the rippling effect of actions by both the law enforcement authorities and amateur sleuthing by people on social media who were fascinated with the case. The murderer was arrested in Pennsylvania, had a few ties to the campus as a grad student attending nearby Washington State University and a deep interest in criminal behavior. My heart broke for the families who lost their children and equally for the close-knit friends whose lives with never be the same as they all lost their innocence and ability to trust on that fateful November, 2022, night. 4 cans.
75. Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel* (2025, Netflix) – This Netflix series likes to capture the hot topics, which are so current in some cases that even people who pay attention to our society’s craziness have never heard of them. Sure, I remember the American Apparel stores, but they were geared to people a generation younger than me. Chain founder Dov Charney built the brand by brute force, intimidating his employees and forcing them to work long hours, hiring and promoting on a whim, and firing just as fast. He was also sexually exploiting them for his own pleasure under threats that they would lose their jobs. Great guy, huh? You know that anything that rises as fast and furiously as this company is inevitably headed for a fall, so when the AA world comes crashing down, no one should be surprised. 3½ cans.
76. Her Last Broadcast: The Abduction of Jodi Huisentruit* (2025, Hulu) – Jodi Huisentruit was an attractive young woman working for a TV news station in small-market Mason City, Iowa, when she left for work very early one morning – and vanished. This 3-part documentary series rehashes the events from 30 years ago, as authorities checked out a few clues left behind, but to no avail. Was her abduction at the hands of a man who wanted a relationship with her? The husband of a woman in the area? This examination gets bogged down in the details (especially in the 3rd part), and, although the dedicated law enforcement people have relentlessly investigated this case for 30 years, there is still no answer to what happened. 3 cans
77. Sullivan’s Crossing* (2023-2025, CW and Netflix) – If you liked Virgin River, this is the series for you. Maggie (Morgan Kohan) is a neurosurgeon in Boston whose estranged father Sully runs a campground in bucolic Nova Scotia. When Maggie’s medical practice comes under fire, she returns to her home there to get away from everything and make peace with her crusty but kind-hearted father (Scott Patterson, who played Luke on Gilmour Girls). Brooding but handsome Cal (Chad Michael Murray) is around as the mystery man who becomes her love interest, even though she intends to go back to her fiancée in Boston. There are plenty of predictable plots here – natural disasters, money problems, medical emergencies – but you know that in the end, everyone will survive. Morgan Kohan plays Maggie, and the town around her includes former wives, friends, siblings – all kinds of people pop up as the story moves along. I can’t say I loved it, but I know Season 3 (which aired on the CW Network) will be streaming soon, and I’ll watch it to see if Sully survives the fire. My guess is yes! 3½ cans.
78.  Southpaw: The Life and Legacy of Jim Abbott* (2025, ESPN) – September 4, 1993, was a hot and humid day at Yankee Stadium as the Bronx Bombers faced the visiting Cleveland Indians with lefty Jim Abbott on the mound. I remember it well because I was there, unknowingly on hand to witness history. Until around the 7th inning, my friend Bill and I did not notice that Abbott was pitching a no-hitter. Finally, we caught on, held our breath and watched Abbott get that final out. The remarkable achievement that day was Abbott on the mound at all. Born without a right hand, Abbott became a successful pitcher at every level and that day he joined a small contingent of Yankee pitchers who had held the opposing team hitless. This E60 documentary traces Abbott’s life and career and how he inspired others to achieve their dreams – which might be as simple as tying their shoes with just one hand. This was a very moving film and for Yankee fans and others, a must-see. PS – I still have a picture I took of the scoreboard showing all those zeros and my ticket stub from the game. 4 cans.
78. Amy Bradley Is Missing* (2025, Netflix) – How can someone disappear from a cruise ship? In March of 1998, young college graduate Amy Bradley was on vacation, sharing a room with her parents and brother, and catching some fresh air on the balcony in the middle of the night when she simply vanished. Was she abducted? Was she out trying to score drugs or did she become trafficked? Did she slip and fall off that balcony? Did she commit suicide? Her family has searched, all kinds of people – official or true crime fans – have offered their opinions, but 27 years later, Amy is still missing. I wish we knew. 3½ cans.
79. Terms of Endearment (1983, cable TV) – 42 years after its release, this movie remains on my list of favorite movies of all time. The unbreakable bond between mother Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) and daughter Emma (Debra Winger) produces lots of laughter and tears. When Emma moves away with a husband Flap (Jeff Daniels), whom Aurora feels is beneath her, their bond is tested but endures through constant phone calls and occasional visits. Meanwhile, haughty Aurora takes up with her neighbor, astronaut Garrett (perfectly cast Jack Nicholson), whom she knows will disappoint her in the end. The tears start when Emma is stricken with an incurable case of cancer. This is the story of love, friendship, and strong bonds that bend but don’t break. 4½ cans.
80. Trainwreck: Bubble Boy* (2025, Netflix) – The next time you question whether truth really is stranger than fiction, just watch any of the documentaries in this “Trainwreck” series and you will understand that you CANNOT make this stuff up. When a quirky family in Colorado launches a homemade UFO, it appears that their young son sneaked on board before liftoff. There is no way to control the helium-filled balloon and no way to either communicate with the young boy or save him. But was he on board? And was this whole thing done as a publicity stunt to gain attention to the erstwhile inventor? It’s only an hour long, so check it out for yourself and then wonder why you just wasted an hour of your life, like I did. 3 cans.
81. Six by Sondheim* (2025) – Brilliant composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim discusses in detail some of his most meaningful songs in a series of interviews. If you love “Company” and “Follies” and “Sunday in the Park with George,” tune in and get the full backstory as well as the memorable performances of great songs. 3½ cans.
82. And So It Goes – Billy Joel* (2025, HBO) – This 2-part, 5-hour documentary takes a comprehensive look at Billy Joel, the songwriter, lyricist, singer, performer, husband, father and man whose music has been around for more than 50 years. I’ve always been a fan and have seen him live several times, but I never completely appreciated his extraordinary skills until this intense look at his background and the things that inspired his memorable music. He paints a picture through his work, and he touches on the moving and difficult things that have been or still are affecting his life. If you love Billy Joel, watch this documentary. If you don’t, watch it anyway. It’s that good. 5 cans, and I could really give it an entire case of tuna.
83. Trophy Wife* (Hulu, 2025) – Larry Rudolph is a dentist who amassed such a fortune (sometimes unethically, doing work that wasn’t needed), that he had big homes, showy cars, and indulged his habit for big-game hunting. And women. Although he purported to love his wife, he had a long-time girlfriend. When he would set off for a hunting expedition in Africa, his wife – herself an accomplished hunter – would sometimes accompany him. But the girlfriend grew tired of this arrangement and allegedly gave him the ultimatum to get rid of her. On a hunting trip, she was shot at close range. Accident or suicide? That’s what plays put in court. What a guy – even his friends have nothing good to say about Dr. Larry. 3½ cans.
84. Somebody Somewhere* (2025, HBO/Max) – This comedy-drama ran for 3 seasons but I had never heard of it until my sister enthusiastically recommended it. The people here are quirky to be sure, but they are also endearing. It is semi-autographical, inspired by its star, Bridget Everett, playing Sam, a woman who is dealing with family issues and looking for connections, which she finds in a family of friends. She also can sing, belting out classics or Janis Joplin. Her BFF is Joel, a conflicted gay man looking for love, though it is clear that Everett’s Sam is his real soulmate. Her sister is a drama queen, her mother has lost her mind, and the rest of the cast completes the eccentric picture. After binging all 21 episodes (30 mins each) of the three seasons, I was disappointed to learn that the show is not coming back – just as I had found a place in my heart for these people. I will miss my new friends. 4 cans.
85. Sunday Best* (2025, Netflix) – The Ed Sullivan Show was a fixture in American homes on Sunday nights, airing in the 50s until 1971. Ed came across as stiff and was easily mocked, but he had an eye for talent and personally selected the acts for his show, which highlighted Black artists such as Nina Simone, Pearl Bailey, Mahalia Jackson, Jackie Wilson, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and Sammy Davis Jr. Sullivan felt these gifted artists should receive exposure, despite the fact that some people in the South boycotted his show and advertisers to protest his inclusion of Black people. He also brought Elvis into our living rooms and introduced The Beatles to the American public. This show is a great reminder that talent knows no race or gender, and that Sullivan helped move American entertainment to a new level. 3½ cans.

Mid-Summer Ramblings

1.    Today is the 15th of July, which means summer is essentially over. Bathing suits will be immediately replaced by winter coats, and any day now Costco will be selling Christmas trees. If you didn’t get your shorts and t-shirts by now, you are probably out of luck!
2.    This morning I got up early to clean the house – so the cleaning lady could come. You know you do it, too. She doesn’t need to sort the mail or straighten the magazines. I need her to clean the floor and get rid of the cobwebs. So I got up early to properly prep so she could do the real cleaning.
3.    It is beach season, and these days getting in and out of a beach chair would be a real challenge for me. The lower they are to the sand, the more I’m going to need an ejector seat! And forget any kind of Adirondack chairs! I would need the jaws of life to get me up from one of those!
4.    Which reminds me – I am so accustomed to the higher toilet seats in my house that when I have to use a public restroom, I feel like I am squatting over a hole in the floor. All toilets should be high, and every stall should have grab bars. Spoken like a true (almost) 75-year-old!
5.    I am having trouble discerning the marketing tags put on toilet paper packages these days. How does a “mega” roll compare to an “ultra” or “super” roll? All I know is that they all seem to run out too soon.
6.    I now belong to the “We Do Not Care Club,” started online by Melani, a woman who realized how many women going through menopause, perimenopause or even post-menopause are operating with sleep deficits and brain fog that make us just not care. She proclaims that we don’t care if we wear the same clothes all week since they fit us and are comfortable, or we don’t care if we are going to a social gathering late, because we didn’t really want to go in the first place. You can find her on Facebook or Instagram, and she is popping up on newscasts, too, as her common sense humorous declarations have surged in popularity. Check her out. She is hilarious – and correct!
7.    To me, four of the scariest words in the English language are “Push down while turning” on a bottle of pills. Sometimes I think I might have to drive back to CVS to get someone there to open the damn bottle for me. 
8.    I picked up Victoria, my new car, in May, one day before my knee surgery, so the car sat alone in the garage for a few weeks while I recovered enough to get in and drive her. She must have wondered why she was pulled off the showroom floor at the local Mercedes dealership, where she had been surrounded by lots of other beautiful cars all getting plenty of attention, only to sit alone, ignored and untouched for weeks. Now we are getting to know each other better. I have found the button to air cool the seats and I have set up my favorites on the radio. I can even ask Victoria to park the car for me if I can refrain from touching the wheel or hitting the brakes. I’m not sure we have reached that level of trust yet, but some day…Meanwhile, she tries to butter me up by greeting me personally every time I get into the car. “Good morning, Tina Gordon,” or “Welcome back, Tina,” or even “Nice to see you again, Tina Gordon” are her way of building rapport.
9.    There is a new show debuting in the fall on CBS TV that is all about the goings-on at the DMV (Division of Motor Vehicles). NOBODY likes going there. There are always lines, always people in bad moods (clients AND workers), and everything takes longer than it should. Who wants to watch a comedy about that? When I first retired (at the beginning of 2007!), I went to the DMV office to renew my driver’s license. I brought enough identification cover everyone in the place (birth certificate, passport, license, PSE&G bill, etc.), and a book to read. I had all day to wait if necessary since I didn’t have to get back to work. I guarantee that I was the only relaxed and happy person there that day! 
10.    I live in a 55+ community where I’d guess the average age is at least 10 years higher than that 55 minimum. The other day I was telling someone about a woman I saw in the pool, and I described her as “an older woman with white hair.” No kidding, Tina! That describes virtually every woman here!
11.    My sister recently admitted to me that she has never eaten a Big Mac or a Whopper. I know she has been to McDonalds and Burger King with her son (both were excellent bribes for attending Hebrew school back in the day) and she has sampled the fries, but she has no desire to order a burger of any kind. I’m not a big proponent of fast food myself, but I’ll indulge myself from time to time (much less frequently these days) in a flame-broiled Whopper from Burger King. I do this so rarely that several years ago I pulled up to the drive-through at McDonalds’s and ordered a Whopper, which is made by Burger King. My knowledge of these places should continue to decline for health reasons!
12.    I have been enjoying a delightful TV food show with Eva Longoria called “Searching for Spain.” The actress, whose ancestors came from Spain, goes to various regions of the country and highlights the food traditions in each. Needless to say, everything looks scrumptious. The problem is that the show airs on CNN and every time there is breaking news, it gets pre-empted. I tried recording the repeated episodes in the middle of the night, but even they have been bumped off air by more important programming. I have been to several of the areas of Spain featured on the show. I guess I’ll have to visit the others in person if I ever want to get the whole picture!
13.    Next month my sister and I are going to Chicago to see her son and his wife, who bought a townhouse there. They had been living in a 4-story walk up apartment that reminded me of the show “Barefoot in the Park,” which goes WAY back. You had to walk up four flights of stairs just to get to their front door, which was tough for me and my knee. Their new townhouse requires just one flight to get to the front door, but the kitchen, main living area, bedrooms and rooftop deck are all on separate floors, so we still have 4 flights to climb to see the whole thing. I’d buy him a ranch house if he would let me!
14.    At the end of June I completed 20 years on the Board of the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College, including two terms as president. I also served as head of communications several times and, most recently, as Board secretary. This work was (mostly) a labor of love, as I got to take on new responsibilities and make countless new friends among alumnae whom I did not know during my time as a student. This organization was created by alumnae, is driven by alumnae and supported by alumnae. Any graduate of Douglass is automatically considered a member. If you are looking for a great way to spend your time, attend one of our events, volunteer, or make a donation to ensure that the next 100+ years will be as dynamic as the first century. As for me, I’m on a break, but I’ll probably see you at future events.
15.    I reported the following milestone on Facebook earlier this month but am repeating it here as a public service for those of you who avoid social media.
Those of you who don’t know me well may not be aware that on July 11, 2000, I underwent successful surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York to remove a cancerous tumor in my colon. The only way this growth could have been identified is through a colonoscopy, which I had to fight to have since I was just under the recommended age for the procedure at that time. Having seen newscaster Katie Couric go through a colonoscopy on TV, I knew it was what I needed and I understood the risks and what might happen. Friends, I tell you this not just to celebrate my 25-year survival, but to urge you to have a colonoscopy. Sure, the prep is brutal, but it is only a temporary inconvenience compared to discovering too late that you have colon cancer. I was one of the lucky ones; my cancer was discovered very early and did not require radiation or chemotherapy. I have had many colonoscopies, CAT scans, and other imaging as follow-ups, but now I am on a five-year schedule (though I usually go after 4 years just to be safe). Don’t put it off. A colonoscopy can save your life. It saved mine!

Tina's June 2025 Movies and More

With plenty of time on my hands as I recovered from my knee replacement surgery, I got to watch a bunch of new and old movies and some excellent documentaries in June. Numbering picks up from previous months and those items marked with an asterisk were ones I had not seen previously. The rating scale goes from a low of 1 to a high of 5 cans of tuna. Enjoy! 

58. Sherri Papini: Caught in the Lie* (2025, Max) – You may remember the story of the petite blonde married mother of two who went out for a run from her Northern California home and vanished. There was public anguish expressed by her grief-stricken husband and others about her abduction, but then, suddenly, 22 days later, she turns up on a Southern California highway, battered and bruised and back with her family. What happened? She insisted she was captured by two Hispanic women who held her hostage, but the truth was very different. She was accused of staging a hoax and spending time with a former boyfriend, whom she convinced to hurt her and brand her. She spent some time in prison for lying to the FBI, and now – with a new book due out – she has decided to flip the script and accuse her former ex-boyfriend of actually harming her. And she doesn’t spare her former husband, either, accusing him of being controlling and mean to her. Horrors! This is a woman who is not to be trusted or believed. And unless you are immersed in this case, skip this 4-part documentary because it is full of contradictions and claims that cannot be proven. 2 cans.
59. ER* (1994-2009, Hulu) – This entry should occupy far more than a single spot on my list. Over the past few months, I watched all 15 seasons, a total of 330 episodes of this medical drama that aired on NBC. With a stellar original cast of George Clooney, Anthony Edwards and Julianna Margulies, among many others, and with the grittiness of a Chicago Emergency room at a public hospital as the locale, this series was truly captivating. The stories were medical but also character-driven and it made for compelling TV. After about season 8, when the original cast left and new doctors, nurses and others joined, the stories started becoming a little tiresome. But I was committed to finishing what I started. I’m glad I watched it and equally glad I’m finally done. Before there was Grey’s Anatomy (now in its 20th season on ABC) and before House and the Pitt and other excellent medical dramas, ER ruled in this category. 4 cans.
60. Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders* (2025, Netflix) – This 3-part documentary recalls the events of 1982, when 7 people were killed in the Chicago area after taking TYLENOL Capsules that were poisoned with cyanide. Since I was working in the Communications Department of Johnson & Johnson at the time, I remember this horrifying incident well. I watched J&J voluntarily recall the product and reimburse the buyers for whatever they said they had spent. The goal was to take the product off the market and avoid additional deaths. This program primarily focuses on James Lewis, a man who was convicted of sending an extortion letter to J&J but who was never convicted of the actual murders. This series floats some possible theories, but there isn’t much new here. 3 cans.
61. Surviving Ohio State* (2025, HBO) – For athletes at Ohio State in the 1980s, especially for members of the championship wrestling team, there was no way to avoid contact with the team doctor and faculty member who watched over the health of the student-athletes. Dr. Richard Strauss ran the department for decades, and the young men in his charge did not know what to do when they were subjected to embarrassing examinations of their genitals during routine physicals, or even if they reported something as mundane as a pain in the shoulder. Strauss took care of countless male athletes, and only the female fencing coach of the men’s team raised a red flag about his practices. He routinely showered with the athletes but did so facing them instead of facing the shower. Most of the athletes felt they would lose their scholarships if they reported the odd behavior of Dr. Strauss, and they didn’t even know how to describe it, though in retrospect, they acknowledge it was sexual abuse – or worse. The show includes numerous interviews with athletes and even with a wrestling official who reported wrong-doing, but nothing was on paper, and the head coach and his assistant, now-Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, were aware of the issues and chose to ignore them. Years later, this became a court case, and only then did the number of victims come out. Strauss died long ago, but let’s hope that society has learned lessons to teach athletes and students when and how to report despicable people who use their positions to abuse them. 4 cans.
62. Jaws (1975, Peacock) – It was been 50 years since that ominous music and a mechanical shark drove us all out of the water. Steven Spielberg’s second movie looked like a sure failure, with the shark breaking down and the cost far exceeding its budget. In the movie, the local police chief (Roy Scheider) has to face down the local sheriff, who doesn’t want the shark attack to destroy the summer tourism season. So the chief teams with a shark expert (Richard Dreyfus) and a ship captain (Robert Shaw) who feel they can defeat the great white shark. We’re gonna need a bigger boat! Just seeing those kids frolicking in the water, their legs hanging down and enticing the killer beast to attack is enough to make you stay away from the beach. Credit John Williams for a score that conveys every bit of terror. 4 cans.
63. Janice Ian: Breaking Silence* (2024, PBS American Masters) – This documentary about singer/songwriter Janice Ian was wonderful. I remember her song “Seventeen” about kids that just don’t fit in, and her iconoclastic “Society’s Child,” but I didn’t realize how young she was (15!) when she started writing and performing. She knew what she wanted to do and set clear boundaries for how she would do it. Her body of work holds up well against the folk singers and writers who were her contemporaries, many of whom are interviewed here. Her reflections on the mores of society, her life as a bi-sexual woman and the quality of her work make this program well worth seeing. 4 cans.
64. Sally Ride* (2025, PBS) – Ironically-named Sally Ride was the first American woman in space when she flew a successful mission for NASA aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1983. A Stanford graduate with a reputation as a bright engineer, Ride took a chance in applying for the space program when NASA announced they were looking for a few good women. Of course, the people in charge knew little about what women astronauts might need in flight, so they provided the astronauts with a make-up kit and hundreds of tampons. Ride had to face the press and their intrusive questions, queries that the men in the program never had to answer. One question that remained unanswered was her sexual orientation. Once married to a male fellow astronaut but never having had children, Ride kept her private life private, only allowing her long-time female partner to reveal their relationship in her obituary. Exposing their relationship previously might have had a negative impact on her career, so the first the public heard about it was after her death. Sally Ride was a role model for women pursuing science as a career and her foundation encouraged young women to consider the STEM field. Interesting story about a very accomplished woman. 3½ cans.
65. Goodfellas (1990, HBO) – Martin Scorsese’s brilliant film about the mob is full of entertaining tidbits and people with no qualms about going along with the violent traditions of organized crime. Told by the true-life character Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), who eventually ratted out his mob brothers, the story shows how Hill became intoxicated with the gangster lifestyle as a kid and moved up in the ranks as he got older. Of course, Robert DeNiro is in it, along with Joe Pesci, Paul Sorvino and others, all of whom are very convincing as the goodfellas. If not for “The Godfather,” this movie would be the best mob movie of all time. 4½ cans.
66. The Founder (Netflix) – Michael Keaton is very convincing as Ray Kroc, the man most people identify as the founder of McDonald’s. To be fair, he didn’t start the enterprise, which was the baby of the McDonald brothers. Ray was a failing milkshake machine salesman who talked a good game but didn’t have much success.  When the McDonalds in San Bernadino ordered a bunch of the machines, Kroc went to visit them to understand why, and he realized that the hamburger stand was a model of efficiency. He wanted in, proposed franchising and embarked on a tempestuous relationship with the brothers. It wasn’t until a colleague tipped him off that it would be better if he bought the real estate the stores would build on and lease it back to the franchisees that the big money started to roll in. The McDonald brothers settled with Kroc, who then began to bill himself as the founder. Rather, he was a hustler, interested in expanding the brand and taking chances that the brothers would never have agreed to take. You have to credit Kroc’s vision and ambition for driving the success of the brand and establishing a model franchise, but he did it in such as underhanded way. An American success story, or just the portrait of a man whose business practices hurt the real founders? 3½ cans.
67. In & Out (1997, cable TV) – The always delightful Kevin Kline is high school English teacher Howard Brackett, a man engaged to a woman from the faculty who is outted at the Oscars by his former student (Matt Dillon) after the latter wins Best Actor. The problem is that Howard is not gay, or so he says, despite his penchant for all things Barbra Streisand. Reporter Peter (Tom Selleck) is on hand to report the story, and although Howard denies it, all signs point to the fact that he certainly SEEMS gay. Kline fights it by listening to a tape pushing his virility until he can’t take it and succumbs to the joy of dancing to “I Will Survive.” Don’t overlook the work of Joan Cusak, Howard’s patient fiancée, who, finally facing the truth, utters the line of the movie when she confronts him over the timing of his admission at the altar (“You couldn’t have picked ANY OTHER TIME to tell me???”). From Bob Newhart to Debbie Renolds, this comedy is packed with terrific actors all in on the joke. Utterly charming and with a message to match. 4 cans.
68. Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything* (2025, Hulu) – There was a time that anyone who was anyone did tell newscaster Barbara Walters everything. Famous for her ability to get interviews with the most prominent, important and socially significant people of the day, Barbara’s “gets” included everyone from pols and diplomats like Menachim Begin and Ronald Reagan to Hollywood types known for their reluctance to be interviewed, like Clint Eastwood. And she was able to close the deal to get the infamous Monica Lewinsky in her first post-Clinton interview. Beyond that, Barbara was the first woman to co-host an evening news program, had a long career at “The Today Show,” and then closed her career with the creation of “The View,” a prominent talk show which she led. Like her or hate her, Walters was everywhere for a long time and quite literally paved the way for the success of other women on TV. And it wasn’t by being warm and fuzzy. But give her credit. She was who everyone watched on TV whenever there was a big story to tell. 3½ cans.
69. My Mom Jayne* (2025, HBO) – This moving documentary is a poignant look at the life of actress Jayne Mansfield produced by her actress daughter, Marishka Hargitay, the daughter who hardly knew her. Marishka was just 3 years old when her mother was killed in a car accident that left the toddler and her siblings injured. Her father, body builder Mickey Hargitay, raised the children despite the fact that he and Mansfield had actually divorced. In her day, Jayne Mansfield was like her counterpart, Marilyn Monroe, two breathy blond bombshells better known for their figures than their acting abilities. They were characterized as “dumb blondes’’ when they were neither dumb nor blond. Marishka decides to get to know her mother, visiting the long-secured family storage unit and talking to people who knew her mother back in the day. Some of what she learns is a revelation, with footage of her mother expertly playing the violin and a piano, while other information was kept as family secrets. This is a loving tribute to a woman who was much more than a sex symbol by a daughter who grew up not knowing her. 3½ cans.
70. The Bear, Season 4* (2025, Hulu) – Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and his crazy family are back for another go-around, this time with even more at stake as the chef is working on a deadline to have his restaurant turn a profit. Also back is Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), his most trusted chef, along with cousin Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), sister Nat (Abby Elliott) and crazy mom Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis). The crew awaits its fate as they sweat out a review from a food critic and Carmy decides that the perfect menu he tried to achieve last year isn’t making business better. There is so much tension again this year that I can’t understand why this show is considered a comedy-drama. And trying to figure out who is who, who is getting married and who the hell are the Faks anyway (there’s the comic-relief), forced me to resort to finding reviews just so I could understand the plot and players. But the acting here is SO good that I can overlook some of the extra work I was forced to do. There are 10 episodes, all available for streaming on Hulu. And who knows if the show will be back next year, so enjoy it while you can! 4 cans.