This has been a brutal hurricane season. Hurricane Harvey hit Texas hard and Irma basically destroyed several Caribbean islands. Now Maria has devastated Puerto Rico: It’s possible that the power will be out for months. In addition to the Puerto Ricans suffering through this, there are people on the island who are doubly traumatized because,…
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Donate to Islands Devastated by Irma
When I was a kid, I had the good fortune to visit St. Thomas and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands more than once. They and other Caribbean islands have been badly affected by Hurricane Irma. In some places, nearly all of the housing is gone. Author Tobias Buckell put together this helpful list…
What Wendy Wore: Prada Lip Dress From 2012
On Wednesday, I went to the 50th-anniversary fundraising dinner for the State University of New York’s Educational Opportunity Program. The EOP provides college access and support to low-income students in New York State — young adults who are often the first ones in their families to go to college. These students haven’t had the advantages…
Jewels of the Month: More Signets for Rebel Women
May’s Jewels of the Month are two additional styles of my signet pinkie rings for rebel women. I introduced the first three rings of this mini-collection in March: a gold Venus symbol, a gold fist of resistance, and a silver high-heel shoe. The new styles feature a silver Venus symbol combined with a fist of…
What Wendy Wore: Three Journalism Events
I went to three journalism-related events in eight days last month! The first was a lunch for the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Courage in Journalism Awards on October 21. The IWMF describes the awards as honoring “women journalists who set themselves apart by their extraordinary bravery,” and this year’s awardees are true heroes. Mwape Kumwenda…
Throwback Thursday: Global Citizen Festival
I owe a big, belated thank you to my California-based Twitter friend John Laurente. Early last month, he asked me if I wanted his tickets to a September 27 Jay Z concert in New York that he wouldn’t be able to attend. I’d already seen Jay Z twice, but I was up for a third…
Hal Finney, Privacy, and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
As I’ve mentioned before, I like to read the obituaries in the print edition of the New York Times — the physical act of turning the pages draws my attention to stories that I wouldn’t necessarily click online. Monday, I read an obituary for cryptographer Hal Finney, who died last week at age 58 from…
What Wendy Wore: Holiday Party, ’20s Style
MrB and I were invited to the Fresh Air Fund’s ’20s-themed fundraising dinner last night, so I got out the beaded ’20s-style vintage dress that I bought in 2007 and first wore in 2009. At the party, big fake pearl strands and feather boas were given out as favors, and I added those to my…
I’m Thankful for the Committee to Protect Journalists
For me, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving is always about the annual International Press Freedom Awards dinner, hosted by the Committee to Protect Journalists. The black-tie dinner, held at the Waldorf-Astoria, honors journalists from around the world who risk their lives to report from war zones and in defiance of brutal regimes. It also raises money…
A Note About Hurricane Sandy
During my journalism career, I worked at news organizations including CNN. I loved the profession, but sometimes I hated knowing that I was delivering bad news to people. We all say, “No news is good news” but, really, good news isn’t usually news at all. (I think only The Onion would run a story saying,…