Rita Smith's Blogs Archives -

The Globe headline on October 8, 2023 is eerily similar to the Globe headline on October 8th, 2005. Image: RWN

Gratitude for the magical miracle we take for granted

October 8, 2023 Rita Smith

On October 8, 2005, the front page of the Globe and Mail was horrifying. A major earthquake had hit Pakistan in an area so remote that more than 20,000 people were expected to be dead and there was not even

The illustration on the inside cover looked vaguely familiar; I thought I'd seen that photograph somewhere before too -- a tray full of little frosted petit-fours.

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The Cookbook Story

September 10, 2023 Rita Smith

Monday morning, September 18, 2000, I was in my car and headed to a film company on Eastern Avenue. I was scheduled to be at a commercial shoot at 9:30 a.m. This was to be the last commercial of a

What are the odds I would win a framed print of Bob Coglianese's famed photo of Secretariat winning the Belmont Stakes during my Year of Secretariat? 100 per cent, apparently, given the power of thought. (Photo credit: Debra Sherman)

Opinion/Column Rita Smith's Blogs

Inspired by achievement: the Year of Secretariat

May 6, 2023 Rita Smith

2023 is the 50th Anniversary of one of the greatest athletic accomplishments in history: Secretariat’s Triple Crown remains an inspiration for all ages I had been dreading the arrival of June 9, 2013. I didn’t even realize I had

However, as of July 1st 2021, Uber Canada will be located in Canada. Up until now, its head offices have been located in the Netherlands, a situation which has allowed it to avoid paying many of the same taxes competing Canadian business are required by law to pay. Uber’s “Double Dutch” tax avoidance strategy has been well investigated in other articles which are well worth reading. Less well investigated is what we might call Uber’s “Lawsuit Avoidance Strategy,” which up until now could be summarized as: “Hide in the Netherlands and make anyone who wants to sue you, for any reason large or small, fly to Europe and find you in order to get their day at the Hague.”

Rita Smith's Blogs

Think for yourself

December 21, 2021 Rita Smith

Should you ever lie to kids? This became a topic of conversation in my life in the last few years, because I’ve been around kids so little, they were just beginning to grasp the fact that there are such things

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Headlines versus Click Bait

February 15, 2017 Rita Smith

head·line ˈhedˌlīn/ noun a heading at the top of an article or page in a newspaper or magazine. “a front-page headline” click·bait ˈklikbāt/ noun informal noun: click bait (on the Internet) content whose main purpose is to attract attention

High reliability organizations track even the smallest incidents, because they can predict that an increasing number of disabling injuries will eventually lead to a death. Image: Taxi News

Democracy & Government Opinion/Column Ride Hailing news Rita Smith's Blogs Taxi industry news

Not just blurring the safety line – erasing it

October 14, 2015 Rita Smith

Update November 12, 2024: This article was originally published on October 14, 2015. It has been updated with a new graphic image and is being posted in response to news releases by Peel Regional Police and York Regional Police. My

Rita Smith's Blogs

Remember only love

May 3, 2015 Rita Smith

Sisters fight. Brothers fight, too. Siblings fight! There is no way around that. My big sister Mary and I fought often, and vociferously. She was older, beautiful, athletic, and had a job; I was bright and mouthy and

Laugh a Little Opinion/Column Rita Smith's Blogs

Do whatever it takes!

August 27, 2014 Rita Smith

The Smith Family mahogany table hosted innumerable happy celebrations over the decades. C-RRRR-AAAAA-CCKK! I swung the rubber mallet, wedging the slim metal chisel deep into the seam between the two mahogany planks. When the chisel was buried deeply enough, I

Rita Smith's Blogs

How to Avoid an Argument – or, maybe not (Profanity Warning!)

July 9, 2014 Rita Smith

Beautiful Niki Grigoriadis and her husband John were my favourite office neighbours, ever. This blog was originally published in 2004 and remains one of my very favourite pieces. Before I posted it, I knocked on John Grigoriadis’ door to let

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