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

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.

Rita Smith's Blogs

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

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

Rita Smith's Blogs

Co-operate with the Inevitable, the Doug Hedemark Way

January 30, 2014 Rita Smith

“It is astonishing how quickly we can accept almost any situation, if we have to,” Dale Carnegie wrote in Stop Worrying , “and adjust ourselves to it, and forget about it…co-operate with the inevitable.” Surely, this is one of the

Where to store your copy of Dale Carnegie's "Stop Worrying?" Immediately next to your bed on the night table. Then, if you awake in the night you will catch of glimpse of it, and knowing it is there if you need it, you can roll over and go back to sleep. Photo: Rita Smith

Opinion/Column Rita Smith's Blogs

Cancer was hard: surprisingly, worry was harder. This book saved me.

October 1, 2013 Rita Smith

This piece was written in 2005 when I was in treatment for breast cancer; I had not expected to ever repost it, mainly because I remain stubbornly determined to never think about cancer if I can help it. However, the

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Rita Smith’s Blogs

Gratitude for the magical miracle we take for granted

The Cookbook Story

Inspired by achievement: the Year of Secretariat

Think for yourself

Remember only love

Do whatever it takes!

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

Co-operate with the Inevitable, the Doug Hedemark Way

Cancer was hard: surprisingly, worry was harder. This book saved me.