Squirrel Cop on This American Life

I can't say I listen to the radio program/podcast This American Life that often--it goes in spurts because I don't always think of it, but when I do, I am never sorry. Ira Glass is a cool guy, very personable, and he has a down to earth style when he talks to the eclectic mix of "ordinary" people he interviews that I really admire. Glass himself sheepishly describes his show as "funny," "entertaining," and "true stories but not boring." I would describe it as interesting and quirky. Each hour long show is centered on a specific theme and there are usually several short stories around that specific subject. The show has been around for a long time now.

The story I share with you here is part of a recent This American Life episode entitled "Fiasco!." You can hear the whole episode here but the story that almost caused me to go off the road I was laughing so hard is the one entitled Squirrel Cop "

Just a Sweet Story

This is just a sweet story shared with me this week by my friend, Eileen Michel. We could use some of that good old fashioned neighborliness these days...

Tanitoluwa Adewumi, Chess Prodigy

The story of Tanitoluwa Adewumi and his family is a Hollywood story if there ever was one, and in fact Paramount has optioned it--soon to be a full length movie.

Tani is just about to turn twelve now--but he is already well on his way to becoming a chess grand master and has even authored two books about the life of his family. The Adewumis ended up in a homeless shelter after fleeing Boko Haram terror in their native country of Nigeria. Tani first spotted a chess app on his father's computer in Nigeria, but developed his skill first from his brother and then in an after school program at P.S. 116 in NYC. (My daughter Morgan was in a similar program at her elementary school, P.S. 183). To say he took to the game is an understatement.

At the age of 8 he took everyone by surprise by winning the 2019 New York K-3 Chess Championship and caught the attention of Nicholas Kristof, who wrote a piece about him in the New York Times.

Broadcaster Tamron Hall produced a sweet short documentary on him for her TV show.

If you like the subject, there are a lot of good chess movies out there but two that stand out for me are Searching for Bobbie Fisher and the series The Queen's Gambit (available on netflix).

Charity of the Week:

Save The Children

Painting of the Week

photo courtesy of Poliana Espirito-Santo

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.