Here's What I Say by Sue Moresi

Sue Moresi
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  • SOCIETY & CULTURE

I live in Memphis, Tennessee.  I discuss topics of interest to me--local news, broader issues, book, tv, and movie reviews, and other interesting bits of information.

Episodes

  1. MAY 2

    Canada, Our Friend

    Canada has been our friend since, well, since, before there was a Canada. Until recently. Since the U.S.'s November 2024 presidential election, the relationship between the U. S. and Canada has "come under stress." This episode describes some of the history between the two countries, including the decades of the two militaries working together for the common defense, and the $2.4 BILLION daily trade volume. President Trump seems to think, amoung other things, that the U. S. should be adding or acquiring territory, and he has not been shy about expressing this belief. The idea for this episode came about when I saw YouTube videos showing or discussing how Mark Carney, the Prime Minister of Canada, has been giving ultimatums to President Trump.  As far as I can determine, none of that is true. However, this year (2026), Mark Carney has started publically discussing that the former happy relationship between the two countries is increaslingly "former," and he has ideas about what Canada and other smaller countries can do about it. Experts seem to agree that the very happy, working relationship that had gone on between the two countries for at least a century is unlikely to return any time soon, if ever.

    19 min

  2. FEB 10

    How Did We End Up With Ziploc Bags?

    Hear how, in 1951, Borge Madsen, a Dane, invented a way to "connect" two pieces of fabric without using a traditional zipper, but didn't know what to do with his invention. A very few years later, Max Auschnitt, having been stripped of his (extensive) property, riches, fled Romania for New York (Park Avenue), and with his son and brother, bought th rights from Mr. Madsen for his "separable fastener." After a rocky start, some imagination and some luck, the Auschnitts, (and some others), made enough  improvements to make plastic bags with this type of zipper, affordable to consumers. Eventually, the Aushnitts made a deal with the Dow Chemical company, and you'll have to listen to learn the ending.

    19 min

  3. 12/05/2025

    Board Game Monopoly Gets Invented

    A very progressive woman named Lizzie Magie (MA-gee) worked for years to develop a board game that would teach that we really don't want people to own property, and then charge enormous  amounts of money to let others use it.  Although she did tons of work, (e.g. got a patent, then another  (on an updated version), and another, etc.)   The rights to it were (basically) stolen from her, and the  "thief" became a millionaire, while she did not.   Game maker Parker Brothers was involved. Lizzie was pretty much forgotten about until in 1973, a Professor Ansprach, having his own dispute with Parker Brothers (owned by Hasbro), found out about Lizzie and brought her situation up in court.

    15 min

  4. 07/25/2025

    Elon Musk's Youth; South Africa and Nazism; Trump Organization and Viet Nam

    Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and 2 others grew up in very racist, Apartheid-ish South Africa.  These 4 founded PayPal.  They are sometimes referred to as the PayPal Mafia.  In the 1930s and continuing, South Africa (and Southwest Africa) had a LARGE pro-Hitler population.  Elon's grandfather was the head of a pro-Nazi party in Canada in the 1930s, and went to prison once Canada declared war on Germany.  He (the grandfather) was very much considered a Nazi sympathizer by the Canadian gov't.  The grandfather (Joshua) moved his family, including Elon's mother, to South Africa around 1950.   As for Elon's situation with his father and at school was, at least at times, brutal.  E.g., his father berated him for not being tough enough when Elon ended up in the hospital having been, basically, jumped at school.  Elon has a great grasp of math and the workings of computers and has for a long time. Most of this information comes from the book Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson and Democracynow.org., specifically articles by Chris McGreal. Also, the Trump organization has broken ground for a very expensive, snazzy (5-star) resort near Hanoi.  Building permitting seems to have been expedited.  Environmental studies were dispensed with and there was virtually no public comment period as is required.  This seems to have helped negotiations regarding tariffs between the U. S. and Vietnam.  Landowners are expected to get very little money for their long-help properties (including at least one cemetery).  The Trump organization is also seriously considering a fancy hotel near Ho Chi Minh City.

    18 min

  5. 04/11/2025

    Lockerbie, Brooks Museum, Free Concerts, "Bad River," and "Atomic Bamboozle"

    Two documentaries explain the Bombing of Pan Am 103, which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988 (in retaliation for the U. S. accidentally shooting down an Iranian passenger plane earlier that year.)  It was an accident! Memphis, TN is allowing the building of an art museum right on the Mississippi River downtown, when there's supposed to be a public prominade along the river forever. The music dept. at the Univ. of Memphis has lots of free performances this month (April 2025 and into May). I recommend you watch the documetaries "Bad River," and "Atomic Bamboozle."

    17 min

  6. 01/26/2025

    ReproRightsinTN;DataCollectionbyon-linecompanies;AgingPipelineinGreatLakes

    1)  Status of reproductive rights in Tennessee (pathetic); 2)  Federal Trade Commission's report "Behind the Screens," about personal information collection by on-line companies, e.g. Facebook, X, Amazon, TikTok, etc. (not good), and 3) information about Line 5, a 71-year-old oil pipeline that runs on the bottom of the Great Lakes, including in the straits of Mackinac, with potential to contaminate one of the largest bodies of fresh water on earth.

    13 min

  7. 11/13/2024

    Public Transit in Memphis and I Went To The Park

    Public transit in Memphis is a mess.  Grass roots groups and the city are trying to fix it.  Other cities may be having these problems, re:  not enough money, city too large, not enough riders, etc.  Please try to help us fix this situation.  Also, I went to the park and got a surprise.

    16 min

  8. 09/14/2024

    Introductions, Ozempic, Handicapped Spots, and OJ and Nicole

    Why don't people introduce themselves? 2.  Ozempic and Magic Pill 3.  OJ and Nicole, issues toward the end of her life  4.  Why do people in Memphis love to park in handicapped spots? 5.  Thanks to the Memphis Public Library and Ms. Ena Esco

    19 min

  9. 09/14/2024

    Radioactive Waste and Antarctica

    Season 1, Episode 1 discusses: 1.  Documentary:   San Onofre Syndrome - radioactive nuclear waste (all nuclear waste is radioactive) 2.  Viewing International Space Station from earth--anyone can do it--no telescope needed 3.  Sir Ernest Shackelton, antarctic explorer, one of the most grueling survival ordeals of all time. 4.  30th Anniversary of Nicole Brown Simpson's death--some ideas of what actually led up to it.   5.  Thanks fo Memphis Public Library for help with this podcast.

    18 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

I live in Memphis, Tennessee.  I discuss topics of interest to me--local news, broader issues, book, tv, and movie reviews, and other interesting bits of information.

Information