This summer our newsroom grew from 3 to 4 people with the addition of Blackburn London’s paid summer news intern.  That person is Elise Copps-Smith and today is her last day as she goes back to Fanshawe College to finish her course. …
This was on Facebook this week. It pretty much sums things up about this nutty world and the collection of nutty people who inhabit it. Â Apparently I’m not the only one with a Martian exploration obsession who loves a little sarcasm. …
Best Facebook Status Update of the Week Read More »
Sears’ 60th Christmas Wish Book is out. Oh how I remember the excitement of seeing that annual catalogue for the first time with its as-yet-unpawed, crisp pages. That was just last year. …
My goodness this whole ebook world is an education!  I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t need to learn how to navigate Apple’s specific and special way of dealing with its iBooks store in order to make The Naked Truth available to anyone who wants it.  And that decision has taken a huge weight, about the size of a Mac computer, off my shoulders. …
Change in Strategy Read More »
It couldn’t be simpler.  Really.  Apply this simple chart to your life and away you go. You’re welcome! …
When Ralph Kramden threatened his wife Alice with, “to the moon”, it was 14 years before a human being would actually set foot on that planet. Â The silly TV catch-phrase was thought so over the top and ridiculous because that’s how people thought of the possibility that anyone would visit the moon. Â Then in 1969, Neil Armstrong was the first to do it. Â How freaking incredible was that? Â …
To The Moon, Alice Read More »
I’m afraid I’m too mentally exhausted today to form an opinion about anything except perhaps that iTunes is the work of the devil.  But that’s a story for another day.  So today I present to you someone I miss.  Stan the cat. …
A couple of years ago I wrote in this space about not understanding Linked In.  It’s a networking website where people link to other people for professional reasons.  They could be in a similar line of work, the same city, or simply want to hook into the other person’s contacts in hopes of expanding their contacts. I used to be skeptical of the website until a young, smart guy who’s dating a young, smart colleague of mine said that turning down an invitation to “link” is like turning your back to someone who says Hi at a networking function. …
What will it take to stop the child abuse “reality” shows that have taken hold, especially on TLC? Â The L used to be for Learning. Â Now it’s about Loot. Â …
Bigger Than a Boo-Boo Read More »
More labour unrest is in the offing at college campuses over 28 issues including the instructors’ displeasure at being told how to teach.  Public school system teachers are miffed at being told they have to sign a contract that freezes their wages for 2 years and stops them from banking any more vacation days to cash out at retirement. MPPs are headed back to work Monday to debate the bill. Employees at the Big Three are holding out for a share of profits now that things have turned around and there actually are profits they say should be shared. …
There are times when a woman over 40 feels like a Who down on the speck whom only Horton the elephant can hear in the Dr Seuss classic Horton Hears a Who. “We are here, we are here, we are here!” …
Bear with me while I randt a bit about a current Hollywood scandal. Â I don’t really care that 22 year old Kristen Stewart slept with her 41 year old director behind the backs of both her live-in boyfriend, actor Robert Pattinson, and the director’s wife and kids. Â I only care because of the fallout. Â …
Here’s mine! My brother-in-law David is so talented. He can sing, play guitar, he’s currently starring in a play in Nanaimo, B.C., but his main focus is on graphic art. So it was a no-brainer to hire him to create my ebook cover. …
I Hope You Can Judge a Book by Its Cover Read More »
When my brother and I were kids we used to joke that we were on a first-name basis with the animals at Marineland. Â Living just a short drive from Niagara Falls, out of province or out of country relatives would expect to spend a day at the theme park when they visited. Â Most kids were over the moon to go to Marineland. Â We liked it well enough but it got to be kind of routine for us. Â …
Everyone Doesn’t Love Marineland Read More »
Some days I really wonder if my industry has a future. Â Some radio newscasters are taking ownership of stories they haven’t checked out for themselves. Â Rampant laziness (apathy?) is running through journalism today and it’s almost acceptable in some circles. Â …
The Evolution of Journalism Read More »
The spammers have been incredibly busy lately. Â On recent Saturday morning I woke up to 120 spam messages disguised as comments on this website. This is why there’s an approval system for comments. Â Â …
Spam of the Summer Read More »
Here in London, one of the most competitive radio markets in the country, you can tell that fall ratings are almost upon us. Â In Toronto radio stations are now rated by People Meters but here we still go by the old spring/fall ratings periods and this fall is going to have more changes than any season in years. Â …
The Chess Game: Radio Read More »
Helen Gurley Brown died yesterday after a brief illness.  She was 90.  As editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine for 32 years, Brown helped guide and shape young women’s views on sex and relationships.  I know. I was one of them. …
The Ultimate Cosmo Girl Read More »