Cheating Death on Halloween
Say what you like, it’s really just all about the candy! …
October 2014
Review: Kicking and Dreaming
Like millions of other Canadian kids, I grew up thinking Heart was a Canadian band, fronted by two wildly talented Canadian sisters. Â …
House Proud: Beautiful Blues to Reign as Colour of the Year
A colleague is taking a night course in beer tasting and he came to work the morning after a recent class with a new understanding of his girlfriend. Having spent the evening trying to distinguish between flavours with the slightest differences, he finally got how she could spend hours poring over paint chips, when to him, they all looked pretty much alike. Beer, like paint, is made with different undertones and finishes. But only one of them looks appropriate on your wall. …
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Journalists Imploding
It is municipal election day but I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that last week’s sad events in Ottawa are overshadowing the delivery of democracy in Ontario cities and towns today. Oh we’ll vote, but there are bigger things on our minds. Â …
A Fact is a Fact
Seems to me a good laugh is warranted at the end of this particularly challenging week. This comic strip reminds me of one of my favourite exchanges among many in the TV show Friends. Ross Geller, the paleontologist, is trying to explain evolution to Phoebe Snow, the air-headed, mystical musician. Phoebe challenges him and says, “it’s just an opinion”. Â Ross is nearly out of his mind with frustration and responds, “It’s a proven fact!” Phoebe retorts, “And that’s YOUR opinion!” Â …
Terror in the Capital
Brandt’s Randt airs on Wednesdays at 6:50 am on The Big Show. There was no way I could have known about the events in Ottawa to follow yesterday. …
Dream a Little Dream
As a general rule, I don’t believe in things I can’t see. Take from that what you will! And even though you “see” your dreams, I don’t put too much stock in them as being much more than a way to delete brain garbage while I sleep.  Often times I can trace a theme or significant symbol back to something tangible from recent days. …
Getting to Know Ebola
There is no need to panic. But there’s no cause to dismiss Ebola either. Â …
Critical Vision
There are two ways to watch a spot of entertainment. You can fold your arms and sit back with expectations that may or may not be met, or you can go along for the ride and see what it brings you. …
The New Law of the Land
You have to have a carbon monoxide detector in your house now. The bill was passed last November but the law came into effect this week. And manufacturers are ready with scads of them to choose from. You can have a warning light, a warning alarm, and probably one that sprays confetti if that’s what you want. …
The Business of Being Offended
We get complaints, everybody in media does. In fact, if you’re not getting complaints, you’re not making enough of an impact on your market. Some are funny, some are puzzling and some are downright ridiculous, as if the writer is brand new to the planet and not yet familiar with how things work. This is just a grab-bag of some of the most recent ones. …
It’s Good to be a Skeptic
Like most other radio morning shows, we had some fun with the three-breasted Florida woman.  I immediately called foul, and didn’t believe it was true. Several news sources claim to have dug up a report the woman wrote about lost luggage that included a “three-breast prosthesis”. …
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope you have a wonderful day, however you spend it. Â I will be sticking close to home, working with a voice coach (everybody needs a coach!) and eating turkey leftovers. I leave you with this grin. Â …
Wings Over America
Have you ever consumed Red Bull?  Did it give you wings?  Of course not, but that ad slogan is costing the company millions of dollars. …
Pa-Rum-Pa-Pum-Pum
Today, my birthday (shameless attempt to receive birthday wishes!) I will take stock of my life. What have I done in the past year? Where am I compared to where I want to be in life?  All of those things.  And perhaps the best thing I’ve done for myself, besides topping up my contributions to the company pension plan, was starting drumming lessons. What follows may seem like a bit of a downer but that’s not how I’m choosing to view it. It’s just a pause on the road to becoming the best John Bonham I can be. …
I’m a Little Bit Country…
…and a little bit English and Polish and who knows what else?  That’s what I aim to find out. …
iPhone Takes a Bath
It was one of those things. On Sunday morning, I had merely turned away from the sink after tying up my hair in a ponytail and my iPhone leapt from my hand and into the (mercifully clean) toilet bowl. Â …
Workplace Protocol
Sure, sometimes my milk gets stolen from the fridge so I write CAT URINE on it in big, red letters. Somehow I have become “the one who runs the dishwasher” and voices in the hallway seem to always reach heavy metal concert level as soon as we start recording an interview, but I work in a pretty cool, relaxed environment. Â …