August 2017

Twenty Years On

The first time in my lifetime that I remember the world feeling united was after the death of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed in 1997. I was working at CHML in Hamilton but put 680 News on through the house, because they were live with continuous coverage. After the paparazzi chased their hired car into a Paris tunnel and it crashed, everyone wondered – would she live? Minute by minute it seemed less likely, although she was alive after the collision. Prince Harry recently said one of the hardest parts of what happened for him and his brother was knowing that their mother was still alive in the back seat of the car and yet photographers did nothing but continue to take photos of her.  …

Starsky & Hutch, Turner & Hootch, Ken & Lisa

Ken and I are shooting a TV commercial this morning. It’s not just for our Morning Show on CJBK; afternoon drive host Andy Oudman is also in it and although the script is a closely guarded secret, I gather we are taking part in a mock debate, so it sounds like it will be fun. I will post it here once it’s finished and on the air.  …

Carreying on with Art

Art, at its essence, can be difficult to describe. What moves one person might leave another feeling meh. And trying to explain what it feels like to create art is a challenge. I’ve likened it to feeling like I’m flying. But I’m not a prolific artist. It turns out that Jim Carrey is.  …

Owen Armstrong, Caring Kidpreneur

I try to leave the work-week on a high note. Our news/talk morning show receives a constant stream of texts and if we get a terrific one near the end of the show on a Friday, I’ll close the text window and just soak it in like a mental bubble bath. It’s a relief from the barrage of political rants, wackos and those who want the radio station to return to the way it was in the 1960s.

Holiday Hiatus

I’ve taken a page from my CJBK co-host Ken’s workbook and scheduled myself off for a week, but spread it over two weeks. Not only do I get a good break but I get two two-day work weeks on either side. Yes, he’s a bit of a genius. …

A Tale of Two Superstars

I hope your long weekend was wonderful. And if you worked, I hope people were kind to you. As I’ve mentioned before, losing track of the time is my ultimate indulgence. So, when social media pal (and world’s biggest tiny Donny Osmond fan) Carolyn retweeted Donny’s link to his and his wife Debbie’s new home furnishings collection, Donny Osmond Home, my inner child dove in to look at each and every piece. …

“Never work with animals or children.” WC Fields

On Thursdays, we have a segment on the show called Ask Me Anything. Someone with a fascinating hobby or profession comes in and answers anything we and our listeners want to know about what they do. We’ve had a funeral director, a gun fanatic, a veterinarian, a former police chief and other interesting people. This week, I invited intuitive medium – psychic, if you like – Tania Thomas. She knew from the outset that I was a skeptic and she loves to talk about her work. But the result was unpredictable for another reason altogether.  …

Trump Card

The Trump presidency is making me angry but also confused. I feel the need to figure out how so many smart, accomplished people refuse to acknowledge that he is a buffoon who isn’t keeping any of his promises to “make America great again”. His administration is boiling in a soup of mistrust, firings, public back-stabbings and deceptions. Three things I read in recent days helped shape my focus on what’s really happening in the USA and I want to share them with you. The first is a tweet.  …

Kissing A Fool

Mistakes happen in voice-over like they happen anywhere else. Sometimes the lips don’t follow through with their task, and you need to redo a line. Or two. Or seven. That’s why most voice-overs are pre-recorded and not done live.  …