Occasionally I’m asked to read the writing of someone I don’t know very well. Â They occasionally approach me to ask for my opinion and I’m loathe to say no because it’s difficult for them to do. This isn’t a problem if they have talent but there’s no way to know at the start. Â And it’s just awful when the writing is terrible. Â By terrible I mean an inability to tell a story, not just bad grammar – an editor can fix that. Â …
I spent most of last weekend at Fanshawe College taking in a series of seminars and presentations designed to teach me how to teach.  There were a few dozen of us, some with teaching experience and some without, and it really astonished me in hindsight that a couple of other colleges unleashed me, and many others, on unsuspecting students with no training whatsoever! …
Late last year the Ontario Nurses Association started a campaign against health care facilities forcing them to get the flu shot. This is a problem on several levels. …
These photos didn’t make the Twitterverse or even this blog, I don’t think. But each one brings back a delightful memory of the year. …
Some Favourite Moments of 2013 Read More »
When you get to the point of this post you are not going to believe it.  You are going to think that I was somehow duped into accepting the wildest most ridiculous rumour and that I haven’t checked it out thoroughly.  You will be wrong. …
Food News – Not for the Squeamish Read More »
For the fifth straight year, “whatever” has been selected as the most annoying word. Pollsters at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, conduct this research every year. I don’t, like, know how like isn’t, like, on top but it’s second-most annoying. Â …
Well bravo to China for sending a spacecraft up to the moon. They know we’ve already been there, right? …
The News in Brief Read More »
It appears the floral industry, or at least part of it, has fallen victim to the same flawed perception that sends beautiful women to plastic surgeons: nature just isn’t pretty enough. …
Imagine a homeless man you see on your walk to work every day.  He doesn’t seem out of it, like he’s on drugs or anything. He’s just a guy whose luck ran out one day and he found himself on the street. …
Trees for Cars and A Hand Up Read More »
Kellogg’s is closing its London plant after 90 years, blaming low cereal sales. More than 500 full-time workers, including one of our dearest friends, will be out of work. They made 27 cereals and the aroma around the factory has been a wonderful part of driving down Dundas St. East. It’s like driving through a cloud made of Froot Loops. …
So Long, Tony the Tiger Read More »
I tried to total up the number of passwords I need to remember and I ran out of fingers and toes. Â Facebook, Twitter, Apple, work, home, gmail, hotmail, kobo, kindle…it goes on and on. …
Password Overload Read More »
It was time to find out what all of the fuss was about. As a professional voice-over artist, I balked at joining Voices.com. Why should I, I asked, pay a subscription fee to join? Now I get it. …