Let’s Talk
Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day, an initiative that makes me proud to work for Bell/CTV. It’s about openness, discussion, the truth and helping people overcome stigmas and mental illnesses. …
Social Marketing
Cold Nose, Warm Brain
Your nose temperature might provide insight into how hard your brain is working. …
Caught Between Two Schools
Someone in authority recently called me “old school” as high praise because in the old school we put in extra effort and we put on our game faces when we needed to. We followed policy and didn’t make a scene – often to our detriment. Old school wasn’t necessarily the better school, to be sure. …
Out of Site
They say necessity is the mother of invention. It’s also the inspiration for buckling down and learning things you never thought you’d need to know. …
Pea-Shoots and Leaves
Advertising works! We received a postcard-ad letting us know that Mama Earth organics is now delivering to our area, and I made my first order in less than 24-hours. …
How About Them Apples?
I hate my iPhone and now I know for sure that my iPhone hates me. …
Grand Idea
UPDATE: At its meeting Tuesday night, the TVDSB agreed to reinstate its $15,000 funding for Prom Queen. The Board Chair and other members spoke passionately about how the original decision didn’t reflect where they are as an organization. From the Catholic Board: crickets.
People around the world gathered for Women’s Marches on the weekend in protest, and to mark, Donald Trump’s first anniversary as President. They’re fighting social conservatism and a government that values a watered-down version of The Handmaid’s Tale. Hundreds turned out in my city’s downtown. …
Throwback Thursday – Biker Buddies
We spent some time sorting stuff in the basement last weekend, after the temperature plummeted to -22C after hitting 9C the day before. Bins of papers from The World of Motorcycles Expo are stacked floor to ceiling. As suspected, not all of them have to be kept. …
The Company Name Game
Business names have always intrigued me. Sometimes, I’ll see one that’s so complicated or confusing that I want to stop in just to ask them how they decided on it. …
What Happened in Vegas
The festival of nerds is over for another year. CES, formerly the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, has wrapped after blowing the minds of tech-geeks with its innovations. It’s all about smaller, better, faster, wearable tech, self-driving cars, and futuristic gadgets. And I was there, sort of. …
Living on the Edge
Ken says, never apologize for showing emotion. I’m fortunate that he feels that way as tears streamed down my cheeks from about 8:15-8:30 during Friday morning’s show on News/Talk 1290. …
Judge With Caution
I’ve written and set aside at least a half-dozen columns about the #metoo movement. Most of what’s worth saying has already been said. Then I considered my own experiences and realized I had an unusual one, long ago, that might serve as a cautionary tale. It became my final column before Our London closed its pages for good. I was also invited to talk about it this week on News 95.7 in Halifax. …
Words Old and New
Language is fluid. It evolves and morphs over time, like it or not. Those of us working alongside millennials don’t want to sound like an old fart. I’m not suggesting we adopt the millennial phraseology – egad no – but we need to relate. Many of my peers think it’s up to the twenty-somethings to do all of the work but I disagree; we can meet halfway. To that end there are words and phrases better left where they belong, in the past. …
Resolute About 2018 Goals
Resolutions are like a crabby nanny harping on you to stay the course. A goal is something to strive for. They may be similar but a goal seems more positive in nature. …
Review – The Fatness by Mark A. Rayner
I’ve been a fan of Mark A. Rayner’s writing since his bizarre and delightful novel, The Fridgularity, in 2012. What would happen if the Internet disappeared, but one web-enabled fridge had delusions of grandeur? That’s a glimpse into Rayner’s mind. …
Write With Me
Back in September, I posted a blog about what potential radio guests should know before they pitch an idea. (Want to Attract the Media? Follow These Tips!) It was shared several times on social media and some people messaged me privately to say that these things never occurred to them. I know! That’s why I wrote it. 🙂 …
A Veteran Writer
I haven’t met him in person yet but Eddie Rhodes is a new pal of Derek’s. Eddie is a 90-year-old veteran of WWII who lives close to London. He has written the first of what he hopes will be several books about his life. …
