Saving Face
When Scott Taylor and I started White Hat PR, we knew we’d have to prove ourselves. We both come from journalism backgrounds so it’s really a matter of flipping what we know around and using it to our clients’ advantage.
…Working
Diss Ability
When you see me, you’d never guess that I’m disabled. But, with hearing loss and by wearing hearing aids, I have a disability. It doesn’t require anything from anyone else except perhaps a little extra patience when I’m having trouble hearing them.
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9/11 – Memories Still Fresh; The Only Video of the First Plane
Eighteen years ago today, terrorist attacks that stole our confidence and launched a thousand conspiracy theories rocked the world.
…9/11 – Memories Still Fresh; The Only Video of the First PlaneRead More »
In Praise of Pen and Paper
I’ll never give up my Post-It notes until they pry them from my cold, dead hands!
…Walking a Mile
If you’re not familiar, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is an international fundraising walk that’s not like all the others. In various towns and cities, the annual stroll supports different charities and organizations. In London, it’s Anova.
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Why-Fi?
Wi-fi in this apartment is as weak as a hamster sneeze. Pages load slowly and sometimes only partially. Videos don’t play and audio files definitely don’t upload.
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Under the Influence
Our favourite show on CBC radio is, without a doubt, Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly. It used to be called Age of Persuasion. In a recent rerun (the show is on summer hiatus) Terry told a story that was so moving and well, influential, I’m going to paraphrase for you.
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What the #$*&^?
…If you shoot a bullet someone dies. If you drop a bomb many die. You hit a woman, love dies. But if you say the F-word… nothing actually happens.
― Richard Curtis (writer of Love, Actually and other great works)
Writing About Writing
I subscribe to Medium because the site has original content I can’t get anywhere else. I use it for inspiration, knowledge and hope to one day publish successfully on the site. Last week, a writer wrote about something that’s bugged me for some time.
…Anxiety Be Gone!
Last week was a social butterfly week! It started with my appearance at momonday and then progressed through happy visits and obligations that kept me from getting much done. I paid for it all on Sunday morning.
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Doors Closing and Opening
“My grandfather always used to say, when one door closes, another one opens. A lovely man, but a terrible carpenter.” ~unknown
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Parking Getaway
Last Thursday afternoon when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in London to open Sunfest, one of the city’s most popular festivals, I was pushing my way in to speak to a Western University continuing ed. PR class.
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Kids’ Manners and Artificial Intelligence
In my role as a blogger for Witlingo, I get to delve into the world of voice-first technology; smart speakers, apps (called skills) for smart speakers, and the AI voices for the big companies. Those include Siri, Bixby, Cortana, and others. And when I say delve, I mean concentrate as if someone has put me in control of a space shuttle without instruction!
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One Mo Time
That’s an ancient photo of me on a barge in Lake Ontario, emceeing the Symphony of Fire fireworks contest. At that moment, I was looking for a cue from the producer and swallowing a pound of bugs.
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Five Big News Writing Mistakes
Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve certainly made my share, and some still haunt me to this day. Why oh why did I think David Duchovny’s surname was pronounced do-SHOVE-knee?
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Audiobook Alert!
Months in the making, Make the Media Want You: An Insider’s Guide to Creating Persuasive Pitches, is now available in audiobook format.
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Working For Fun
A film-maker recently approached me with a request to have me voice a character for them. The budget was “just for fun”! People have tried to get me to work for free before, but I’d never seen “fun” as a payment term.
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Women Up
It occurred to me the other day that the entertainment industry is finally starting to treat women the way they treat men. On screen, at least. In specific instances. And it’s about frickin’ time.
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