Holiday Feast
I’m trying to decide whether no one truly cares about this woman or they’re all being supportive to a fault. Regardless, let’s get to know Donna Simpson, shall we, because she doesn’t have a lot of time. …
December 2010
Stooping to Snooping
A US man is facing felony charges akin to espionage or spying because he poked through his wife’s email and told others about what he found. …
Not Re-Gifting, Pre-Gifting!
Amazon.com has patented a process that will make sure you don’t get any unwanted gifts through its website. In case you don’t know, Amazon built its reputation as a book shipper but now it’s a hub for sales of all kinds, from tableware to clothing to food to just about anything else. …
Agony of The Feet
We were watching football on Sunday and there was a clip of a coach at a news conference. “Is that the foot guy?” I asked. “Yes” said Derek with a chuckle. “That’s the foot guy.” …
Losing a Grip
We don’t do Boxing Day shopping. There isn’t a deal that’s good enough to get me out into a retail melee on this day. Besides, I’d rather randt….  …
My Christmas Wish
All we are saying, is… …
The Reality of Voice Work
I hear it often. Lots of people want to get into voice-over work. Sure, it seems like a sweet and easy gig! And sometimes it is. Other times you’re stared down by a producer as he insists that you spit out 45 seconds worth of copy in 30, or pronounce several nearly impossible brand names in a row, fast! Even worse, you’re made to do the spot or the line dozens of times and then they go with the first take after all. It can make you feel like a puppet whose master thinks you’re an idiot even though they can’t seem to get across what it is that they want. …
First Anniversary
My, how time flies! …
The Pros and Cons of Facebook
At a recent gathering of people known and unknown to me, the topic of Facebook came up. A man I don’t know sniffed dismissively, “I prefer to conduct my communication in PERSON!” Oh, you never, ever use email? Interesting! …
The Grinch Who Stole Grammar
I’d like to know if people have always been so lax about their use of the English language or if it’s just a recent phenomenon. My guess is that it’s more prevalent today but I don’t claim (as so many others do) to know why. And to be sure one would really need to look over the past couple of hundred years of human communication. Only Larry King is old enough to do that and he’ s not talking about it. …
Oh Danny Girl
Longtime 680 News listeners will likely remember the name Daniela Bilotta. Daniela, Danny or Dan as she’s known off the air, still occasionally shows up on that radio station and hundreds of others in her role as anchor and reporter at ABC News Radio out of Manhattan. …
The Week That Was
It didn’t take London Mayor Joe Fontana very long to mess with his top election pledge. …
Decor Delight
Recently I’ve discovered two online sources that feed my constant craving for new and fresh decor ideas. In one, the photos are rich and beautiful. The rooms are lush and gorgeous. …
An Update on Comments
On Tuesday I deleted more than 75 spam comments here. That’s a new record by a long shot! …
The Meaning of our Non-Word
When we can’t find the proper word in a sentence or we’re too rushed or we don’t know what the right word is, we have been filling the space with the non-word (or so we thought) “schmenge”. …
Unnatural Childbirth
The world’s oldest mother is dying. The 70 year old Indian woman lied to doctors when she underwent in vitro fertilization 3 years ago, claiming she was 55 – the legal cutoff age for the procedure. She and her husband are poor farmers who have been “desperate” to have their own child during their 56 year marriage. …
Room – Book Review
If you browse bookstores, check the best-seller lists or read about literary awards you already know that London-based novelist Emma Donoghue has won the Rogers’ Writers Trust Fiction Prize here in Canada and a major literary award in her native Ireland. She missed out on the Man Booker Prize but her latest novel, Room, is the third best-selling book in Canada right now. …
Natural Beauty
More than a metre of snow fell here during Snowmageddon. Some beautiful formations, like glaciers, have been created by the freeze-thaw-freeze conditions. …