The NASCAR season has just wrapped up with Martin Truex Jr. the champion. Truex’s Crew Chief is Cole Pearn, who cut his racing teeth at Delaware Speedway. His Mom Patti is a local realtor. Anyone connected to Delaware knows Cole. He’s a star of the sport right now. …
I truly love two songs in particular by the Hamilton rock band Junkhouse. One is Out of My Head, a hit from their 1993 breakout album, Strays. The other is Shine, and I’d put it in my top 20 of all time. Junkhouse appealed to my love for raw, filthy rock and roll that sounds live off the floor. (My all-time fave rocker: Humble Pie’s 30 Days in the Hole. It doesn’t get much filthier!) …
“Increased geographic synergies”. Just typing that bullshit sentence makes my blood pressure spike. Yesterday, Torstar and Postmedia swapped nearly two-dozen newspapers for the sole purpose of shutting them down, and reducing competition. Hundreds of people will lose their jobs, including my friends at Our London, for whom I write a biweekly column. They have about six weeks left before the padlock goes on the door. …
When I returned to London, my first radio gig was midday host at Greatest Hits 1039fm. You think greatest hits, you think Beatles, of course. …
Every year it happens and I brace for it. The predictable outrage about when Christmas decorations go up. No one can do anything about when they appear in stores, so they crab about peoples’ personal preferences. Can’t someone wear a poppy and install Christmas lights at the same time without being judged for it? …
Plenty of discussion is underway about what London’s Bus Rapid Transit plans will do to properties along the proposed routes. It seems that several homeowners, especially along Richmond St. North, were unaware that the city owns a part of their frontage. City Hall can claim several metres if it needs it without offering compensation. …
David Cassidy died last night with his family around him. The official cause was organ failure but that followed years of drug abuse and heavy drinking that he had finally tamed in recent years. Burned into my memory: David gazing at me lovingly from Tiger Beat magazine. Anticipation of each new episode of The Partridge Family. Ruining the cover of The Partridge Family Album – my first album – by writing Mrs. David Cassidy all over it. What follows is the post I wrote back in February when David announced he had dementia. …
Derek and I are proud to be a small part of a company called Witlingo. I’m a smaller part than he is. Derek is their Lead, Product Development and I’m a voice on call. …
Meaning “under vacuum”, sous vide is a cooking method used by many top chefs. You vacuum-seal your food in a bag and cook it in a water bath at a precise temperature for a longer period of time. It can’t overcook so it comes out exactly the way you want it. …
You can learn something every day if you’re doing life right. My brother introduced me to the YouTube channel, Smarter Every Day. Host Destin Sandlin delves into all sorts of fascinating scientific experiments that are understandable by non-science types like me. The videos are high quality and most are nice and short. Â …
On Remembrance Day, Derek found some personal connections to the second world war. He found a photo album dedicated to his Dad’s experience in WWII, put together by his Aunt Barb, his Dad’s sister. What a treasure trove. …
I arrived late to this party and in case you did too, let me tell you about The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. You don’t have to buy the 1995 book to learn the lessons. …
I believe the women who accused Bill Cosby of drugging and assaulting them. And the men whom Kevin Spacey assaulted and harassed. And before Louis CK admitted it was true, I believed the women who accused him of being a Class A creep. …
A couple of years ago, I wrote about how I became an unwitting subscriber to the magazine Camelid Quarterly. My subscription finally ran out and I no longer receive their newsletter. But these animals still fascinate me. …
It’s been three years since Derek left his last radio job. Or, more accurately, since he was fired. (A rite of passage in our industry.) He decided then and there that he was done with radio and worked for one year in trailer sales before launching his own business: Derek Botten Media. …
Thursdays on the News/Talk 1290 Morning Show, we host a segment titled Ask Me Anything. Our guest is someone with an unusual job or hobby. Last week, we welcomed Brian Salt, founder of Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre in Mount Brydges. …
A taste for spice will help you reduce your salt intake. This has implications for anyone who’s trying to keep a cap on how much salt they eat.  …
