Have you ever known someone who became famous? I mean, really famous. Ten million social media followers and appearances on major TV shows like Good Morning America famous? Having their face on a New York city billboard famous? While I’m stretching the definition of the verb “know”, I recently discovered someone’s a self-made sensation.
…Discovering True Scrappiness in a Best-Selling BookRead More »
This one’s for anyone who wants a treat that doesn’t contain white sugar. Or who’s craving chocolate with vitamins in it. And it’s for parents who can’t get their kids to eat a vegetable. Oh heck, it’s for anyone who wants to try something different!
…Healthy (Really!) Two-Ingredient Chocolate PuddingRead More »
In 2023, we mixed our streaming views with new and current stuff while also taking the TV time machine back a few decades.
…The Top Shows (We Got Around to Watching) of the YearRead More »
You’ve probably read a funny post or watched a viral video by Brittlestar, aka Stewart Reynolds. He’s all over social media as Canada’s Dad, nailing Canadianisms and other isms including polarizing subjects with wit, humour, and just the right tone. His comedy hits a narrow sweet spot between “if you do this, you’re stupid” and, “stupid doesn’t mean worthless – let me give you a hug!”
…Review: Welcome to the Stupidpocalypse – Survival Tips for the DumbageddonRead More »
So many comedy and comedy-adjacent people have released books in recent weeks. It’s been paradise for me, a voracious reader of memoirs who would rather watch stand-up than any other form of live performance. If I had my career to do all over again…but I digress!
…Review: Foolish – Tales of Assimilation, Determination, and Humiliation, by Sarah CooperRead More »
The horrors of the Holocaust are well known to most of us. The statistics, anyway. Six million Jewish people murdered by the Nazis. One-quarter of them, children. Many more were also killed, including disabled people, gays, Polish people, and prisoners of war.
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As a news anchor (and previously an occasional reporter), I always tried to keep in mind that the subjects of news stories were real people. They were only human, and might be living their worst day as their name – or the name of a loved one – made the news.
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I used to review events as part of my work in broadcasting. It was never comfortable. TV shows, movies – not so bad. But live productions that cost a lot of money? I had a hard time telling people to pay to see something I had seen for free. Unless I was completely blown away by it. And few things blew me away.
…Reviewing the Reviews of Reviewers, Including My OwnRead More »
Prince Harry said he held back stories about his brother, Prince William, in his new memoir Spare because he didn’t want them “out there”. What he did share surely embarrassed the heir to the British throne. And exposed William, their father, and other members of the royal family as cunning, manipulative twits.
…The last time I attended a production at Port Stanley Festival Theatre, I was living in Toronto.
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Visiting Newfoundland was really about my Mom.
…Newfoundland’s Puffins and Icebergs Eluded Us but We Loved It AnywayRead More »
Even people who don’t follow football heard about Colin Kaepernick the first time he took a knee during the American anthem at an NFL game in 2016. I believe he will go down in history alongside Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as one of the courageous few who changed the conversation around racism. I think he’s a frigging hero off the field. Unfortunately, that’s where he’s been: off the football field. Taking a stand for what’s right came at a high price. But now he’s on Netflix and his show is fascinating, difficult, beautifully crafted, and important.
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People often ask me why I’m no longer on the radio and whether I miss it. Radio and I had a long love affair. I loved it and it mostly loved me back. After a long career for which I’m eternally grateful, I grew frustrated with corporate owners who didn’t care about radio. When these giant companies swallowed up smaller players, the CRTC forced them to take radio stations even though all they wanted was TV. TV – specifically flagship TV stations in Toronto – is the favourite child. Radio is an afterthought. No, I don’t miss it. I miss the people, not the culture or the work.
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My first husband and I moved back to Ontario from BC so he could take a radio job in London. I would be unemployed and look for work while he carried the load. Due to a miscommunication, he thought the salary number he was given referred to his monthly pay. We soon found out that the number meant annually, in the thousands. Not many thousands. It was a lot less than we counted on before packing to move across the country.
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Recently, I was given some insight into how radically some people are reacting to the pandemic. We’re all sick of it and over it and longing to get back to a life that’s as normal as possible. But there are those for whom this crisis is almost intolerable. It goes beyond their jobs and incomes to the core of their mental health.
…To the outside world, I’m a woman of a certain age who recently stopped coloring her hair. Most people would probably assume that I enjoy pop or country music, and I do, but they’re not my faves by a long shot.
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Well, my friends, we continue to hide out from this pandemic wave, and you know what that means? Naps! But, it also means screen time, and I want to tell you about a terrific movie I recently watched with my people.
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A teenage girl who grew up in California dreamed of becoming a lawyer. Her family moved to the US when she was a toddler. She got excellent grades and anticipated going to university and then law school. She was prepared to work to pay for her education. After all, it’s the American Dream. And in America, you can be anything you want to be.
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