an open letter to mr. mandela

Dear Mr. Mandela. 

I hate the term Mister. I tend to call people by their first name. I hate hierarchy.

I’m more on that individuality tip.

….But, I’ll call you  Mister.

When I was 10 years old, Sundays were devoted to pretending to be in the WWE and watching my favourite Sunday morning TV Show, Switchback.  

There was this one day - February 11th. 1988.

Switchback was cancelled due to breaking news.

You got out of jail.

I starred at the television wondering why you were more important than  my constant. 

Why did you matter more than Switchback?

Slowly, I was loosing my innocence of what the world was like. I started to ask questions. I started to question race, and that word. 

Hierarchy. 

.Because of you, I got into learning about the life and times of Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X, and Maya Angelow.

And even JFK.

 I wanted to know more about the civil rights movement. Black History. Politics.

I wanted to know more about the World. 

My eyes opened. 

Meanwhile, my cousin was introducing me to Hip Hop.. Not the regular top 40 stuff that was being played on CFTR, but the conscience stuff.

Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions. NWA.

They were rapping about whatt I was reading and what I was feeling. And thinking. 

Martin, Malcolm, Maya, Kennedy, Chuck D, KRS. They taught me about race. And equality And freedom. Exactly what you were fighting for.

Today, I have a poster of Malcolm X that hangs on my wall. Every morning, I look at it, and funny enough, when I look at it, I don’t think about Malcolm. I think of you. Because it was you who made me know Malcolm. 

 To put it simply, You changed my life.

Martin, Mlalcolm are life time heroes who i pattern my life after. Hip Hop has helped shape me into the man I am today.

And it was all because of You.

This letter is to say Thank You, Mr. Mandela. 

I don’t use that word Mister very often, but in this case, I think it’s fitting.

You so deserve more than a Mister tittle. 

Hero?

Inspiration?

God?

Something else rather then just measly Mister..

 Be it as it may,

Thanks. 

You did good. Now, it’s time to sleep.

Rest well.

bell gets astral

After rejecting their initial bid of $3.4 billion, CRTC have given the nod to Bell to take over Astral Media. In its second bid, Bell has promised to sell some of Astral's speciality TV channels and radio stations (ie locally,  Boom 97.3). This is to satisfy CRTC concerns that the deal would make Bell too dominant in the Canadian market.

Here's more of the complicated mumbo-jumbo from the big boys:

OTTAWA-GATINEAU, June 27, 2013 — Today, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved an application by Astral Media Inc. to sell its pay and specialty television channels, conventional television stations and radio stations to BCE Inc. The CRTC’s approval comes with a number of conditions that are necessary to uphold the public interest.

“Astral’s application put forward a different approach and responded to many of our concerns” said Jean-Pierre Blais, Chairman of the CRTC. “Yet there remained a significant risk that BCE could exert its market power to limit choice and competition. To ensure the public interest is served, we are requiring BCE to invest in new Canadian programming and sell more than a dozen services, and we are putting in place a number of competitive safeguards. This will maintain a healthy and competitive broadcasting system that offers more programming choices to Canadian consumers and citizens and more opportunities for Canadian creators.”

rest well, jeanne cooper

rest well, roger ebert

Thanks for feeding my hunger for movies. 

rest well, peter kormos

Strong left-winger and proud socialist fighter. He'll be missed.

rest well, william moody

Sad day in the world of wrestling. As most know, I'm a huge wrestling nerd. I like to dig up old footage and get captivated by the stories they told in the ring. Last week, I watched a couple shoot interviews featuring William Moody and his pal and legendary wrestling manager, Jim Cornette. Nice to know my last memory  of Paul Bearer would be of him laughing and talking about his passion - and not tied up getting thrown into a meat freezer.

RIP, Paul Bearer.

ford is out!

Breaking News: Toronto Mayor, Rob Ford has been found guilty of Conflict of Interest and has been ordered to vacate his seat.

shane alexander show

We're talking the hard talk today on the Shane Alexander Show. On the heels of the Amanada Todd tragedy that has sparked a fury around the internet, we speak to Rebecca Shields. She's the CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association of York Region. In an in depth interview, we talk about what makes a bully, the story of Amanada Todd and how the Mental Health Association is there to help you out. Shane also touches on last nights debate. Music wise, show staples from JJ DOOM, Lana Del Rey, The Black Keys and the throwback sees classics form a couple of DITC crew members and a banger from one of the best to ever touch the mic, Big Daddy Kane. It's the Shane Alexander Show, ya'll. Let's Go. Get the Show Here.

rip michael clarke duncan

rip neil armstrong

the bigger picture

Woke up this morning to begin a month of fasting. Yes, I am fasting for the Holy Month of Ramadan. It's been years since I've fasted. I thought it was a good time for some spiritual cleansing. Good time to stay off the rock. Kidding. Just want to take a break from drinking for a while and get back to the foundation of it all. The Bigger Picture type of stuff.

As I got my food prepared, I turned on the news to check out the daily ticker of what's happening in the world. I then learned about the utterly despicable act that went on overnight in Colorado during a special midnight screening of The Dark Knight. I'm not going to repeat the details. Trust you have already heard all about it.

Toronto saw another horrible shooting spree last Monday. This is getting way too much.

Sometimes I feel I am the only one in the world who doesn't owe a gun.

Guns are only an object. What is to really to be blamed are the people holding the object. The conscience  behind the gun. Or the knife, or the wooden stick. Or anything else that can be used to end someone's life. That's who is at fault.

I heard one of the victims of the Theater 9 bloodbath last night was a young sports journalist who was on vacation in Toronto and at The Eaton Center when the mass shooting in the food court went down. She blogged about it here. . Sometimes, I wonder why I'm not scared to leave my house. We forget hearing about these incidents and wrap ourselves in love and trust that the wold is a good place and our brothers and sisters would never harm us.

That that would never happen to me mentality.

Is it good to have that train of thought? No. But we also can't be afraid of the world. We can't wrap ourselves in fright. We can't hide from the good and the peace.

With some spiritual cleansing this month, I will look for the answer. It's a tough question. How do we live without getting effected by random mass isolated acts of violence. Bigger picture stuff.

In the meantime, play safe together. Be good to each other.

...Isn't that all we can really do?

rip andy griffith

rip nora ephron

Writer for such Hollywood staples as You've Got Mail, and her classic, When Herry Met Sally. Cancer sucks.

rip rodney king

thanks, dick.

I got goosebumps last night when I heard the news. Pop cultures oldest youngest brother had passed away. Dick is gone. Most identify him with one of his many ventures. Bandstand, Pyramid, his New Years Eve rocker, but if you wanted to be in the Broadcasting game, you looked at Dick as The Man. The Man you wanted to be like. No one else will in this age will be as rangy and genuine as Dick Clark was. Starting off in radio leading to TV, becoming a producer, and the head chef of a million dollar empire, Dick did it all and always had that kid like smile on his face. He had passion, and love for what he did. Something that I `got' when I heard him speak about his wonderfully packed life. I `got' that he believed in progression, while being smart with where you're going and putting your money.

Beneath all that charm, comedy and smiles, he was one smart business man.

My first memory of Mr. Clark (I don't use "Mister" too much, but I believe Mister Clark deserves it), was watching Bandstand as a young boy. Years before I ever thought I'd have radio dreams or want to be in the music bizz.  American Bandstand was the show where I would go on the floor and test out my young boy dance moves. Copying the kids on the TV. I also remember watching him on 10,000 Pyramid. Then, of course, Rocking New Years Eve. Years before I was allowed to go out to celebrate, he was my NYE party pal.  Like millions of others. I just know every year, he counted down along with us and did it enthusiastically, wishing us a good year. And you know he truly meant it.

Calling him Mister might seem odd as he was just like your older brother. The older brother that never became an adult. He was America's Oldest Teenager, after all. But in another way, it isn't odd. Because he commanded it. He had your respect for all he did. And how he carried himself. Mister, Brother, whatever you might call him, Dick Clark will be missed by millions.

So Long, Dick.

Thanks Again.

rip dick clark

rip mike wallace

As a journalist. As a broadcaster. As a writer, I watched 60 Minutes to learn about the game. Andy Rooney taught me to write. Mike Wallace taught me to shape interviews and ask the hard questions. And have people respond to you. I was for sure a student of his. One of the best to ever do it.

Thanks Mr. Wallace. Rest Well.

no rhyme. no reason.

I'm a huge storm chaser. Not because I want to grab my videocam and put myself in danger, but because I find tornadoes interesting. Glued to CNN's coverage of the Texas Tornado, watching homes, cars, trucks all get spun in the air and fly for a couple hundred feet. No rhyme. No reason. It just does. Lasts for seconds but leaves its mark. Incredible.

bell media buys astral

This is huge, kids. Really huge. The landscape of the Canadian media has just changed. For the better? Doubtful..

It was announced today that Bell Media has gone in their deep pockets to purchase Astral Media. The deal is worth $3.38 billion.

Everyone knows who Bell is. Yeah. The telephone poeple. But who are these other dudes?

Who is Astral? Astral own specialty TV stations like HBO Canada, a bunch of outdoor advertising, the main contract with Toronto for street furniture (like bus shelters to garbage bins), and radio stations in Quebec and here in Toronto such as CFRB, Virgin 99.9 and Boom 97.3.

As you can see, Bell is going to get huge. Too Huge? Should they be allowed to be THIS huge? The phone company has become the Clear Channel of Canada.

Rumor has been that the Astral family, The Greenberg's, have been looking to sell for sometime, but couldn't find deep enough pockets to grab what they wanted. With the deal working out to around $50 a share and 54.83 for the voting class, I'm sure the Greenberg's are a happy camp.


Questions? Since Bell will be maxed out with how many radio stations one company is able to own in Canada (2 FM's and 2 AN's is the rule), who will they give up? Locally they will own Boom, Virgin, 1010, Flow, 1050 and CHUM-FM. Tough call. They don't want to part with heritage stations like the CHUM's, and 1010. So, one of the FM's? Flow and Virgin? Who will buy? Evenov? That will only be if they can buy a CHR station that won't compete with their Z station. Flip one of them?

As you can see, this deal is going to change the landscape as we know it. Think of it, Bell will own 45% of corporate radio in Canada....

the young march

I knew it was going to happen, so I made sure to bring my camera this morning along with me on my morning jog. Always great to take part when the people are fighting the man. Even today, when the people are making my life very uncomfortable for the past 8 weeks. Keep on marching, good people. Just hope it's resolved soon. Here's some raw footage I caught.