All Of The Above - Duncan's Blog

Spend More Time Looking Back

As the end of each year approaches, we're all frantically trying to commit to a new future, one that will make us happier, skinnier, healthier or whatever. We do this by making New Years' Resolutions. Give it up. You're just... Read more →

Plagiarism in Today's Virtual World

We now all know that Chris Spence, the Toronto District School Board director is just another high profile personality to be accused of plagiarism. Our old pal Maggie, I Wonder If Anybody Reads Me Anymore, Wente from the Globe and... Read more →

What's Your Unique Ability?

I'm part of a business coaching group. It's called Strategic Coach. There are about 25 of us and we are all in roughly the same place in terms of our business. By that I mean we all operate a successful... Read more →

One Easy Way to Lengthen Your Day & Your Life

We changed houses in 2008. Cable TV did not move with us. The TV and the DVD player were on the truck but I just never got around to calling the evil monster called Rogers. They called me of course.... Read more →

Three Things to be Grateful For

We all measure our gratitude in different ways. In fact, this is a pretty accurate indicator of our compatibility in terms of friendships, work mates, spouses and the like. What do you think of each day if and when you... Read more →

Dying..Dying..Dead!

I read the obits every day. They're the most meaningful part of the newspaper. I even read the obits in my hometown newspaper (Sault Ste. Marie) just in case I see the name of an old high school pal. It... Read more →

Electorate Seldom Votes With Their Brain

I don't profess to know all that much about American politics but it doesn't take a PhD in philosophy to get the message from this photo. I'm thinking that I know enough to conclude that old Mitt's policies are misogynistic... Read more →

Bob Harris, a Mentor for Many

I've written here before about my old pal from Vancouver, Bob Harris. This man taught me the value of "production". He was a promoter of live music when I met him and I saw first hand how much attention he... Read more →

The Night They Burned Ol' Stinky Down

That title was suggested by my good friend and favourite radio personality, Erin Davis. She's quick with the quip and it burst forth from her mouth when she read about my out house burning down during a hot summer day... Read more →

Being Opinionated is Exhausting

For the most part, I've taken the summer off from blogging. I'm in my sixth year of espousing opinions and thoughts on real estate, music, death and taxes and every other subject that tickles my fancy. I stopped because I... Read more →

Why Some Memories are Elusive and Some Are Not

The Vintage Toronto Facebook Page is a treasure trove of great images from the past. Some locations I remember and some I can't because I wasn't there (although my dad probably was). This image of the 1970 Top 100 CHUM... Read more →

Duncan's Obitublog?

I've been writing this blog for over 6 years and so far, by my estimation (I didn't check), I've written 10 obituaries. This is a pretty small number given my advancing age. However, in some circles, I'm being accused of... Read more →

Canada's 145th Birthday in Rural Ontario

In many ways, we live in a divided country. We all know about the 1% vs the 99%. That's troubling and will lead to a new world order someday. It's not like we've never been here before. There's also the... Read more →

Lessons Learned from The Dying!

Australian palliative care nurse (and avid blogger) Bronnie Ware recently published a new book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying. The idea of dying with regrets is repugnant to begin with. However, it's not too late for me and... Read more →

Wise Words From An Old Sage

Saturday, I read this from an 81 year old actor we all know and love, Gordon Pinsent. He was talking about the feeling he gets when he returns to Toronto after being away for awhile. It says a lot about... Read more →

There's snakes and then there's snakes

Karen and I saw some deadly snakes in Africa. They seem to grow on trees (or at least hang out there). But this one takes the cake. Read more →

My Video Producer Interviews Lightfoot on Hockey

If you've received an email from me lately, you've maybe seen my new promotional video embedded in my signature. It was produced by Tim Thompson, a young film maker who's making a mark for himself in Toronto and beyond. His... Read more →

My American Cousin

I have a cousin from South Carolina (originally the Soo) who called me last night. He reads this blog from time to time and has reacted to some of my left wing rants, he being a "Tea Party Type". We... Read more →

Woodgreen Continues to Do Good Work

Karen and I met briefly with The Pas native Susan Melnick yesterday. Her birthplace has nothing to do with this story but it's not every day you meet a The Pas native. If you're wondering, The Pas is a company... Read more →

Joe Bodalai, 1948 - 2011

Maybe the most important blog entry I've ever read. I didn't know the late Joe Bodalai well but he introduced me to a lot of pretty terrific people. He wrote this shortly before he died. http://qualityshows.wordpress.com/ Read more →