My 2024 Musical Confessional In early December, my youngest son started quite a commotion (okay, he is 20 years old but still the youngest) when he started yelling, “Wrap is out, wrap is out.” Wrap refers to Spotify’s personalized summary of each user’s musical tastes and listening habits of the preceding year. Unlike my love/hate…
5 TV Shows That Influenced Me Growing up, I was a television addict. In the 70s and early 80s, most of my friends were lucky to get two channels, four, if one included french language stations. One day, my dad showed up with a rectangular box about a foot long with numbers and letters. Cable…
With over 50 years of Christmas experience, I’ve come to develop a few habits which always get me in the Christmas spirit. Here are some of the things that are staples for me, coupled with some observations on the season. I still cry every time Frosty the Snowman melts in the rail car. Oh, sorry, I should…
My three sons recently introduced me to a cool feature on Spotify: Spotify Unwrapped This feature gives you insight into the music you listened to in the past year. Now, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with Spotify, including its shabby royalty schemes. I’ve given Spotify DJ many chances to redeem himself and he perpetually lets me down. Spotify…
My real job as a teen was a summer gig selling food in the stands at what then was the home of the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals). I did have loftier ambitions and these were seriously 5 jobs/professions that I considered as the ultimate jobs at one point during my youth. Working with…
I was a little late to the Stranger Things party. Sorry about that. Years ago, I saw the premier episode and loved it. However, life and being an author can get in the way. I am now up to speed. A bit of background. I am a self-confessed pop culture historian and watched more TV back in…
I love movies and am not opposed to watching a movie repeatedly, for whatever reason. My younger brother and I had two films from the late ’80s and early ’90s that were guilty pleasures. They were not good movies, really but, somehow reeled us in like hot dogs at 2 a.m. Those movies were RoadHouse and…
Anyone who has ever read any of my novels knows the profound influence of music on my works. Here are five bands from Canada that are far too underrated. (And yes, the Irish Rovers were considered but did not make the cut). The Tragically Hip You know you have met a Canadian when they talk about…