Category: Misc Writing
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I asked ChatGPT to write an obituary for Hazel McCallion. It did not go well.
I wrote my first obituary for Hazel McCallion at least five years ago when the former Mississauga mayor was just 96. It is a common practice for media outlets to assign reporters to research and pre-write obituaries for prominent public figures while they are still alive. Indeed, detailed obituaries appeared online less than an hour…
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What if we wrote sports stories like police stories
Written one day last summer when I was frustrated with the “cop speak” I heard in a news story.
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Shining some light on dark posts in Canada
U.S. special prosecutor Robert Mueller charged 13 Russian operatives with “illegally using social media platforms to sow political discord,” according to the New York Times. The Washington Post has detailed efforts of a Russian influence campaign that used targeted Facebook ads to “mimic and infiltrate U.S. political discourse while also seeking to heighten tensions between groups…
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An eye for an eye …. I stand corrected
I was a bit late in dropping my daughter off for school, so I wasn’t able to escape without being caught in the hallways, listening to the national anthem, and then the grade six students reading the morning announcements. As I was making my way out the front door, I heard the school’s quote of…
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The Urban Myth of the “Maple Leaf Forever” tree
I was out of town this weekend, so I missed a horrific storm Friday night that knocked down several trees around Toronto, including an historic maple on Laing street. It is a tree with deep connection to my family roots, as well as the source of an urban myth connecting it to the song “The…
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Celebrating Canada Day
I was recently asked to put some thoughts together about what it means to be Canadian. It is for a CBC publicity initiative that will be posted online closer to Canada Day: What do I think it means to be Canadian? I think it means – you’re pretty open to other ideas – and adopting…
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How to get “We Are Young” out of your head
I used to dread hearing Fun’s song “We Are Young” come on the radio. Upon hearing just a few warbly notes from it’s admittedly catchy anthem-like chorus the song would tunnel its way into my mind, and I’d be humming it for the rent of the day. It would be different if it were a…
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How to keep up with your reading
Finding time to make it through the backlog of books I’m constantly accumulating always presents a challenge when keeping a media diet. Over on Lifehacker.com, Thorin Klosowski offers a series of suggestions to help you find you find time to read. His suggestions range from blocking off reading time in your calendar, to joining a…
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No civility, no service: Why more retailers should demand respect from cellphone users
The BBC has posted a wonderful story about a coffee shop owner in Norwich, England that is now enforcing a “no cell phones” when ordering rule. As the shop owner explained it to the BBC reporter, he was getting tired of customers trying to order a cappuccino while talking on the phone. He was unable to ask…
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The Joys of a “Billy” Day
My wife and I both took Friday off, arranged to have our daughter spend the night with my in-laws, and proceeded to aimlessly wander the streets of Toronto. I call it “having a Billy day.” It’s named after Billy, the eldest son in the comic strip The Family Circus. As anyone who grew up reading…
Mike Wise 