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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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My Social Media Resolutions for 2018
I have always been interested in ideas around digital distractions and finding ways to limit our addictions to technology (it is a constant challenge for me). With the start of the new year, I thought I’d lay out some of my social media resolution for 2018: Going on a Diet: Throughout 2017, I tried to…
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Slate’s Hit Parade Podcast: The Silver Medalist Edition
Slate’s excellent podcast looking at Billboard’s top hits finds some surprising inspiration behind Kelly Clarkson’s breakout hit.
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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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Disconnecting in a Connected World
I recently had the chance to speak at a luncheon hosted by the Intercultural Dialogue Institute about an issue close to my heart: the need to disconnect from technology for part of my week. A recording of the speech is now on Youtube: Organizers also had some kinds words for my speech, which they posted on…
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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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Talking about unplugging on CBC Radio
This week, I spoke about my 16/6 challenge on several weekend morning programs on CBC radio. In cased you miss it, here I am discussing my efforts with Karen Gordon on Fresh Air on CBC Radio One in Toronto. I also spoke with Giacomo Panico on CBC Ottawa’s In Town and Out.
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Mike Wise 