My Favourite Podcasts

We may now be known by the podcasts we download!
I am a proud ‘news junkie,’ and I enjoy learning about all aspects of computers. (But don’t get me started on the terrible waste of time and resources on video / computer games!)

My downloaded podcasts reflect my tastes, and I really enjoy my daily walks while listening to good discussions on a headset on topics political and digital.
Here are a few that I proudly share:
— ‘Click:' BBC World audio, (Although there is a totally autonomous video version.) Tuesdays.

The Genius of Wayne and Shuster

For several decades, the works of Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster highlighted Canadian comedy, first on radio and then on television.

They began on CBC radio during World War Two, and then made the leap to CBC Television in the 1950s, until the mid-1970s.
Their form of comedy, branded 'literary comedy,' was also featured on their record 76 appearances on the CBS top-rated Ed Sullivan show'.
My favourite sketches include:
1. 'Rinse the Blood of my Toga,’ (their debut on the CBS show in 1958), is a spoof of the 'Dragnet ' detective series,

Coding and Logical Thinking

As a retired teacher, I try to keep up with the trends in education. The main idea it has taught me is: ‘bandwagons’ come and ‘bandwagons’ go.

Today's topic: 'tech literacy.'
It seems that every school board, education ministry or country feels that it is lagging, and being left behind in tech literacy, so this time, the Brits have decided to do something about it.
Not long ago, schools were encouraged to make laptops available to each student, in an effort to get all of them computer literate. And then along came the iPad and other tablet successors, and the students would be using them to begin studying computers.
However, these efforts were usually introduced on a piecemeal basis, for certain grades in certain jurisdictions,

Radio . . . and Me - 32

In the 1960s, when wanted to relax, I could listen to WQXR, the quiet, 50,000-watt classical music station from New York, ‘way down on the right side of the AM radio dial.
ID: ‘This is the radio station of the New York Times, WQXR, New York.’

There it was, a quiet spa on 1560, amid a sea of loud rock ’n’ roll stations: WMEX, 1510 Boston, WKBW, 1520 Buffalo, and WPTR, 1540 Albany.
Quiet, too, because they had commercials, usually read by the duty announcer, but … without jingles!
And, of course, as they were owned by the New York Times, they had excellent hourly newscasts.

Bonne fête de l'Acadie!

Attention tous les Acadiens / Acadiennes, de l’Acadie, de la Nouvelle-Angleterre, et nos cousins / cousines de la Louisianne, du Texas, et de partout au monde -- c’est demain que nous célébrons notre Fête nationale.

On va faire, ensemble, un grand 'Tantamarre,' pour proclamer:
'Asteure q'on est là, c'est pour y rester!'
Célébrons aussi la fête de l'Assomption de la Vièrge Marie, 'Stella Maris,' notre Patronne.
Félicitations, et bonne fête Acadienne!

Yarmouth Tourism

I’m in the process of drafting a letter to Mayor Pam Mood of Yarmouth, about the level of tourism infrastructure in her town.

--Your Honour:
About two months ago, my wife and her friend wanted to attend a Class Reunion on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
We had a great idea: The new cruise ferry ‘Nova Star’ had just begun operations; I could drive the girls to Yarmouth and stay there overnight; they could board the ferry to Portland, Maine, where they would be met by their girlfriend, who was also attending the Reunion.
I need to explain here that I use a walker, cannot use steps,

I’ve Got the ‘Bifocals Blues’

For the last couple of months, I have been wearing bifocals.
‘Big deal,’ you might say, and you would probably be right.
Thousands, indeed millions, of people have had to adjust to changes in their vision correction, and that is usually a process that works out well in the long run.

For me, the experience has been 'mixed,' at best.
- Driving is okay. Better than I expected.
- Computer: okay.
- Reading a book, or newspaper, is good, bordering on very good or even, dare I say, excellent.
- Watching Digital TV: I can usually read the bottom line 'news ticker' at CBC News, which is rather tiny. (The font for the news tocker at CTV News Channel is much larger, and never was a problem for me.)