Brexit exposes the ugly side of democracy

"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter."
Sir Winston Churchill

Compared to the alternatives, democracy is the best we've got. But let's not kid ourselves: It can be ugly.

And as the wave of support for Donald Trump and the just-completed Brexit campaign where British voters decided to leave the European Union prove, a vote driven by thinly-researched, read or understood populist sentiment carries just as much weight as a well-considered, thoughtfully debated one. No one ever said the masses had to give their ballot much cogent thought.

Still, we could be living in North Korea, so perhaps not all is lost.

Life is an endless blur

Trails of light
Deerfield Beach, FL
December 2014
Thematic. Lightbulbs. Here.

Every once in a while, mysterious things seem to spontaneously show up on my camera's memory card. I can't tell you what I was thinking as I shot this - or if I was thinking at all. I can't even remember where this image might have been taken. It just popped up one night as I was reviewing photos from a day in a very warm, happy place far from home.

Perhaps I accidentally tripped the shutter as I was putting the camera away. Or a dog got to it. Whatever it was, I guess vacation makes you lose your ability to compose, shoot, or even remember. Still, I thought the effect was kind of neat.

Your turn: What is this?

Thematic Photographic 374 - Lightbulbs

Neon brilliance
London, ON
August 2015

There's a compact fluorescent bulb in our upstairs bathroom that's been burned out for longer than I dare admit. It's a somewhat specialized bulb, so what I really should do it take it over to the hardware store to match up a replacement. Instead, I consign my wife to darker-than-necessary moments when she's getting up and ready for the day. She's prettier than I am, so she deserves more light than I'm giving her.

Bad Carmi.

I'm posting this week's theme, lightbulbs, as a reminder to myself to a) replace the damn bulb and b) shoot more pictures of lightbulbs, too. Because they're somewhat fascinating, being their own sources of light and all. And challenging to shoot. That they make an oddball topical choice just seals the deal in my book. Oddball always makes for a fun time through the lens.

Your turn: Take a pic - or many pics - reflective of this week's theme (lightbulbs, remember?) then share on your blog or website. Leave a comment here letting everyone know where to find it. Visit other participants to keep the fun going, and repeat through the week if inspiration strikes again. For more background on how Thematic works, click here. And please accept my thanks for participating. Because this little photo thing of ours brings me great joy. Strange, that.

The twisted yellow pipe of destiny

Elbowed
London, ON
June 2016
For one last kick at the metallic Thematic can, head here.
Click photo to embiggen.

There's something surreally lovely about the pipes that bring us things like water, gas and other vital fluids. Most of the time, we ignore their very presence, simply assuming that whatever's keeping our modern lives in perfect balance will always be there, silent and perfect.

As rare as they are, sinkholes that eat downtown streets, gas explosions that level entire city blocks and even not-so-tiny leaks that turn basements into spontaneous swimming pools are evidence that sometimes, these vital conduits can and do fail.

I'm guessing this particular segment of pipe isn't anywhere near the point of failure. But I'm no expert. So I'll say a quiet thanks to whoever built this in the first place, and whoever maintains it to this day. I'm thinking they don't get nearly the credit they deserve.

Your turn: Who's your unsung hero?

Father's Day. Father Time.

Father's Day is a day that spawns mixed feelings in me. On the one hand, it's an important reminder to slow down and appreciate the things we have, the things that matter, and the people who make our lives rich and fulfilling. Coming from - and maintaining - a strong family is what gives most of us the strength to navigate the world and make our mark. Without that foundation, that one place where you know everyone roots for you and drops everything to be there for you, it's a lot tougher to make your mark. And arguably not as meaningful.

On the other hand, it's a day designed to sell cards and gifts, a commercialized affair little removed from Mother's Day and Valentine's Day, where the act of buying and giving has, for many, replaced the act of simply being together. The buildup to days like this can also cloud the other 364 (0r 365 during this leap year) days of the year, when connecting with each other is just as important as it is today. Every day matters, but we often forget that simple reality as we work up, to and past manufactured holidays like this one.

I'm also sensitive to the fact that not everyone enjoys the same family constructs so perfectly depicted in the ads. Some folks hated their dads. Some never knew them. Some lost them. Or lost them early. Or under additionally tragic circumstances. And days like today may stir up more sadness than anything else, as they shift focus to what was lost, or never was.

My own father is no longer with us, but he's been gone long enough - almost 7 years - that I no longer feel sick in the pit of my stomach in the days leading up to Father's Day. Yes, I miss him, and yes, I wish he could see all that's happened since and all that we are now. But at the same time, the years have allowed me to better appreciate the role he played in helping me get to my current place in the universe. We're all going to die someday, and I accept that he did the best he could to give the most to his next generation. Can't ask for much more - and it isn't as if we even have the right to ask in the first place.

So today we all slept in. And bounced around the house in our jammies when we finally woke up. And played with the dog. Then went out for breakfast. And sat around and enjoyed the simple act of being together. Because in the end all I wanted was time. And togetherness. Which is all I wanted - and got - today. Come to think of it, it was all I wanted yesterday, too, and will hopefully be what I get tomorrow.

Whatever you're celebrating, make it happy. And don't stop celebrating just because of what the calendar may say. Every day is special. Every day is a gift. Indeed, the gift is the day itself, not anything that needs to be bought.

On Millard, Smich and every other cretin in our midst

Of all the animals, man is the only one that is cruel. He is the only one who inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it.Mark Twain

It's been a brutal week in the annals of crime. A madman mowed down 49 people at a gay bar in Orlando. Another madman shot and stabbed British MP Jo Cox to death in Leeds. In a German courtroom, a 94-year-old former SS sergeant, Reinhold Hanning, was found guilty of 170,000 counts of accessory to murder at the Auschwitz death camp and subsequently sentenced to five years in prison.

Here in Canada, Dellen Millard and Mark Smich were both found guilty earlier today in the murder of Tim Bosma. Not far away, Michael Rafferty, who with his then-girlfriend Terri-Lynne McClintic sexually assaulted and killed Tori Stafford in Woodstock in 2009, announced he'll be appealing his conviction.

I'll never understand what happens in the minds of people that allows them to cross the line and deliberately end the lives of others. Maybe I'm too naive for my own good, but with every new case that hits our collective radar, I continue to shake my head at the potential for humans to inflict pain and suffering on others.

I recognize that they're the minority, that most of us on this planet are good, kind and caring people. But the very fact that the potential for such darkness exists at the fringe of our species - or, in the cases above, in our own neighborhoods - makes me wonder if there's some higher-order reason for any of this.

Because I can't imagine that any of these people - members of the LGBTQ community, an elected official and mom of two, six million Jews, a young husband and dad, and a girl who loved butterflies and her brother - deserved to have their lives cut short for any reason. I can't imagine why the human condition includes such cruelty, and why we haven't done a better job of somehow dealing with it.

Because there is no justice when a life is taken simply because someone decided that this should be so.

The fences that separate us

Chain link
London, ON
June 2016
For more in-the-metal-themed Thematic, head here.

The scene: It's an unseasonably warm and brilliantly sunny spring day. I've dropped our daughter off at, ironically, a photo shoot. We're just far away from home that it makes more sense for me to stay out while she works. So I'm glad I heeded my wife's advice to take my own camera along and do some shooting of my own.

After dropping her off, I wander outside the community centre into the tree-lined park that surrounds it. This bucolic, rectangular slice of green is tucked away in the middle of a city block such that the only people who know it's here are the folks who either live nearby or Google Mapped it. The perimeter of the park is lined by the back yards of half-century-old homes, sitting in the shade of similarly old trees. It feels like I've found a hidden jewel in the middle of yesterday's vision of suburban utopia, a secret spot that no one else seems to have discovered.

Aside from a still-closed outdoor pool, an empty wading pool, a just-as-deserted playground and a dusty old baseball field, there isn't much here. The blinding midday sun is the exact opposite of Golden Hour. It's overwhelming, whitewash-like and, frankly, oppressive. The large stretches of grass punctuated by trees and bushes don't really grab my eye's attention, and I assume my photo-walkabout is going to be a bust.

But then something weird happens. I head for the biggest tree and sit down underneath, its shade serving as a perfect shelter from the ridiculous sun. I let the breeze tickle my sandal-clad toes as I lie down on my back and stare up and around. For the first time in what seems like days, I let myself relax. I'm not watching a clock, answering a call, responding to a text or otherwise engaging with the outside world. I'm just chilling.

I'm not sure how long I spend under this tree, but when I get back up and continue my meandering through the park, I see the formerly boring elements - empty swimming pool, chain link fence, tired baseball diamond - differently. They're still boring, routine, mundane, past their prime. But now that I've slowed my brain down a bit, I no longer dismiss them outright. I slowly take them in, look for angles I might have missed previously, consider the options, wonder what stories they could tell - or have yet to tell.

A couple of hours later, our daughter is done working, so we head for home. And I secretly find myself looking forward to her next gig so I can wander the neighborhood and slowly uncover the stories buried in its otherwise unremarkable features.

Your turn: Where did you take your last walk? What did you see?

On the surprising connection between kindness and wisdom

"Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom."
Theodore Isaac Rubin

Dear People of Planet Earth: Please read the above, and learn.

Thanks,

Carmi

Thematic Photographic 373 - In the metal

Give me strength
Toronto, ON
August 2015

I was waiting for my train back to London when I noticed the steel structure over my head. I had spent the day in the big city, sitting behind a mic talking to Canadians across the country. I was feeling pretty good about my place in the world, and was looking forward to seeing my family at the other end of the tracks.

Union Station is in the middle of a massive rebuild, and I wasn't sure if the perfectly aged steel supports were going to survive the reno. So I stole a few pictures before my train rolled up and I climbed aboard.

Your turn: This week's Thematic theme, in the metal, celebrates anything made of metal, or anything that resembles or reminds us of metal. Simply take a picture that supports the theme, post it to your blog, website or even Facebook page (here's mine ... feel free to friend me!), then leave a comment here letting folks know where they can find it. Visit other participants to spread the photographic goodness as far and wide as possible. Head here if you're new to the Thematic thing. And please enjoy yourself. Because that's why Thematic exists in the first place. Thanks gang!

Microsoft's $26.2b LinkedIn gamble: I'm not impressed

The tech world was buzzing this morning with news that Microsoft had made a $26.2 billion U.S. offer to buy LinkedIn. The move seems to position Microsoft to make inroads in the fast-moving enterprise social market - think Facebook, only for businesspeople - but I'm not entirely convinced that this is a smart move.

Lots of reasons why I'm not drinking the megadeal Kool Aid. First and foremost, Microsoft has a history of writing large cheques on splashy acquisitions, most of which either never go anywhere (Skype) or quite literally crash and burn (Nokia, aQuantive).

While acquisitions can be an effective means of establishing presence in fast-evolving tech sub-sectors like enterprise social (it's faster to buy an existing, substantive and successful player than it is to develop the technology and eminence on your own), the cultural challenges of integrating a player like LinkedIn into its day-to-day operations and strategic vision are monumental, and Microsoft wouldn't be the only tech titan to run into headwinds on the integration front.

LinkedIn's more recent difficulties with flatlined user and revenue growth, which decimated its share price prior to today's announcement, reinforce the belief that Microsoft is paying a serious premium for a second-rate target. It's hard to see where the $26.2 billion U.S. in differential future value is going to come from - or why Microsoft felt compelled to offer such a massive premium for LinkedIn when no one else was apparently ready to make a similar deal.

We're 13 years into LinkedIn's history, and a similar amount of time into the social and enterprise social timelines. The company and the enterprise social media sub-sector are closer to middle-age than anything else, and you'd think the offer size would reflect the fact that this company's and its market's best days may no longer be ahead, but behind.

So, yes, I'm a bit cynical. But I'm hardly alone: Microsoft shareholders pushed its stock price down following the announcement this morning.

I discussed my concerns with BNN's Michael Hainsworth in a live interview earlier today. Here's the link.

Your turn: Do you use LinkedIn? If so, why? If not, why not?

Orlando: Another city, another number

It's become a fill-in-the-blank thing.

The only things that change from one massacre to another are where it happened, how many people were killed and injured, and what motivated the attacker or attackers to turn their guns on pure innocents. Today it's Orlando, Florida, and the number is 50. Was it a hate crime against the LGBTQ community? Was it radical-Islam-infused terrorism? Mental illness? Some or all of the above?

As always, the pro-gun-nut lobby trots out its usual litany of arguments - guns don't kill people, people kill people, none of this would happen if everyone carried a gun, blah, blah and ad nauseum blah - to defend their gawd-given, constitutional right to bear arms. And as usual the entire thing descends into an online and in-person mess of arguments, counter-arguments and mean-spiritedness.

Before long, the headlines fade. Until it happens again. And again. And again. Endlessly.

The following quote, attributed to Steven Denn, feels appropriate to share at this time:

"You can never make the same mistake twice because the second time you make it, it's not a mistake, it's a choice."

Well, America, this is way beyond your second time, and it's pretty clear that as a country, you have decided to choose to live with this.

You choose to allow anyone with a pulse to have ridiculously easy access to military-grade weapons so that they can mow down complete strangers for reasons that make sense only to them. You choose to allow racism, homophobia, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination and hatred to be validated right up to the top of your political system. You choose to use centuries-old frameworks to justify policies that place the most vulnerable members of modern society in increasing peril. You choose to allow elected officials - and wannabe-elected officials - absolute freedom to spew hatred and misinformation. You choose to put precious few resources into addressing the fundamental issues - caring for the mentally ill, tolerance-in-curriculum, political reform, legislative reform - that would begin to rein this scourge in. You choose to do nothing beyond arguing about it through your laptops and smartphones, "praying for Sandy Hook/San Bernadino/Orlando/wherever" and installing a colorful tribute icon in your Facebook profile picture.

Because while you were busy arguing over bathrooms and Confederate flags instead of looking for ways to better understand and live with each other, you made it easy for gun-toting idiots to learn their murderous craft, hone their trigger-happy skills and figure out even more efficient ways to crank the death toll even higher. You widened the cracks through which the violently-inclined mentally ill could slip. You created the conditions within which mass shootings would become epidemic.

Orlando is only the latest chapter in a book that seemingly now has no end. Prepare for more, America. Because you chose to allow this to happen by failing to do anything constructive about it.

Is this my craziest cloud photo ever?

Drama overhead
London, ON
June 2016
Thematic. Monochrome. Here.

We live in a part of the world that gets more than its fair share of thunderstorms. And when they roll in, they do so quickly, and with more than a little bit of sound and fury. Gotta love the built-in entertainment factor.

So when the skies threatened to open up one day last week, I reached for my camera and pointed it skyward. What I ended up seeing made me do a bit of a double-take.

There's magic everywhere, apparently, even high above our heads. And all we have to do is look for it.

Your turn: What do you see here?

A writer's weapon of choice

In command
London, ON
May 2016
Click here for more Thematic Monochrome

Disclosure: I have a lot of peculiar little habits. From the things I eat to the way I sleep to the technique I use to get on and off a bicycle (always to/from the left, not sure why), I am a churning ball of tiny oddities that in another era might have gotten me studied by strange people in white coats with clicky pens and messy haircuts.

Add writing to the list, because the list of must-haves and must-dos that accompany my writing could easily fill a book.

Let's start - and end - with the keyboard you see above. It's an Apple keyboard. Wired. Full-width, with a numeric keypad just out of sight to the right. I got it when I bought my first MacBook Pro a few years back, and I'm guessing they'll pry it from my cold, dead hands (hopefully) many, many years from now.

This same basic design has been around for a while, since Apple began moving to the aluminum design language with the fourth-generation iMac in 2007. Which makes this particular design veritably geriatric. Yet it persists. Why?

Because it works. The keys are perfectly spaced, with just the right layout that matches my bastardized-touch-typist style and allows me to hit maximum speed. Practically, I'm faster on this 'board than on anything else I've ever used. But speed is only part of the reason why I stick with this one, and why I'm thinking of stockpiling a few more for the inevitable day when Apple decides to "improve" the design.

Feel is the other one. Not only in how the keys feel when I press them - delightful, mind you - but in how I feel when I press them. It has that just-right feeling that makes it easier for my mind to do what it does best. Which is write. I don't struggle with the keys. Don't ever have to look at the layout. Don't have to think about how to operate this tactile invention. Because the machine you see here, the one thing that a writer touches more often through the course of a day than anything else, by virtue of its design manages to melt into the background and become an organic link in the entire process.

Thanks to this seemingly innocuous device, words snap together in my mind, flow out of my fingers and somehow find their way to the screen. If you watched me sit at my home office desk, you'd probably see me crack a small smile while I work - something that simply wouldn't happen if my fingers were using any other keyboard.

I told you I'm peculiar.

Your turn: Do you use a machine or device that makes you happy? What and why?

On the victory of stupidity

"We are in the process of creating what deserves to be called the idiot culture. Not an idiot sub-culture, which every society has bubbling beneath the surface and which can provide harmless fun; but the culture itself. For the first time, the weird and the stupid and the coarse are becoming our cultural norm, even our cultural ideal."

Carl Bernstein

Thematic Photographic 372 - Monochrome

Crosswalk
Toronto, ON
July 2015

It's been a while since we explored the crazy world of monochrome photography, so this week I've chosen monochrome as our Thematic theme. So let's turn the rainbows down for a bit and instead explore our inner shades of grey and/or sepia.

Your turn: If you've got a monochrome pic somewhere, please share it on your blog or website - or, for bonus points, on your Facebook profile - then leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Repeat as often as you wish, and bonus points go to anyone who brings a friend along. The rules, such as they are, may be found here. But the only real rule that matters is this: Enjoy it. Just because.

On different strokes for different folks

"The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases."
Carl Jung

Riding with Muhammad Ali in my head

The scene: A sunny, breezy Saturday afternoon. It's today, actually. I'm rolling through the agricultural hinterlands northeast of London, trying to find a rhythm between the pedals, my legs and my mind. It isn't easy, as it's been a challenging couple of weeks on so many levels, and I'm not sure I'm remotely close to chewing through it all.

But that's why we take long, solitary bike rides in the first place. And as I pass through Thorndale, a picture-perfect farming community complete with kids playing in and around hammocks hanging under giant trees and a man sanding a newly built porch on an achingly beautiful century home, I find myself musing about Muhammad Ali, the fact that we lost him overnight, and the meaning of his life and what we learn from it.

Suddenly, a quote pops into my head that seems to make the day snap into focus:

"We live our lives one revolution at a time."

I'm no closer to figuring out the past couple of weeks, or navigating the next couple of weeks either, for that matter. But suddenly, as I mash the pedals, one revolution at a time in near-perfect cadence, the gears meshing with the chain and the entire machine feeling taut with energy under my fingertips, it's as close to figuring it out as I'm going to get.

The picture? Taken roadside, just west of Kintore, Ontario, some 32 km from home. It's my turnaround point, so it's time to hit the Send key, tuck the smartphone back in my bike bag and pedal homeward. I'm sure there are a few eye-opening lessons in store for me on the way home, too.

Safe journey, wherever you're headed. And thanks, Mr. Ali, for your hard-earned lessons in the ring and, more importantly, beyond. Godspeed.

On teaching honesty to children

"I am afraid we must make the world honest before we can honestly say to our children that honesty is the best policy."
George Bernard Shaw

Canada AM fades to black

Nothing lasts forever, and that is likely more true in broadcasting than it is in any other industry. Even when you're the top morning show in the country with seven-figure audiences and a 43-year legacy, nothing is ever guaranteed.

Bell Media announced today that CTV's flagship morning show, Canada AM, will sign off for good after tomorrow's show. Its hosts, Marci Ien and Ben Thomson, will remain with Bell Media and work on other projects, while Jeff Hutcheson will retire as previously announced.

I'm deeply honoured to have appeared on a show that was not so much a television show as it was a Canadian institution. Canada AM always stood out not only for the remarkably polished on-air product that millions of Canadians woke up to and relied on, but for the endlessly gifted and caring broadcast professionals in front of and behind the camera who made it happen every single day.

Whenever I drove through the dark, early-morning streets and walked into a quiet studio for a scheduled interview, it was with a certain sense of reverence. I do a lot of on-air work, but Canada AM operated on its own special level, and it was a serious win to be a regular contributor. The people who built the show and produced it day-to-day are more than just colleagues. They're family, and it was an amazing privilege to get to work with them.

What comes next? Good question. This is an industry in transition, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about what the future holds. But here's the thing: Sometimes that funny feeling in the pit of your stomach is a good thing, a precursor to something even bigger and better. I know the folks who made Canada AM so great for so many will find ways to bring light to others in other ways. I'm just going to miss hearing their voices in my ear as I wait for the red light to go on.

Thematic Photographic 371 - By the water's edge

Curiosity
Port Stanley, ON
August 2015

We're starting to see a lot more beach-themed pics on social media these days, likely because here in the Great White North the temperature finally flipped from winter to summer (no spring...yay!) and everyone's making a beeline for the shore.

It won't be long before we load up our own not-so-little folks and head for the water. So to inspire our summery journeys to happy places like beaches, docks and riverfronts, I thought "by the water's edge" would be an appropriate and fun theme. Because we all need a happy, and photography is an ideal means to that very comforting end.

Your turn: Shoot a scene from the water's edge - remember, anything goes, so don't hesitate to stretch your creative boundaries. Post the result - or results - to your blog or website, then leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. Visit other participants through the week to share the photographic joy, and feel free to invite a friend along for the ride. For more info on how Thematic works, click here. Thanks again for making this such a highlight. Enjoy...

On that thing that Captain Sully said

"Everyone's reputation is made on a daily basis. There are little incremental things - worthwhile efforts, moments you were helpful to others - and after a lifetime, then can add up to something. You can feel as if you lived and it mattered."
Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger

He may be known as the guy who safely ditched an Airbus A-320 in the Hudson River, but beyond the Miracle on the Hudson that turned him into a  global celebrity, Captain Sully Sullenberger is a pretty inspirational guy in his own right.

And these particular words inspired me today. I hope they inspire you, too, to start focusing on those little incremental things that may not get the big headlines, but still matter in their own crucial way.

Your turn: What little, incremental thing will you do next? How will it matter?

Sorry, no exit

Read the sign
London, ON
May 2016

I'll apologize now for not having a whole lot to say. In case you're just joining us, it's been a rough week. And when the world gets turbulent, I often struggle for the right thing to say. Or anything, for that matter.

So instead I'll share this image, captured during a lunchtime walk last week. Despite my best intentions to lead a more balanced life, I haven't been as diligent about getting out for walks as I should be, so I've been pushing myself to get off my duff and out the door. No, I can't always spare the time, because there's always something or someone waiting for something to get done. But if you don't draw a line somewhere, it'll never happen.

I shot a few odds and ends before I headed back to the real world, and looking back at scenes like this, I'm reminded why seemingly simple photos of  neighbourhood fixtures matter as much as they do.

The lesson: Take the time. Because you never know when you'll run out of days.

Goodbye and thank you

Some people you just remember.

I bumped into him years ago. I was scheduled to do a live interview at CTV London, and he was working with a client on a commercial shoot on the far side of the rather large back studio. He was a sales executive for the TV station, and as we amiably chatted in the few minutes before both my hit and his shoot, we realized we were both originally from Montreal, and we had enough shared geographic history to fill an afternoon.

I remember that day as if it was yesterday, not because of anything he said, but because of how he said it. He had a kind voice, a kind face, and a kind manner. He effortlessly mixed the business of getting a client to air with the business of connecting with a stranger. He put everyone around him at ease, and he always made you look forward to your next meeting.

Fortunately for me, that happened often. I crossed his path a number of times over the next few years, and finally last year I got to work with him full-time when I joined Bell Media's London team. He never forgot our Montreal connection, and he never forgot that first chat in the studio.

We lost Chris today. And in a workplace where colleagues are more like family than anywhere I've ever worked, the news was understandably devastating.

Aside from trying to get stuff done on a day when every fibre of my being was simply unable to focus on getting stuff done, I found myself thinking about how the universe works, and how fate allowed me to survive my own brush with mortality, but did not spare him. I can't answer the why, and I can't speak to what's fair and what is not. Who defines that ridiculous word, anyway?

But I can remember the kindness of a man who just yesterday I idly chatted with in the halls, who managed to turn a dark studio so long ago into a little slice of faraway home, with someone he had just met. In the end, how we're remembered will be based on how we've treated those around us, and in that context, I know Chris will be remembered well. I only hope I'm good enough to apply those simple lessons of kindness to those around me.

Thank you, Chris, for helping the rest of us figure out what really matters. May your memory always be a blessing.

--
Visitation and funeral details for Chris Cleaver are available here.

On loss

"Have you ever lost someone you love and wanted one more conversation, one more chance to make up for the time when you thought they would be here forever? If so, then you know you can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back."
Mitch Albom

Today of all days, Mr. Albom's words resonate in my mind. I hope you count yourself lucky that you, like me, were able to appreciate this moment. Because in the end, all we have are moments. Cherish them.

A crumbling icon fades to black

Of another era
Laval, QC
August 2015
Thematic. Shopping. Here.

I grew up in a place called Chomedey, a sleepy suburb in the city of Laval just across the river from Montreal that somehow sticks tightly to the souls of everyone who once lived there, no matter how long they've been gone*.

The Recreatheque - or more commonly, The Rec - was central to life here. Originally opened as Mon Mart (trivia bit: Jayne Mansfield attended the grand opening in 1962) it went bankrupt by 1965 and the giant building was soon reopened as a multipurpose entertainment complex. It had a bowling alley - where my mom used to bowl as I sat propped up in the hard plastic seats - a roller rink (please don't ask), mini golf, a flea market, a bingo hall and even a cheesy disco known as Kebekelektrik. Generations of kids bought their clothes here, hung out here, partied here and generally grew up here.

The Rec closed in 2013, a victim of evolving consumer tastes and the fact that the land values made the site far more valuable as a housing development than anything else. I took this picture last summer as the empty building awaited its fate, and I'll admit part of me can't imagine what this street corner - Notre-Dame and Labelle, if you're in the area - will both look and feel like without this massive chunk of crumbling-yet-familiar brick and concrete.

Sure, it was downtrodden even when I was a kid, but it represented the kind of enterprise that branded a community and made it unique. Only Chomedey had a place like this, and to this day just mentioning "The Rec" to anyone from here is enough to unleash a flood of memories. Looking at the cookie-cutter suburbs of today, filled with chain-based businesses that all seem to have come from the same template, it's clear that today's kids will never have anything like The Rec to both hang out at - or reminisce about years later.

Pity that.

Your turn: What buildings, businesses or places made the place where you grew up unique?

--
*We've been here before. Behold the Dirty Bakery.

Thematic Photographic 370 - Shopping

One cart. No horse.
Laval, QC
August 2015

Urban life has largely replaced the need to hunt and forage. We no longer scavenge the countryside in an endless quest to survive. More likely, we head to the local mall or big box store, where survival is based on making it from the parking lot to the sliding front door - and presumably back again - without being wiped out by a texting grandma at the wheel of a clapped-out 2002 Chevy Impala with a rust-covered dent in the passenger-side fender.

So as you've likely guessed, I'm no huge fan of the shopping culture. I shop because I must, and fail to appreciate how anyone finds it fun.

Still, that doesn't mean I can't take the time to remember the experience through my lens, and I'm hoping for the next week you consider joining me on my commercialized quest. Who's in?

Your turn: Take a photo that evokes this week's theme, shopping, then share it on your blog, website, Facebook page or wherever else you hang your hat online. Leave a comment here letting folks know where to find it. For bonus points*, tweet it using the #ThematicPhotographic hashtag. For more details on how Thematic works, click here.

* Sorry for the misleading verbiage back there, but we don't actually give out bonuses, or points, or anything remotely akin to prizes. But the rewards of a photographic life are priceless, right?

The strangers we meet

A pause in his journey
Somewhere in Georgia
January 2015

The scene: We're on our way home from Florida, in the middle of the first day of a 2,400 km drive along I-75. We crossed into Georgia not too long ago, and have stopped at a nondescript strip mall to top off the car's tank, as well as our own. My wife and kids are inside the store while I hang out in the car for a few quiet moments with my camera.

Suddenly I realize I'm not alone, and I look up to see a man saying hello. To be honest, it freaks me out. This isn't Canada, where we tend to be somewhat more chill about pretty much everything and anything. I'd be lying if I said I didn't love that moment when we cross into our home and native land. Don't get me wrong: We love everything the U.S. is, and everything it stands for. But is it just a little scarier to us than Canada is? Sorry, folks, but yes, it is. So when a complete stranger walks up to me and starts chatting me up, my first thought is to be suspicious.

Before long, I realize he isn't a) going to mug me, or b) hit me up for a donation to his cause or even c) ask me for anything. He just wants to tell me he's on a journey of redemption, and sharing his story with others is part of his recovery. Not long ago, he tells me, his life was ruled by drugs and sin. But he managed to rid himself of his demons - his words - one step at a time. As my blood pressure eases a bit, we chat for a few minutes before he agrees to let me take his picture, then continues on his endless walk in search of more strangers to connect with.

Aside from wishing him safe travels, I also find myself wishing we didn't have to live in a world where our first inclination to a friendly overture was something more akin to fear. Maybe the world needs more like him to begin to change the narrative.

Your turn: Do you talk to strangers?

A break in the fence

No way out
Port Stanley, ON
August 2015

Our daughter has blossomed into quite the accomplished artist. She can draw, she can paint, and goodness can she ever shoot. She sees things in ways that mere mortals can't, and she reminds me so much of her creative Mom in the process. It's quite the treat to watch her do her thing*.

She's studying photography in college now, and she often asks me to head out on photo walks with her. And when we do, I like to hang back and let her lead because it's way more fun that way.

On this day, as we explored the breakwater that juts out of Port Stanley and into Lake Erie, she immediately zoned in on the oh-so-blue fence that kept us from exploring to the very end of the structure.

This one is off of my camera, and I share it only because it reminds me of a moment when I couldn't be more proud of the person she's becoming. For the record, her photos from this walk are so much better.

--
* Here are a couple of links to her work:

• Dahlia Levy Photography on Instagram
• Dahlia Levy Photography on Facebook

Hybrid Theory

Electric wheels. Kind of.
London, ON
May 2016

I've always had a thing for the smaller elements of design. And by "thing" I mean something of an obsession. I stare at the nameplates on a car because sometimes in the smallest things you can learn something about the folks who make it.

Like the makeup of this badge on the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid that just joined the fleet at work. Many carmakers long ago switched away from metallic nameplates in favour of cheaper stickers. I'm sure there's also an aerodynamic reason for ditching the kind of badging you see here, but I still feel a tiny twinge of happiness when I see fully-formed examples on a new car today.

Maybe Subaru thinks this means something to the uber-loyal folks who buy their vehicles. Maybe, like full-time four-wheel-drive, boxer-type engines and exterior designs that are more comfy slipper than anything else, this is another example of a car company that operates on a somewhat different level.

Or maybe I'm just imagining things. Either way, I still contend there are stories buried in the little things. So I'll have to keep on looking. And I hope you do, too.

Your turn: A little thing that matters. Do tell...

On ignoring what everyone else says

"Let everyone else call your idea crazy. Just keep going."
Phil Knight

The cow whisperer

Moo
Ilderton, ON
May 2016

The scene: I'm on my bike just northwest of London. I've cut my ride short and am trying to outrun the rain. It's cold, grey and nasty, and with the wind at my back I'm hitting ridiculous speeds on the rolling two-lane road.

Suddenly I see a herd of cows in my peripheral vision, a flicker of black and white and bouncing tails on a distant patch of soft green. Every other farm along this stretch is absolutely devoid of life - their animals were probably smart enough to head inside in advance of the rain. But this farm is different. Lots of cows, as far as the eye can see.

For some unexplained reason, I allow myself to coast to a stop. The winds are getting stronger and the rain is now beginning to streak my sunglasses. I should be on the bike, gunning for home, but something makes me stop and take in this pastoral pasture scene.

Out comes the smartphone - because pictures! - and I quickly snap off a few selfies and landscapes before tucking it back in my bike bag. That should be the end of it, but as I secure the bag and prepare to head out, I hear a rustling behind me. The cows are coming closer, which strikes me as bizarre. Don't cows run away when weirdo-cyclists show up on the other side of the fence? Maybe they do, but this particular herd never seems to have gotten the memo.

I hear faint echoes of a Clint Eastwood-esque standoff as I stare alternately at the flimsy-looking wire fence and the dozens of massive bovine now standing shoulder-to-shoulder, staring me down. While logic and history have taught me that these gentle giants are more curious than nasty, I shudder in the wind as my imagination paints a worst-case scene for me.

So I reach for the camera one more time to grab a few more images before I button it up for good and hit the pedals for home.

What I wouldn't give to know what they're thinking.

Doodling on an insulin bottle

To Frasier, with love
London, ON
May 2016

The typical dog's life is filled with naps, walks, playdates, and endless sessions of barking at the window for reasons that make sense only inside a dog's head. Our dog is no different, and his life with us for the past nine-ish years has been packed with countless such moments.

But our dog isn't typical. His days also include regular doses of insulin. At 8 am and pm, he very sweetly follows one of us to the kitchen, where he gets his needle like a champ. Every. Single. Time.

Sure, there are treats involved, and in the mind of a schnauzer, the word "treat" is the only trigger he needs. But needle time has become a critical ritual both for him and for us, a regularly scheduled reminder of just how precious life can be. It's also become an important responsibility for our kids - and one which they take incredibly seriously. You can forget to load your dirty dishes in the dishwasher, but the dog's needle is inviolable. They know it, and Frasier trusts them implicitly.

Whenever we start a new insulin vial, the person who opens it up marks the date on the top of the box. As you can see, this time someone added a little extra something. Yes, we love him. And, yes, we know to the depths of our soul that this innocent-looking box means life to our little guy. I'd be lying if I said my heart didn't melt a little when I opened the fridge and saw this.

On looking foolish

"Until you're ready to look foolish, you'll never have the possibility of being great."
Cher

The lonely plate of rice

Breakfast of champions
Toronto, ON
May 2012

It's no secret that I shoot pictures of food*. Unlike my kids, my dog and most of my friends and members of my extended family, food can't run away when I show up with a lens and an idea. Food sits in one place patiently while I compose and muse and measure. It puts up with my photographic idiocy.

Four years after I carefully laid this plate down on a stone patio and took the overhead-perspective picture you see here, I still can't explain why I took it. Come to think of it, I can't explain this photo any more than I can explain any of the others that I've taken along the way.

It's just one of those things that makes me feel better about being alive. It cuts through the rank seriousness of life. It makes people smile - well, some of them, anyway - and it reminds me that creativity can live in some pretty fascinating places. Not everything needs a reason, anyway. Not everything needs to be explained.

*The evidence: Here, here and here.

On screwing up, Einstein style

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
Albert Einstein

The selfie scourge continues

Looking into the mirror
London, ON
May 2016

As much as I prefer being behind the lens to being in front of it, every once in a while I feel the need to record my face-for-radio face in pixels. I am unable to explain why this is the case, but it does make for some amusing moments in front of the front hallway mirror.

Do you take random pictures of yourself?

Another trip around the sun

"Don't be afraid your life will end. Be afraid that it will never begin."
Grace Hansen

Today was my birthday, and as happens every few years, it fell on the same day as Mother's Day. As I wandered through the delightfully diverse wave of good wishes on social media, I smiled at the ones here and there that suggested I had to "share" the day.

I guess I never really thought of it as "sharing". If anything, I'm tickled that I get to enjoy a day like today with a woman who's as good at being a mother as anyone possibly can be. No, no one is perfect at anything - trust me, I nailed imperfection on multiple levels from the moment my cells began coalescing all those years ago. But I can't imagine being a parent alongside anyone else, and today it was especially fun to look at our kids through the lens of her.

Time isn't moving any slower, and the numbers are only getting bigger as I continue to tick off one orbital trip after another. But today was another reminder of what a charmed trip it's been so far, and how lucky I am to be sharing it with her.

Your turn: What are you thankful for?

Give thanks for bread

Rolling...
London, ON
April 2016

There's nothing like a simple moment of clarity to remind us of what truly matters and what truly doesn't. To the uninitiated, this is a random shot of some random rolls, another in a seemingly endless series of similarly random series of shots that I've taken over the years (here, here and most definitely here.)

But I took it on a morning when my wife and I had gone out for breakfast with our kids and her dad. The place was Angelo's (we've been there many times before) and it was a rare treat to hang out on a grey and rainy morning in their favorite neighborhood resto with their grandfather.

And when we were done, we picked up some fresh-baked bread to take home before Zayda Irving got into his car and pointed it back to his home in Montreal. Against that backdrop, a random picture of white-seeded rolls perhaps isn't so random after all. Perhaps this photography thing isn't as much about the picture as it is about the moment it was taken, and why we need to remember these things in the first place.

Your turn: Do you take pictures to remember otherwise everyday moments in time?

On measuring stupidity

"It is as dangerous to overestimate the goodness of people as to underestimate their stupidity."
Irving Layton

Something tells me today is as appropriate a day as any to share this classic quote.

ICYMI - This Week in Tech with CJAD's Barry Morgan

Every Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, I get to chat tech with Barry Morgan on Montreal's CJAD 800 radio station. Cool fact: I grew up in Montreal, and when I was in journalism school at Concordia University, CJAD was where I did my first-ever on-air work. Even cooler fact: Barry was a couple of years ahead of me in j-school, and I learned more from him in the student newsroom than I ever let on at the time.

We call it This Week in Tech, and we run through some of the more notable tech stories that might be of interest to listeners. We also take calls and texts from folks who are looking for answers to their most vexing geeky questions. So if you've got something that's troubling you, call it in.

You can listen live here, but in case you miss it (ICYMI), the station later posts the segments as podcasts to Player.fm. You can find this week's segment here. I'll post future segments to the blog, as well as other audio and video segments from elsewhere in my on-air/online travels. You never quite know where I'll pop up.

Enjoy!

Old parked cars - '57 Chevy edition

A model design
London, ON
May 2016

I'm lucky for a whole lot of reasons. Aside from being alive and healthy, I have a too-cool-for-words wife, great kids, an insane dog and voices inside my head that always give me stuff to write and speak about.

I also get to work with some pretty cool people. Andy Oudman hosts the Live Drive on Newstalk 1290 CJBK. Every day from 3 to 6 p.m., he makes the kind of radio that I grew up with.

And his stories about old Chevys are epic - as is the model he keeps in the newsroom.

So I paid a visit and had a little fun with the camera.

Thematic Photographic 369 - Feeling Nostalgic

Two lost generations
London, ON
February 2016

Hey folks, Thematic Photographic is back (all together now: Yay!) Did you miss it? I know I did, and am glad to be returning to something of a normal writing and shooting cadence.

I took this picture in the CTV London newsroom, on an otherwise quiet night after I had finished my segment and was heading home. Television is not immune to the endless wave of change that's been repaving the media landscape, and I'm pretty sure a journalist from even a few years back would walk into the newsroom today and feel completely lost.

Which was why I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this stack of archived film reels from around the time when Gerald Ford was still the Commander in Chief. Yes, Canada had a PM named Trudeau then, but it was Pierre, the current PM Justin's dad.

The tape-based camera seen here is also on the way out as updated digital cameras become the core of a radically rethought mobile production platform. Now, video journalists can shoot, edit and upload entire packages from wherever they happen to be. The realities of TV news in the Internet/mobile/social age dictate ever more creative ways to make it happen. Fewer people, better, faster tools, tighter connections to our audience. The only constant may be change, but the occasional reminder of what it was like way back when probably isn't a bad thing, either. It keeps us humble. And focused.

Your turn: If you're feeling nostalgic, take a picture that suggests or evokes the theme (anything old, really) and share it on your blog or website. If it's already online, share it, too. Leave a comment here letting others know where to find your stuff, and feel free to visit other Thematic participants to share the joy. New to our weekly celebration of all things photographic? Click here for details. Otherwise, have fun with it, because that's why we do Thematic to begin with. Thanks!

Love on a real train

Speeding past the farm
Somewhere East of London, ON
October 2012

Photography isn't always about the planned picture of the static scene, and you aren't always using the so-called "right" equipment to get the shot.

This landscape scene of a southwestern Ontario farm wasn't shot using a DSLR on a tripod, and I hadn't spent the last 20 minutes carefully composing the moment in my mind's eye. It was a lot less planned than that: I had my iPad pressed up against the window of a speeding Via Rail train as I headed to Toronto. I'm guessing we were doing about 130 km/h at the time.

Lesson learned: Don't wait for the perfect moment. Grab what you can, when you can, and sort it all out later when you get home.

One more thing: Thematic Photographic returns tonight. Check back at 7pm for the latest theme.

Saying goodbye to winter

In the middle of the storm
London, ON
February 2016
Photo by Dahlia Levy

It's officially been spring around these parts for well over a month, but you wouldn't have known it from the weird weather we've had since the planet swept past that very special spot in space that marks the dividing line between seasons. And as the skies remained grey and streaks of snow continued to fly past our firmly closed and locked windows, I was reminded of this picture our daughter took just a few short months ago.

She's studying photography in college now, and she's already way better at using pixels to tell stories than I ever was or will be. And in this one picture that has stuck in my mind since the first time she showed it to me, she's taught me that color is often found in the last place you look, and even when the skies threaten with substandard light and lens-fouling snow and ice, you find a way to shoot.

Because squeezing something worthwhile out of a challenging day is so much more rewarding than simply phoning it in when conditions are perfect. It's a lesson she's already learning so well, and I can't wait to see what she shoots next.

Your turn: What else do you want to see through Dahlia's lens? (She takes requests, so...)

On taking control of your freaking life

"You either get bitter or you get better. It's that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you."
Josh Shipp

Is there such thing as too much coffee?

One mug. To start.
London, ON
April 2016

As I stare at my filled-to-the-top mug, I wonder if you can ever have too much coffee on those mornings when nothing else seems capable of kick-starting your brain.

Just as quickly, I realize the answer is no. And this will likely be the first of multiple refills. Bring it.

Your turn: What's for breakfast today?

The longest road

The weather's been really wonky for much of the past month, so my best intentions of getting an early and fast start to the cycling season remained just that: Intentions.

But yesterday was different. The weather was as perfect as it gets, and after I got home from giving a talk, my wife said a ride would be good for me. And since she's always right about stuff like this, I quickly found myself on the road headed to parts unknown.

I ended up pointing the pink wondermachine westward - a fast way out of town - on what would eventually turn into a glorious 30km loop through the countryside. I was feeling pretty good about myself - cruising at an above-average-for-this-early-in-the-year pace, solid acceleration out of corners, strong overall feeling of control and a smile seemingly stuck permanently on my face - until I turned for home onto a road I'd never taken before. I thought it was a shortcut, but it soon turned into a steepening climb up and out from the river valley that slowed me down like a hand from the heavens. I gutted it out, refusing the give in to the inner voice that kept saying it was OK to walk the rest of the climb.

Needless to say, the last leg of the ride, even after I crested and continued the remaining, flat few kms to home, was a bit slower than the outbound part. But I made a mental note to come back to this place again and again.

Because some workouts challenge the mind as much as the body, and I learned an important lesson about relentlessness in the six or so minutes it took me to grind my way to the top.

Your turn: Your toughest climb. Please discuss...

The Panama Papers - The 6 things you must know

Aaaand we're back....

I've been rather silent of late - probably the longest interval between blog entries in, well, ever. I'm not entirely sure why I lost my muse for a bit, but I can reaffirm that I didn't much enjoy it. My fingers feel best when they're massaging an Apple keyboard, or exploring the controls of my Nikon, or holding the bar ends of my oh-so-pink Specialized wonderbike deep in a turn as I pound the pedals and accelerate toward the next curve. So tonight it's the Apple keyboard's turn, and it feels good. Let's do this, shall we?

Disclosure: I have a day job that allows me to wander into radio and television studios and talk about geeky things. Sometimes I even get woken up early to talk about geeky things from the darkened comfort of my home. Hopefully the dog remains asleep when that happens, but there are unfortunately no apps that can mute the sound of an excited schnauzer at 6 a.m. Or any other time, for that matter.

Once upon a time, the geeky things in my geeky world were separate and distinct from the decidedly non-geeky things that make the top of the evening newscasts. Those days are apparently over, as technology is increasingly woven into the very fabric of the everyday stories that make the mainstream news. Geek news is no longer the exclusive domain of geeks, and every story, whether we like it or not, always seems to have a geeky dimension that matters in some way to the average folks who lead average lives. Pocket protectors no longer define "tech".

Which explains why I got called yesterday* to explain the tech dimensions of the rapidly unfolding Panama Papers story, why I spent a good chunk of today talking about it, and why it'll probably dominate my analyst's agenda for some time to come. As I often do when I'm asked to weigh in on a story, I like to pull together some rough notes that I then share with the producers and hosts I work with. It gives them insight into how I dissect a story, and gives us a roadmap for the interview. Here's what I jotted down for this one:

The short-story version is this isn't just something that affects the rich and famous. We must all worry about it, too, because even little people like us are generating lots of data that someone will find valuable.

The list of people involved is huge - and I have a feeling it'll ripple out even further by the time additional analysis is done - and released - on the full 11-plus-million pages of leaked information. The list includes Iceland's Prime Minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, Pakistan's PM, Nawaz Sharif, Ayad Allawi, ex-interim PM and former VP of Iraq, Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko, Argentine President Mauricio Macri (who had campaigned against corruption), Alaa Mubarak, son of Egypt’s former president, and even actor Jackie Chan.

Beyond the names themselves is how easily even the most routine of fiscal transactions can be tracked and ultimately shared publicly. All it takes is a leak here, a leak there and before you know it your entire financial history can be laid bare for all to see.

The Wikileaks/Edward Snowden leaks should have been our biggest clue that anyone and everyone can fall victim. This time it's a who's who of political and business people whose private affairs are on display. But what it it's one of us? What stops an angry ex-spouse, business partner or employee from digging around and surfacing similar data on us?

We're inadvertently laying the foundation for something just like this to happen to us, everything we do is now stored, saved and tracked. And we aren't asking questions about what's being done to keep all of that information - OUR information - safe and secure.

Scary times, and our blase attitude toward information security isn't doing us any favors. In the meantime, here's a quick Q&A as reference/background:

Q1 - This is being called an "unprecedented" leak of millions of documents from the database of Mossack Fonseca, the world’s fourth biggest offshore law firm. How does a breach of this magnitude even happen?
A1 - We can talk about how even the most seemingly secure data can be quickly and quietly stolen thanks to staggeringly obvious gaps in internal security. I could easily walk into an office with a USB drive and walk out, undetected, with tons and tons of unencrypted, damning data. What I do with it afterward is anyone's guess.

Q2 - So it's Vladimir Putin. What does a data breach scandal involving one of the world's most notorious politicians have to do with you and me?
A2 - We can talk about how even ordinary citizens can be victimized. Our data is being gathered and stored everywhere - banks, retailers, governments, tech companies - and we're all one breach away from being exposed. There is no such thing as "below the radar" anymore. Everyone's data is valuable to someone, and we're all at risk. You don't have to be an oligarch and one-time communist spy to become a victim. We should all be worried.

Q3 - How hard can it be to connect the dots between millions of documents? Who has the time to analyze all of this and build a damning case against us?
A3 - Not that long ago, it would have taken years of grinding, extensive, complex analysts to paint a picture. Now, increasingly sophisticated, automated analysis and search tools - something like Google for Forensic Analysis - make short work of looking at a giant blob of data and telling a fascinating, potentially damaging story. With a USB drive in one hand and the right app in the other, even a semi-skilled hacker could easily go to town on pretty much anyone he/she wants.

Q4 - Are the risks getting worse?
A4 - Yes. Think of how much more we rely on apps, systems, web/cloud services today compared to just a few years ago. Think about the Internet of Things, and how the amount of data being collected from our day-to-day lives will increase exponentially and even logarithmically over the next few years. That data - our data - is valuable. And more of our data is being stored and exposed with each passing day.

Q5 - Can we protect ourselves?
A5 - We can. But it takes diligence and attention. Some tips:

• a) Don't overshare. Don't grant access carte-blanche. Question companies/apps/services that request blanket accesses to your information, and be prepared to delete apps or close services when you think they're overreaching.
• b) Encrypt everything. Virtually every device, app and service now offers enhanced security via end-to-end encryption. Go into the settings and turn it on. Also use dual/multi-factor authentication whenever possible (i.e. add fingerprint/voice/swipe/etc. authentication to existing password-based access methods. Two locks on a door are better than one.
• c) Be password-smart. Use hard-to-guess passwords, change them regularly and use different ones for different apps and services. Never share them.
• d) Clean up old devices, apps and accounts. Don't leave old data hanging around. Take deliberate steps to ensure it isn't easily harvested by criminals. Properly dispose of old hardware, too.
• e) Review data security policies. This applies at work as well as with any company you do business with. They should all have data usage and terms of use policies on-file. If they aren't safeguarding your information, ask why and be prepared to go elsewhere if you're concerned.  
• f) Google yourself. Every once in a while, go online and do basic searches for yourself to see what's out there - and whether or not that makes you nervous. 

Your turn: What else do you want to know about the Panama Papers? It's going to be burning hot all week, so have at it. I'm all ears...

--
ICYMI, here's a rundown of who' I've spoken with so far:

• CTV News Channel, Scott Laurie, weekly Clicked In segment
• NewsTalk 1010 Toronto, John Moore
• NewsTalk 1290 London, Andy Oudman (we'll explore more on our weekly Tech Talk segment tomorrow)
• CTV London, Gerry Dewan (video here, just over 11:00 in)
• 610 CKTB Niagara, Larry Fedoruk (podcast/audio here)
• NewsTalk 1010 Toronto, David Eddie
• CFRA Ottawa (my weekly Tech Tuesday segment with Rob Snow - MP3 here)

(And, yes, I get a little thrill every time my producers play Van Halen's Panama just before an interview. I'm strange like that.)