Wash the top and bottom of your plates. Not just the top. Cause there might be grease on the bottom. I know. You think because you don’t have food on the bottom, there’s no need to wash too carefully. Wrong. For the same reason as #1, wash the handles of your wooden spoons and cutlery.…
Thursday HuffPost Edition – Ten things I've learned from Steve Jobs
1. Form is as important as function. 2. Corporate presentations do not have to be boring, or text-heavy, or generic. Presentations are performances; they should be important, heady, image-based, funny, and idealistic. Steve Jobs made corporate presentations into events. 3. Good, visionary people are critical and irreplaceable… Read the rest of this week’s post here
Ten things I've learned from working for an indie Canadian Hip-Hop label
Shout-out to Camobear Records and Josh Martinez. Still killing it. Go buy their music and keep them in Coke and Ketchup Chips. You have to have a sense of humour if you are a rapper in Canada. Because you are a rapper. In Canada. Halifax (and Nova Scotia more generally) is actually a hip-hop incubator,…
Thursday HuffPost Edition – Ten things I’ve learned from Craig Kielburger
1. I first saw Craig Kielburger speak when I was 14 or 15 years old, attending Jarvis Collegiate Institute. I am two years older than him, but I was inspired by his moxy and his passion at the time.. and still am. 2. You will be successful at a job that you find meaningful, even…
Ten things I’ve learned from musical theatre
Note: I used to hate musical theatre; I’m trying to grow to understand it. The song in any musical is most powerful when it clarifies the singer’s want or emotion. You might think it’s cheesy, but try not to cry when you hear “On My Own“, “Somewhere That’s Green“, or my personal tear tsunami, “Sunrise…
Guestpost #70: Steve Hobbs – Ten things I've learned (and loved) to do as a kid growing up in conserved nature
Note: Steve is a repeat poster, and got me “Freshly Pressed”…so thanks Steve! In addition to his passion for comedy, Steve’s an avid fan of spending time in nature – in addition to camping regularly and having worked at an educational nature-oriented day camp, he grew up backing onto a large conservation area in Markham.…
Ten things I've learned from Rob Ford
Gravy is a problem, but pork is quite alright. There is an important and critical distinction between paying lip service to participatory democracy and actually listening to constituents. If you hear without listening, and do what you were planning to do anyway, then what’s the point of town hall meetings? Luckily, the mayor is just…
Guestpost #69: Martha Keagan – Ten things I've learned from renting
Note: Martha came to me out of the blue, and has a helpful post here about renting. Thanks Martha! About the author: Martha Keagan is a freelance writer, full time mother and local part-time real estate and apartment rentals broker. If you are looking for a new apartment, remember the guidelines listed below. This will…
Monday HuffPost Edition – Ten things I've learned from 9/11
1. I remember waking up and going to work on Sept. 11, 2001. At the time I was working at a call centre for a growing company with franchises throughout the U.S. The lines were almost dead, and we were glued to our computers. Once in a while a call would come in from somebody…
Guestpost #68: Josef Addleman – Ten things I've learned from teaching English as a foreign language
Bio: For the past five years, Josef Addleman has been a Toronto-based improviser, musician, and teacher. Before that, he spent two years living in rural Japan. As a day job, he teaches an accent-reduction course to classes of mostly Japanese and Korean students. He improvises with Impatient Theatre Company and Opening Night Theatre, and performs…
Guestpost #67: Chloe Trogden – Ten things I’ve learned from backpacking
Note: it’s always neat to get guest posts from people who I don’t personally know, but who stumbled on my blog. It’s cool. I’ve had posts from (among other places) China, Japan, Vancouver, and now, North Carolina! Bio: Chloe Trogden specializes in research involving all forms of college grants. She has compiled thousands of resources…
Friday HuffPost Edition – Ten things I've learned from the Canadian Men's Soccer Team
1. I’m not a huge fan of overt patriotism most of the time (although I did well up with pride when I was in Ottawa for Canada Day last year and a local band was playing “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet“). It’s OK in the spirit of friendly competition, though. It’s great when it involves a…
Guestpost #66: Kenway Yu – Ten things I've learned from wearing a costume at a comic book convention
Bio: Kenway is an improviser, writer and convention attendee. Note: One of the more infamous costumes at Fan Expo 2011 was Dominic Cobb, AKA Leonardo DiCaprio from Inception (2010). He recaps his experiences from the Fan Expo weekend. Costumes are hot. Wearing a suit and tie in 30 degree weather left me sweating buckets. I…
Guestpost #65: Bill Thanis – Ten things I've learned from visiting the galaxy
Bio: Bill Thanis is a Toronto improviser, technology wiz, and overall nice guy with a big moustache. Note: In one of my more fanciful discussions with friends, I pointed out that it was impossible to ‘do’ the galaxy. If you could magically snap your fingers and teleport to a star system in no time, snapping…
Ten things I've learned from being childlike
I’m silly, curious, and open-minded. I feel like these are positive traits, but they’ve gotten me in trouble at workplaces on a number of occasions. I’ve been told before that if I act like a child, I’ll be treated like a child. Yet, I never received ice cream for my awesome drawings at work, and…
Guestpost #64: Liz Jukovsky – Ten things I've learned from accepting my body
Bio: Liz is a repeat poster. Yay! Liz Jukovsky is an improviser, comedian, writer, and actor from Boston, Massachusetts. She studied Anthropology at the University of Toronto and has lived in Toronto for five years. You can find her profile and upcoming improv shows at http://www.impatient.ca/people/liz-jukovsky/ or check out her twitter @Eljukjuk. Acceptance doesn’t mean complacency. I…