After what seems like an eternity, cameras are dusted, charged, and ready to shoot!
Time flies. Especially when you are locked down with all commercial production cancelled. It was almost two years ago that I was last on a shoot – a production scout for a national retail chain. On one hand, it seems like an eternity. On the other, as they say, time flies.
Luckily I have kept myself busy on a bunch of writing and video projects, which I’ll talk more about down the road. In the meantime, I’ve posted some of the articles I’ve written lately for CBC Parents – starting with this one: 10 Things Nobody Told Me About Being a Dad.
A look at the the potential impact of omnipresent porn on young kids.
This piece isn’t judgemental about porn. Rather, I wonder about the impac of omnipresent porn and the negative illusions it can create in impressionable young minds.
Every parent has a responsibility to teach kids the true value of democratic rights and responsibilities.
In this article, I share what I believe are among the most important lessons a parent can teach: democracy and the value of democratic institutions. There has never been a point in my lifetime when democracy has been in such peril and the forces opposing authoritarianism in such disarray. Our children will continue this fight and we must do everything possible to give them the tools to prevail.
How I navigate the tricky twists of tween girl drama.
Herein I share a few surprising realizations and some common-sense solutions to the inevitable girl drama that happens as girls mature. Like just about everything else, it’s a normal part of growing up – as long as it doesn’t get out of hand.
How my Great Aunt influenced my life with her wisdom.
We all have people who influence our lives at a young age. I was so lucky to have my Great Aunt, who shared her lived experience and gathered wisdom from many generations of my family. It’s been a great resource for me throughout my life.
So it looks as though we’re finally about to sign a new NAFTA – the USMCA. The “art of the deal” guy badly needed one and lifted his steel and aluminum tariffs to get it. Assuming the Dems support it (by no means a given), Kudos to Justin Trudeau, Chrystia Freeland and the rest of the team for getting it done.
This experience provides a good reminder of why we should check out Canadian options when it comes to the goods and services we use every day. And what service do we use more regularly than web hosting?
It sure worked for me: As the bills from my monolithic American hosting service continued to go through the roof, I decided to check out Canadian options. There are plenty providing excellent service and super dependable connectivity – all at a great price and even better when priced in Canuck bucks.
But the advantages go far beyond dollars expended. There’s also a huge benefit in privacy. In the U.S., there is virtually zero protection of your data from the government. On a whim, authorities can block access and spy on you without a court order. In Canada, however, you and your business data are subject to local courts and laws.
You should get a speed boost too: The closer your data center is to you and your customers, the faster your data will load.
And perhaps most important, by engaging a Canadian service provider, you are keeping your dollars in Canada and supporting Canadian businesses and workers.
My service provider, Web Hosting Canada, even covered a Mediadiner Campaign called Long Ride Home, a web-based documentary series focused on helping Canadian soldiers and first responders heal from trauma.
The piece, which appeared in their newsletter a few months back, reached over 35,000 Canadians – great coverage for a great cause and it didn’t cost a dime!
Here’s my take on why tweens suddenly become rebellious and how to manage it.
There’s a reason why your tween is suddenly becoming explosive. Around puberty, the brain goes through a massive rewiring. As a result, moods become extreme and outbursts become routine. Here’s what I learned going through it and why it just might help you take the stress down a notch or two.
I suppose I should have anticipated all of these. But I don’t see how any dad could without having walked the walk. I’ve jotted down some of my favourite reflections in this piece.