Posted on February 12, 2018 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

It’s definitely ” man cold” season

 

“Sittin’ downtown in a railway station,

One toke over the line.”

One Toke Over The Line. Brewer and Shipley.

ALLERGY ALERT: IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO BAD PUNS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO SKIP THIS POST. IT’S LIKE A NOXIOUS WEED.

There was a time not all that long ago, that a 1000 point drop on the Dow Jones Industrial Average would tie up my stomach in knots and result in sleepless nights. I was in the financial business during the technology “dot com” bubble meltdown in 2000 and of course the epic market crash of 2008-09. I can put the blame on my hair loss squarely on the shoulders of the stock market.

These days, I am merely a spectator… mostly.

My brother from Victoria has been visiting this past week and during our early morning get togethers for coffee (usually around 6:30 a.m.); we cover a wide range of topics. The other day, we were comparing aches and pains and the topic of medical marijuana came up. Well, one thing led to another and while we were sipping the last of our java, I bought a handful of stocks in a Canadian marijuana company.

Warren Buffett, arguably one of the most successful investors ever, has always lived by the mantra, “don’t invest in anything you don’t understand.”

I started university in 1970, the very year that the power house band (?), Brewer and Shipley”, wrote the iconic lyrics to “ One Toke Over The Line.” I took those lyrics seriously. The Doobie Brothers became one of my favourite bands. So when I decided to buy shares in a “joint” stock company, I felt comfortable that I had a better than average knowledge of this soon to be legal consumer product.

My newly purchased shares went to pot in early trading but recovered at the end of the day on a high. At one point, when the price dropped 10%, I thought my investment had gone up in smoke.

I think that’s enough groans for today!

“Live From The Beach.”

You asked. I delivered.

My 15 minutes of fame last week with my videos of the flood, prompted many of you (tongue and cheek, of course) to suggest I take up a career in broadcasting. Particularly weather forecasting.  Well known television meteorologist, Cindy Day, retired recently prompting one of my children to dub me “Cindy Dad.”  Where do they get their quirky sense of humour?!

On the weekend, I headed out to Mahoney’s Beach to broadcast the weekend weather. I was tired of filming on the banks of the swollen Brierly Brook. (Those videos, by the way, were viewed over 125,000 times). Now obviously I’m no Frankie MacDonald when it comes to weather prognostications, even though we share the same last name. If you haven’t heard one of Frankie’s famous storm predictions, just Google him. He’s a legend in these parts.

As expected, I received lots of cheeky responses. I’m still puzzled about the comments suggesting a “bobble head doll.”

So, here’s the deal. Starting this Saturday, weather permitting (!); I will be doing a live weather forecast from “Some Beach, Somewhere.” (For you harness racing fans out there).  “Live from the Beach “will be a 60 second video bringing you up to the minute weather forecasts. But wait… there’s more. (This sounds like an old K-Tel commercial.)  If you have an event that you want plugged at the last minute, just send me the info by Friday and I will do my best to include it in my one minute video. No bingo cancellation notices please!

Get high on life.

Have a great week.

Posted on February 8, 2018 under Thursday Tidbits with 2 comments

My 15 minutes of fame. Check the caption ( Compliments of Peter! )

 

“And it goes on and on, watching the river run.”

Watching the River Run. Loggins and Messina.

People are fascinated with natural disasters. It’s like going to a car race waiting for a pile up to happen or watching a tightrope artist crossing Niagara Falls. There’s a bit of voyeurism in all of us.

By historic standards, the recent ice build, heavy rains and ensuing flood certainly wasn’t an anomaly. Here’s an old photo from the Antigonish Heritage Museum’s Facebook page:

The confluence of the Wright’s River, West River and Brierly Brook, combined with tidal water and a flood plain, has caused problems in Antigonish forever. Remediation to the Wright’s River years ago more or less solved the problem at the east end of town. But in the downtown core, when the ice builds up in the Brierly Brook and you get a torrential rainfall like we did last Friday, flooding is sure to follow. It happened suddenly and dramatically resulting in the stranding of 23 vehicles in the town parking lot behind the 5 to $1.00.

Living close to the action, I wandered over on Friday evening and took a short video. Pete Norman’s video was the best I’ve seen. I knew people were engaged when I received tens of thousands of views on Facebook.

After more rain overnight on Sunday night, my curiosity got the best of me and I shot another video first thing Monday morning. I now fully understand the concept of a video going viral. That video received over 42,000 views and 982 shares… and counting. Heavy rain continued unabated for hour’s .Realizing that people locally and globally were engaged with the story; I took a few more videos throughout the day and felt like a roving storm chaser. For a while, it looked like our apartment buildings adjacent to the Brierly Brook were in danger of being flooded as the water crested at high tide. We had to evacuate all of our cars. When the media got a hold of it, the end of Court Street became a very popular spot. We should have charged admission. Hundreds of people wandered down to check things out.

My appearance on CTV prompted my son, Peter to do a little photo shopping of my image!

“Please sir, I want some more.” (From the musical “Oliver)

If you haven’t had a chance to see Oliver yet, you must go. It is an excellent production. It’s in the home stretch of its run at Immaculata Hall. There are performances Friday the 9^th. At 7:00 p.m. Saturday 10^th. At 2:00 (matinee) and 7:00 p.m. and Sunday the 11^th. At 2:00 p.m. I’ve seen it once already. “I want some more!”

I attended the official opening of African Heritage Month yesterday in the McKay Room at St. F.X. The ceremony was exceptionally well attended. As usual, the African Drumming Group comprised of students from Grade 5 all the way up to Grade 12, stole the show. The theme this year is “Educate, Unite, and Celebrate Community.” It was a wonderful event. I hope to join in the celebration by doing a “Faces in the Crowd” piece sometime this month.

“Like a bridge over troubled waters.” Hallelujah. The ice jam is gone and the Brierly Brook is running as it should.

Have a great weekend.

 

Posted on February 5, 2018 under News & Updates with 2 comments

Canada’s Ocean Playground

 

I realize that not everyone is on Facebook. Here’s what’s going on in Antigonish right now.

 

Parking lot behind 5 to $1.00… running between the parking meters.