Free Advice for McDonald’s!

By J. Dean Spence

McCafe cappuccinos are to die for–when you can get your hands on them!

Big Mac, Fillet-o-Fish, Quarter Pounder, French fries…

When I was a kid if you were to suggest taking me McDonald’s, I probably would have spontaneously combusted in a fit of rapture.

Icy cokes, thick shakes, sundaes, and apple pies…

My tastes have changed over the years, and although I will still have the occasional order of fries and McNuggets, I’m much more interested in McDonald’s coffee these days. My go to drinks there are the Americanos and cappuccinos.

Continue reading “Free Advice for McDonald’s!”

Freaky Frequency Marketing

By J. Dean Spence

Visiting Loblaws at Maple Leafs Gardens is a great shopping experience.

I love going to Loblaws on Carlton Street in Toronto—the former home of the Toronto Maple Leafs. There are delicious prepared meals that you can eat in the store, while live music is being played. The selection of food is second to none. There is a stunning selection of cheese, along with freshly baked bread and deserts. The seafood display is as colourful and intriguing as an expertly tended flower bed (although not as nice smelling—ditto for the Olive and Antipasti Bar!).

Continue reading “Freaky Frequency Marketing”

Is SeaCare Afraid of the Dark?

By J. Dean Spence

Nat “King” Cole starred in The Nat King Cole Show on NBC in 1956-1957.

Around the World. Smile. Mona Lisa. Sweet Lorraine. Nat “King” Cole left behind some Unforgettable music. He also left behind a story that many Americans would probably rather forget.

Cole had a television show, The Nat King Cole Show, that ran from 1956 to 1957 on NBC. It was the first time an African American headlined a network variety show. Considering the star power that appeared on his show (Count Basie, Mahalia Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald et cetera) it is surprising that the show was cancelled because of low ratings. It couldn’t compete with a Robin Hood show that aired on CBS at the same time.

Continue reading “Is SeaCare Afraid of the Dark?”

Are Agenda Setters Credible When Covering Mental Illness?

By J. Dean Spence

The salience of mental illness requires that agenda setters need to know their subject well.

There are long standing linkages between mental illness and _____________ (fill in the blank with everything from demonism, animalism, unreason…ad nauseam). The Western tradition of literature documents this tricky subject, often in highly prized works of poetry and fiction. Lillian Feder’s book, Madness and Literature, is recommended for its treatment on the subject, from classical Greek drama to the work of Sylvia Plath.

Continue reading “Are Agenda Setters Credible When Covering Mental Illness?”

The Defiant Ones

By J. Dean Spence

In the 1986 movie Youngblood, the Patrick Swayze character had an interesting line. I don’t remember the exact words, but it was some iteration of, “Hockey is a white man’s game.” As a child, I had heard this line of reasoning before, but I didn’t care. I loved hockey. I was such a hard-core Toronto Maple Leafs fan, that when the Detroit Red Wings eliminated Toronto from the 1986-87 playoffs, I flew into a rage and broke my mother’s lamp.

Continue reading “The Defiant Ones”