canadian comedian cory mack

Show Up. Shine. Let it go!

2012-01-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

I read this recently and it struck home with me -
"If you’re chasing after positive reviews, demographic trends or a lucrative box office, Gervais said, “you’ve already failed.” But, he added, “if your only ambition is to get something off your chest and render it exactly as you wanted it, then you’re bulletproof.”
Ricky Gervais; David Itzkoff's interview New York Magazine

It reminded me of a day when others permissions and opinions defined me. subtle insistent moves that made me feel less than more often than not. I'm enjoying this bulletproof movement - honoured by Louis CK and Ricky Gervais and the like - they are rendering their art exactly as they want to - no apologies. without permission. makes me a bit dizzy - but here I go. heart racing.

I will adopt the "define yourself" movement of artists" - (and yes, comedians are artists).
I know what moves me, what inspires me - time to let that shine.
I continue to surround myself with people I trust. their words and intentions impeccable, their hearts in the right place. I'll gather up my dearest and deliver.

I know how lucky I am to be in this place - healthy. supported. loved. rich by most measures. I'm going to take that remarkable headstart and have some unapologetic ridiculous simple fun! join me :0)

29 ways to get creative....

2012-01-18T19:26:00.002-07:00

29 ways to get creative....

december 8, 2011: Distracted Driving

2011-12-10T10:04:00.001-07:00

with less shows than I've had in years this holiday/Christmas party - I'm savouring each one. I crave comedy. I get antsy and grumpy and can't wait to get on the road. What do I do for 11 hours on the road. I listen to music. Dream. nostalgic. misty. sometimes I pull over and cry. I drink coffee from gas stations. and tell the gents on coffee row where I'm going. get to share a meal and say quick hello's to family and friends. And I eat scotch mints. sing my heart out.

Feels more like getting a chance to meet folks. where they are. with them. more and more connecting. laughs. more heart. softer. together. i miss Saskatchewan. I miss you.

Why Work Sucks...

2011-11-20T23:12:00.001-07:00

my pal Carolyn and I talk marketing all day long - before work coffee, most lunches and mid-afternoon coffees - we scheme, dream, question and imagine. She's a pro at publicity and marketing - I'm a keen learner. We say "Yes, Let's" and "stop waiting for permission" - we believe that everyone's a marketer. Everyone is telling their story; answering a question.

Excited that she put together a seth godin book club - we read Meatball Sundae last month - and we're working on the brilliant book - "Why Work Sucks & How to Fix It" which gives strength to folks who are accountable. keep their word. put their big pants on and get the work done, as promised.

Imagine! well I know of at least one Calgary organization working their way through to just that - letting professionals live their lives - which includes being accountable to your CAREER&LIFE responsibilities. PHENOMENAL! i love it.

wholehearted notes to me

2011-11-20T23:00:00.001-07:00

Today when my darling daughter crept downstairs alone she left me a note beside the coffee machine that reads:

Here's your damn note :0)
I'm downstairs. xo me

When I asked her about it - she said "you said, next time leave me a BEEP note...so i did" she was beaming. Her dad she had spelled "damn" correctly. we beamed.

This is my favourite note - next to her note that says "I love you, you know. if you care" that she threw from her room in a six year old dramatic fling, and it landed at my feet. I love notes.

I love the wishes my son granted for Christmas one year - a class project in grade 2 maybe? - "may the people always laugh at your jokes" - "may you always love me".

i once got a note on a windshield that forever changed my life.

a little pencil. a half-dead pen. now i spend hours reading typed words and filling them with meaning. but pretty little words. stop me in my tracks.

so say something nice - I guess that's my wish. take your whole heart and say something nice. give someone a damn note.

xo

me

downstairs by herself.

2011-10-24T23:28:00.003-06:00

my daughter went downstairs Saturday morning to watch TV. Simple enough - she's 11. right? no - wrong. she's NEVER EVER gone downstairs by herself. willingly.

But Saturday, she snuck by me (I was sleeping on the couch with the dog who had woke up at 7 am - MUCH too early for a Saturday sleep-in day). she snuck by the dog. and went downstairs.

So when I went to wake her at 10 - seriously - it was a SLEEPY morning.... - She was not in her bed.

Oh she went and crawled in with her dad, I thought. Nope.
Oh she's in talking to her brother, I hoped. Nope.

SWEET JESUS. she's not in the pile of blankets in her bed. I started saying her name, repeating it. All the LOGICAL steps had been taken in searching for her. I ran to the bedroom and said - "Honey, I can't find GRACE!" I was panicked. running back and forth from room to room. He was up - what do you mean. I was chanting her name under my breath. and then it got louder and louder - GRACE? and from the BASEMENT there arose a small voice - "I'm down here watching TV."

So i fell down on the steps to the basement and cried. 'Oh mommy, why are you crying - I'm sorry I scared you'

Of course she was in the basement. not kidnapped. not running away to meet a creep off the internet. or some suave handsome hockey player. Just - at 11 - brave enough after a few months of Jr. High - barely brave enough to slip downstairs and watch TV in the basement to avoid waking the household.

We are close with our kids. We keep them close. They are rarely out of our sight. I cried because we've been taught that to we've protect them - we have to be vigilant... I cried because I watch too much TV and let my imagination run.

I cried because I'm maybe even a bit silly. Dear ones I hope I'm not so sleepy ever that I wouldn't hear my child being torn from her home - or for that matter - my proverbial apron strings.

I cried because I was wrong.

Later that night I told her - and "leave a damn note if you're going downstairs by yourself." She smiled. "You're my everything" I whispered. "I know" she said "I know mommy." She knows.

Never more surprised...or honoured!

2011-10-24T20:16:00.004-06:00

a tribute to Roger Abbott from his friends

"A star of the Royal Canadian Air Farce - Roger Abbott quickly showed his organizational abilities—Don Ferguson called him "the guiding light of Royal Canadian Air Farce" and "a combination of artistic, organizational and business talent" according to Wikipedia - and it's for my contributions to the development of the Canadian Comedy Awards as the Chair of the Nominations and Awards Committee for the last 2 years - that I had the distinct honour of receiving the very first Roger Abbott Award. (previously known as The Chairman's Award) at the 2011 Canadian Comedy Awards.

Here are a few links:

http://www.third-beat.com/?p=2458

http://playbackonline.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/press-release-the-2011-canadian-comedy-awards-winners.pdf

PLAY. 7 great ways to connect & have fun!

2011-10-13T10:41:00.000-06:00

After all these years driving distances to gigs - I am FULL of ideas. Between singing and djing incredible full-length musicals I also drive in silence concocting incredible - but potentially realistic - and REMARKABLE ideas. In the spirit of sharing - and a great desire to have more joy joy joy joy down in my heart - I will now share some ideas with you - go ahead. deliver them unto the people in your world. Let me know how it all went! send photos.

1) Idea #1: shared with D. Michael Dobbin of Alberta Theatre Projects whilst drinking at the Auburn Saloon - circa 1994. A life-size Snakes and Ladders Game. Have F&D build it - at the time I thought the old Sorrenti's restaurant/bar would be terrific. Today on Twitter - @mummymorphisis suggested Olympic Plaza, Millennium Park, Bowness Park, empty skating rink at Patterson, etc. Could be built of bales to climb. what young engineering team wouldn't mind making this happen. At the Calgary International Children's Festival in May 2012? or maybe a longer standing creation? financial literacy, physical fitness, fun for all ages, slides! email me - we'll make it happen! cory at corymack dot ca

2) Idea #2: shared with D. Michael Dobbin of Alberta Theatre Projects whilst drinking at the Auburn Saloon - circa 1994. CAR-e-OKE. Rent a drive-in screen. Everyone comes. lyrics are on the screen with a bouncing ball, piped into each car. OR large bar aka Pulp Fiction - with full cars; now you could have itune-enabled or you could plug in your own ipod. drinks delivered to car ala A & W rootbeer on trays - bench seats all face each other inside the car -and you SING your hearts out.

3) Idea #3: skype screen/cameras at the end of tables in nursing homes, hospitals or senior's residences - or tables that come with a place for a skype screen/camera at the end - so that no one has to eat alone. Have them in schools and workplaces so that kids and adults and seniors could interact at mealtimes.

4) Idea #4: with the no distraction law in place - my latest idea is to have a velcro pocket that attaches around your shoulder strap seat belt coming over your left shoulder. phone rests on your shoulder. answer call, hit speaker, slip phone into the "cell" and talk.

5) Idea #5: like many small town communities have down - re-assign empty schools and classrooms as artisan/small business communities - each classroom rented by a different company or artist. cafeteria is the coffee shop; gym is the showcase, theatre, public gallery; bathrooms on site; etc. OR have a combination of folks living there and artists/businesses co-sharing spaces - so these buildings become "communities" where instead of living above the store - you are living beside the store - or the artist. Affordable housing option?

6) Idea #6: Storyline - years ago in a theatre for young audience class - I remember the prof talking about a New York City Library program where latch-key children could call a phone number and someone would read them a story or stories. Rumour has it that the story hours in libraries are fill to brimming in Calgary - Again - skype screens and capabilities could be linked to classrooms (around the world depending on timezones) to other classrooms - or to seniors' programs - or to ESL programs - to classrooms that speak the language you're learning - etc. - to increase literacy and inter-generational learning and relationships. connectivity. and phones could be used. or a radio station could have a story hour. Anyplace with a smartboard could have video capabilities. Ipads in classrooms and seniors homes to tell stories.

7) Idea #7 - this one we did at our house a month or so ago - invite a bunch of friends to a potluck extravaganza - they have to bring one main dish to share - and they have to bring a celebrated or hidden talent to share - show & shine - call it what you will! we had a blast - great anticipation for the "show" -ages 6 through teen through adult - everyone there did something. We had yoga moves, songs, readings, puppets, guitar, kazoo, magic, hand tricks, eyebrow tricks, ab-rolling and a really really good time. there's something magic in being together and cheering everyone on - just watching someone hold their breath and take that leap of faith is magic. inspired & delightful and puts the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.

Do you have some ideas you'd like to share? we could collect a zillion and add to our homes, families, communities - just a bit of fun.

be funny. no permission required.

2011-10-03T17:11:00.002-06:00

I'm a corporate clean comedian - meaning you won't hear the "f" or "c" words - and the humour is adult but generally acceptable if you watch TV after 6 pm. Nothing too awkward or squeamish. there aren't a lot of corporate clean comics. and the lines are blurry - often the client is saying things to you or about you that would never make it onstage because of content, language or intent to shock values. But he/she is paying the cheque.

I decided a long time ago to write for a market - as a small-town kid we loved nothing more than when someone got married - an open bar! a dance! something to do. So I wrote for the folks that will pack the local Hall, the rink banquet room, the local conference centre in the hotel and/or the school gymnasium where the "comedy night/show" is going to happen - knowing full well that there will be folks from 18 (or barely 18) to 88 ready to "do something!" Gave up bar gigs 12 years ago and do club gigs about once a year. I'm found in fine Legion halls everywhere and that suits me to a T.

Whenever I've been asked to run a workshop on comedy - I remind folks - pick a market. there are many parameters to each market - from road to christian to club to pub comics - each has their own set of rules to follow - or stretch as they case may be.

Independent shows are on the rise. Last Wednesday night Calgary had four comedy shows running - on a Wednesday - because comedians are delivering, producing - not waiting for permission. defining their own acts - stretching the limits.

Last week at red carpet comedy - a Calgary once a month hit show - where pros tell brand new material (AAAACK!) I tried getting to the truth. the raw. unedited truth. It was a stretch to drop my "corporate character" built up over 22+ years - and just be. "Louis CK real" as I call it - thought-provoking? funny. interesting. no fear. no shame comedy.

I did it. and it felt right.

I know the curmudgeons get all weirded out when new comics call themselves a comic - when the define themselves and don't wait to be defined. That's the way it is - are you less of a comedian because you write for Youtube or a webseries or a podcast. You are creating. When are you a comedian? a writer? Self-define and deliver is the way of the world.

Don't wait for an x-caterer and makeup artist to define how funny you are. Go out and be funny. no permission required.

I challenge anyone that does comedy - not to just write new jokes - but to try and write for a new market? for TV? for radio? for a greeting card. for a top ten list. for a church picnic or for a family show. write an opening monologue.

Cruiseline comics on some ships have to 1/2 hour for family audience and a 1/2 hour X-rated. so I just need 20 minutes more X. and to clean up my corporate clean for kids in the room. and I could floating around by 2012. watch me.

Are you an artist?

2011-09-30T11:21:00.003-06:00

I've been in a 2 day conference - Arts Champions Congress put on by Calgary Arts Development, Here's some questions - are you an Arts Champion? Are you an artist? what's your definition? Seth Godin defines artist here.

Inspired again and again - by friends and colleagues and by Ben Cameron - here's a video that illustrates the power of his words and ideas - click here

This morning several gathered to talk to more with Ben and each other about an event in the city that would "expand the circle" of support and resources to the Arts. a selection of thoughts and words from the breakfast this morning - "we are less special than we like to believe. everyone creates. live life like you give a shit written on a sidewalk in Kensington and photographed and on FB. inclusivity. connectivity. resistance to unknown. we need to get over ourselves. do you crave belonging? do you call yourself an artist out loud? instead of outreach - it's reach out - "skate to where the puck is". is it the social juices that draws the bees to the honey - in this case, art? artists create to answer a question. is art a product? ripple effect to protect our resources...wildlife, environment - what about the arts as resource. other cities have "Nenvy". we commit to develop the intellectual and physical beings - why not creative and spiritual in our communities, homes, schools. start from your strength. invitation."

i crave connection. we all do. how do you reach out?

2011-09-25T22:03:00.002-06:00

This week I was in the new offices of Habaneros Consulting in Calgary - collaborative spaces, white boards and smart boards - all ready to welcome conversation - and the best part? a SKYPE screen in the kitchen that allows the YYC staff the opportunity to see and at the same time welcome the people in the Vancouver kitchen. And like the best of conversations everywhere - they connect - over food. There should be a screen like this in every kitchen - senior's homes, daycares - friends, family - imagine the possibility!?

I went on this week about a story I heard about the NYC library - years ago mind you - they had a program or a service where latch-key kids could phone in and have stories read to them. They just had to dial a specific phone number. When my brother's wife and toddler moved back to the UK from Calgary and he was here finishing up his job and selling their home - he whipped home from work at lunch to read his daughter her bedtime story in England. Maybe it's time we were sharing stories from books with anyone - anywhere - with Skype and a laptop - or Google+ and up to six screens at a time. Grade 5's taking on a Grade 1 class in another country and being reading partners? having a screen in a senior's residence where children could read to reading friends - or visa versa?!

In the earliest part of 2007, I felt I'd done all that I wanted to do with MySpace. I have no hobbies - and at the time creating a page MySpace for me - gathering friends and colleagues was much like building a quilt of stories - and then I quit. done. cold turkey. Months later, at the insistence of my pal Cristino S. Nannarone, I joined FB on May 30, 2007.

Over the last few months, I have removed all of the posts from my Facebook wall except the 2 you see. I have 1054 Facebook friends.

This summer we learned of a family we know losing two sons and it was an impetus - my mom and dad poked us. asked that we take it on. that we start writing to each other - phoning or writing or emailing or skyping or poking or sending photos - they all count. everyone wants to hear - You are thought of often, and with love.

That's what we crave. we crave connection. we want to be heard. and we can. There's a zillion ways to communicate. i'm excited about what happens next. that's always been the part that matters most.

2011-09-16T10:29:00.000-06:00

Louis CK JFL tour added a 2nd
show the day I arrive in TO for the
Canadian Comedy Awards.

happy happy.

and I'm back....

2011-09-16T10:18:00.003-06:00

started the week sluggish. overwhelmed. a bit blue. and then! I was delirious. Happy. the wheels were rolling around a mile a minute - and GASP! I went back on Twitter! (#corymack) - but WHY you ask?

I discovered the beauty of the Calgary Public Library Foundation - the GREAT people - Paul, Brent, Joan and Ann Clare - AND their unbelievable snazzy space on the 2nd floor of the Central Memorial Offices (Alberta's 1st library built by Carnegie).

The vibe in the room was palpable. and the colour blue is stunning. but Paul and his team are simply magnetic. inspirational. engaging. and delightful.

Celebrating 100 years in 2012 in some VERY big ways - check out what's happening on September 22nd - first speaker in the Whatisalibrary.com collection of dialogue provoking events. Tell them I said hello!

Good Morning World Quote:

2011-09-16T10:09:00.002-06:00

'If it's not broken, BREAK IT! How else do you expect change to take place!? ' from Theresa Freeman Brickell's FB

let's get out there and BREAK some things...

the many paths I have chosen have led me to your side....and other wedding vows I like

2011-09-11T20:49:00.008-06:00

I just saw this on Facebook and had to pass it on - it was read by AJ Demers at the wedding of Vanessa Sabourin and David Van Belle - i love little glimpses into folks we know. I loved the 25 Things About Me that went around Facebook a few years ago. I guess i love little bits 'n glimpses of love. meaning. sentiment. romance. hope. it send me over the moon - like fairy dust.

"Superbly Situated" by Robert Hershon
you politely ask me not to die and i promise not to
right from the beginning—a relationship based on
good sense and thoughtfulness in little things
i would like to be loved for such simple attainments
as breathing regularly and not falling down too often
or because my eyes are brown or my father left-handed
and to be on the safe side i wouldn’t mind if somehow
i became entangled in your perception of admirable objects
so you might say to yourself: i have recently noticed
how superbly situated the empire state building is
how it looms up suddenly behind cemeteries and rivers
so far away you could touch it—therefore i love you
part of me fears that some moron is already plotting
to tear down the empire state building and replace it
with a block of staten island mother/daughter houses
just as part of me fears that if you love me for my cleanliness
i will grow filthy if you admire my elegant clothes
i’ll start wearing shirts with sailboats on them
but i have decided to become a public beach an opera house
a regularly scheduled flight—something that can’t help being
in the right place at the right time—come take your seat
we’ll raise the curtain fill the house start the engines
fly off into the sunrise, the spire of the empire state
the last sight on the horizon as the earth begins to curve

You have done it by being yourself.

I have such a nice memory of Brad: hockey is personal in a small town

2011-09-08T22:12:00.000-06:00

I was raised in Saskatchewan where hockey rules.

It's personal. It's right in front of you. you know most everyone on the ice. you know from an early age which way you shoot - (I shoot left.) I listened to my brothers and folks cheering endlessly. pushing snow off the slough for pond hockey birthday parties - to hockey in the loft, basement, hallway, yard - to floor hockey every lunch recess through the cold winter - to endless hockey games of two (and sometimes three brothers), my friends, relatives and home-town teams - to going to hockey games for a date all through highschool.

it's a part of the culture in a small town. a social event. everyone's there. the smells. the sounds. the cheers at refs. you want one of the old guys inside the glass to comment on someone you know so you can be "in the know". maybe see women smacking each other with their purses because their sons are fighting on the ice. you want to drink your coke through your red licorice and buy chalky lollies and go over and catch up on the curling during the intermissions. you know the refs. and the guy hitting the goal light during a high stakes game. you want Mr. Sharp to nod at you one more time as he starts scraping the ice.

it's a thrill for a tiny community to have a hometown hero to cheer for - it's what stories are made of - but if they made it on the ice, that was a very big deal. - other Saskatchewn and other Dodsland kids made it - Don Gillen and Bob Hoffmeyer. And Brad McCrimmon, born in Dodsland and raised in Plenty, did too. I remember where I was when the call came in on my friend's folks' phone - He'd made it. It was on the news. His brother Kelly following close behind.

My grandma, mom's mom, was a sports fanatic - pitched fastball (against mens teams) while going to collegiate in Saskatoon in 1922. Grandma Corscadden loved curling too - but I'd wager she loved hockey the most. When she retired to Star Court in Saskatoon she had one of the first TV's with earplugs so she could sit in the dark on game nights and watch and listen to the game (and avoid the ladies knocking on her door to play cards because "there was nothing on TV but the game"). She wagered against my brothers - knew the players and the game.

After hearing the tragic news of the downed aircraft in Russia, Mom emailed us all.

there's a long ago sadness when people gather their stories to honour and celebrate those we've known. And, there's this thing when you grow up in a small town - every mother there and every father there - in the village - who knew you - still holds you dear. Still "knows you" for how you have treated them. believes in you. there's a proprietary notion about all the children who've come from the community - they remember that thing about you.

It's true folks will never forget how you made them feel - and so when the texts come in asking if I knew him - knew Brad - I say yes - his farm was a mile from my boyfriend's farm; my friend dated Kelly his brother; you try to connect. you want to help connect the people and complete the picture of a life lived. a life that meant so much to so many.

we crave connection to community. to the caring. we want to remember the tiniest of details to remind ourselves of days when we were closer. we remember the one fingered wave from the top of the steering wheel as we drove by - knowing that it was someone we knew in the truck heading through the coulee the other way.

I had pokes and likes and notes from folks from "home" yesterday - (although I've been gone 30 years 'Dodsland, Plenty, Kerrobert, Kindersley' is where I call home) - just a nudge to remind each other that we think of each other fondly. and often. I look at the photos on the websites and think - man, Brad looks like his Dad....and i say a little thank you to technology for letting us share just for the briefest moments how it used to be. and perhaps, how it still is, in our hearts.

My mom wrote after Dad heard the lunch newscast - "I have such a nice memory of Brad when he brought the Stanley Cup to Dodsland. Grandma C was there and we took a picture of her and Brad. He was such a sweetheart - seemed totally thrilled that she had cheered for him and was such a hockey fan! Sure won Grandma's heart that day!"

Let's take a moment to honour those that steal our hearts. and keep Brad's family and community in your hearts tonight.

Hallowe'en, Morphsuits and more

2011-09-02T09:01:00.003-06:00

Morphsuits? I'm not a Hallowe'en person. The popularity of the holiday amazes me. 2nd to Christmas in the decoration department, Hallowe'en is now a phenomena that sucks the life out of me.

Hallowe'en in Saskatchewan meant the usual snowsuits under costumes, staying away from the "razors in the apples" or the "lady that took candy out as she put candy in". One year I had angel wings that were too wide to get through the bus doors and once I had a little red hen costume with stuffed tail feathers that prevented me sitting all day. Nothing traumatizing - BUT who can forget the dreaded year my folks decided to COMBINE the hard-earned candy to be SHARED(!!!!???) out of the turquoise cookie tins. or the year my boyfriend - definitely NOT a costume guy - wore a white T-shirt, with smokes rolled in the sleeve and jeans and tried to get in free at the local dance as a greaser (in cowboy boots).

Surely - if you're going to a party - or a wedding like the Hallowe'en nuptials (til death do they part) as my pals Lesley and West (aka Buttercup and Westley from Princess Bride) had - then you buck up and find a costume and get in the swing of it all.

Two days ago we received an invite to a Monster Mash. with costumes. gulp.

Feel my pain people - the Morphsuits are being touted. and World of Warcraft costumes! I may just take a page from the past - and find some cowboy boots and a smoke or two. aaaaaaaay! sit on it!

Suicide has nothing to do with hockey.

2011-09-01T09:07:00.002-06:00

This summer ended ends with a third Canadian hockey player taking his own life.... Dave Bidini writes on FB "respect to wade belak, great guy, but this deserves not a measured opinion in the press, but a fucking cry, a scream, a clarion howl for change" Others try and connect Wade's suicide to violence in hockey. small ice surfaces.

Suicide has nothing to do with hockey. in 2007 over 3600 Canadians of all ages committed suicide. (in the world over a million a year).* Here are some causes - and useful Suicide prevention tips, some warning signs from the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Spread the word - a "clarion howl for change" - Mental Health is about HEALTH. Talk about Mental Illness and Stress and Depression OUT LOUD today. and then listen. and then act.

Today, I want to remember Dale, a sweet boy who gave me a nickle in grade 2 to show how much he cared and ended his life leaving his family and friends to forever wonder how it could have been different.. and to Jim who showed me an open heart and treated me like family and taught me to do the same for others...and to Mickey who made me laugh and listen to Lyle Lovett and believed I could be funnier. good fishing. And to Eric with his gentleman's cigar - movie-star handsome; impeccable brilliant jokes...To all of you - I'm sorry that you didn't feel there was hope.

*From http://cmha.ca
Who is affected?
Mental illness indirectly affects all Canadians at some time through a family member, friend or colleague; 20% of Canadians will personally experience a mental illness in their lifetime; Mental illness affects people of all ages, educational and income levels, and cultures; Approximately 8% of adults will experience major depression at some time in their lives.
How common is it?
Suicide accounts for 24% of all deaths among 15-24 year olds and 16% among 25-44 year olds; Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in both men and women from adolescence to middle age; The mortality rate due to suicide among men is four times the rate among women.

distracted driving...

2011-08-31T12:04:00.001-06:00

As a Canadian comedian - 22 years and counting - I've spent many hours in a car driving to gigs - in the earlier days with other comics and in the last six years, predominantly by myself. (Canadian gigs in the west are notoriously far apart - the weekly gig rotation through Saskatchewan used to go from Calgary to Estavan to Moose Jaw to Prince Albert and then back to Regina and then home to Calgary in five days.)

I think most Comics LOVE to drive. In fact, I love it so much I have driven another comic to his show and home without so much as telling a joke. I'm the world's worst passenger. (always hitting the imaginary brake, car sick, flinching at every turn, etc.) BUT I can drive.

We are all distracted - how many times do you see folks singing along - engaged in heated conversations - trying to manage kids in the back seat? - with their pets on their laps? eating. makeup. plucking. coffee. hamburgers and subs. And those are the distractions IN the vehicle. one friend of mine used to sit backward on the console of her boyfriend's sports car - and they'd neck. constantly. Yikes!

What about the signs - a zillion for safety and another zillion to promote business - and maps. and GPS's to disagree with ("don't listen to her - stay right! stay right!").

I have been a distracted driver - smoking, coffee, shifting -

but what makes me a distracted driver now? I am a "spinner" - from 8-tracks in my brother's Pinto; cassettes (both sides for some, one side only for others - reverse, forward, flip and repeat), CD's, Ipod's, Bluetooth headsets and the radio too. (Sometimes in the long stretches you spend half the time clicking through late night talk shows and conspiracists....search search search) And in some rental cars today you have the glory of satellite radio - how can you NOT be distracted by Howard Stern or the Playboy channel? Trust me - music is your only companion on the 8 hour trip to the Grande Prairie gig when the opening act is sleeping off the scotch & cigars. Gophers do not count.

The automotive industry would have to do away with cup holders, GPS units and screens, CD's, in-vehicle movie screens, Facebook screens, radios, etc. to help drivers become focused on the task of hurtling down the highway with a 2 ton vehicle at 120 kmh.

We already have laws about distracted driving - "driving with undue care and attention" - and the "Stunting" law for my friend and her beau.... Why more laws? How about we develop new vehicles where the driver is encased in glass - like a limo driver - now THAT night work.

New school year: BFF's and Bullies

2011-08-29T15:30:00.000-06:00

Both my kids are in Jr. High this year - Our son is excited (had a good year last year - and a terrific summer) and our daughter is heading to Grade 7 feeling the queezies as all but one of her BFFS' are going to the other designate school - so sleep-overs and get-together are in high gear this week. Both have wonderful friends in and out of their school world - and that's important for so many reasons.

I never had the "different school willies" - as everyone went Grade K - 8 and then 9 - 12 small town Saskatchewan. I LOVED SCHOOL - when my older brother went to school - I cried every morning "why wasn't I born first". I still love new pencils, pens, paper - "stationary porn" if you will.

but - sadly - it's also the time of year i think about bullies. Let's teach our children to step up and be strong in their schools, homes, neighbourhoods. From Grade 6-9 I had "same bully kick you in the gut blues" and luckily - I had a select group of solid dear friends and a strong family that struggled through the challenge of how they could help - all the while helping me believe in me and that "it gets better."

In the end, regardless of her - life did get better. My folks and family kept me busy with camps, meeting friends of the family and their kids, second and third cousins and immersed in living life. That's how it got better. Knowing I was never alone. That I was considered likeable and that one face/word/person doesn't have the power to end it all.

at our home - we've created a "village" of folks that love us - of folks that love our kids - that adore them, challenge them, believe in them - one of the best gifts we'll ever give them is to embed the belief that they are never ever truly alone.

Be good to yourselves. and look both ways before you cross the street.

8 minutes of me - Laughter for Literacy/Toronto 2010.

2011-08-25T15:28:00.000-06:00

how to be more invisible on the world wide web...

2011-08-25T15:25:00.000-06:00

My youngest brother & his IT/Norton pals used to find ways to become invisible - so they could not be googled. the very opposite of most folks I know - I LOVE GOOGLING myself.

That being said - i did recently unhook from Twitter & Linkedin - if you're looking for a way to make a clean break - the best advice is right here.

home from the Ground Zero Theatre Casino countroom...

2011-08-25T03:14:00.002-06:00

nothing i like better than being punch-drunk, counting thousands of dollars in a countroom of a casino with others who are just as silly & tired - but who know the value of the $65K that will be in the charities' pocket in a few months.

a brilliant way to help support a mission you believe in. beats the hell out of selling cookie dough.

and p.s. check out GZT.ca and catch a show this season - you won't be disappointed.

Parents - buckle up!

2011-08-23T09:15:00.003-06:00

Nobody said it was going to be easy. But the best parts/moments/results never are...

Some promised that the "village" would help raise your children! Hold on their folks...at the end of the day (and the beginning of the day too - for their entire lives)...

1) you're still the Mom or Dad (not the Life Coach, BFF, Facebook friend)
2) nobody asked if ALL the villagers were in on the deal. Some are clearly not...and having to say it louder and louder. (see articles below)

http://bit.ly/r4Ca0Y and http://bit.ly/mAGWOQ

*one Shakespeare in the Park - windy/accents/hard to hear/easily distracted - there was a tiny tot wandering through the audience laid out on the hill - babbling - attracted by the sword fencing - babbling more. everyone grew more and more distracted and uncomfortable. squirmed even. finally a brave woman said "where's your mommy honey" and he said "I too big for a mommy and daddy". and still - no one came forward. intermission came. No one left (there's a park under the bridge - go enjoy your child. they're passing the hat - you could leave now and leave a donation at the Stage Manager's tent - go enjoy your child!) But after the intermission he wandered again. My friend heard the story and said "You should have picked him up, stopped the show and yelled - I'VE CALLED THE POLICE THERE'S A LOST CHILD" or grabbed him by the hand and taken him to the park yourself - and then the parent would have shown up." but why? why does it take so much for a child to get a parent's attention?

Show up. Enjoy them. Trust me - and read the rules - go see a play FOR adults WITH adults.

Say Something Nice - AMAZING project

2011-08-22T23:08:00.001-06:00

by almost any measure rich

2011-08-22T22:04:00.003-06:00

Getting ready for a garage sale. digging up treasures and feelings.

finding plenty of things we have all outgrown and discovering the ones we can't let go - the ones that tug on our hearts and memories.

I can't lie - there have been days that I've declared I'd like to live minimally. "I don't need any of this stuff as long as I have my family." And then - more often than not - I'm looking at something and shaking my head because I'm not ready to let go.

Romantic old soul that I am - Today I was wondering if there will be wooden puzzles when our kids have kids- or when they need a Shakespeare play - will they use their Kobo?

Hello You...

2011-08-22T14:47:00.003-06:00

This blog was active from 2006 until recently - then I shut it down. Just one of the many points that wasn't get the attention it deserved - couldn't figure out the "voice". After reading fantastic blogs like http://breedemandweep.com - I wanted to start clean.

Today, I got inspired over at Gaping Void - shut down my Twitter and LinkedIn accounts today - and decided to do the hard work of sharing my own opinions here - without waiting for permission I need to create and share - to show and shine.

I can't stop Facebook yet - I like it. Now I've seriously whittled the Facebook list to folks I've met in real life - from 1800 down to 1100 or so - and each day I go back and make more choices - but I can't quit it.

I think of Facebook as a community - of friends, family and colleagues - the warm fuzzy zone of photos & day to day joys and sorrows -like a smalltown newspaper - that I read top to bottom every day. so I've said good-bye to the acquaintances and friends of friends and fakers/creepers like Sarah Reynolds and focused on being connected - but in remarkable and real ways - to the real and remarkable people I do know.

Tired of games. Tired of chasing food trucks as Hugh points out - I'll be here. Talking about life as a Canadian standup comedian and a mom/writer/farmer's daughter/etc.

Get inspired here: http://gapingvoid.com/2011/08/19/its-not-my-content/

2011-06-24T09:27:00.002-06:00