Put on your big girl panties and vote
Or your big boy shorts, whatever you prefer. On a regular basis, I hear from otherwise very smart people that they don’t vote. Why? Because they don’t care. They don’t know enough about politics. They don’t know who to vote for. Their vote doesn’t matter. They are disillusioned with what is happening in parliament, the legislature or their city or town council chambers. Only in Canada, only in a free democracy, could you be allowed to come up with excuses for why you don’t want to do something your country asks you to do. I will take an ignorant vote over no vote […]
10 signs you are a political geek
Admit it. You know it’s true. You are a political geek. Lover of all things government and politics. Uncertain? Diagnose yourself. Here are the 10 signs.
What are Edmonton’s best food experiences?
You can’t deny it. Edmonton’s restaurant scene has heated up in the last two years and garners all of the attention when you want to indulge your inner-foodie. But what about all of those non-restaurant places, accessible by the average person, that deliver some of Edmonton’s best and most memorable food experiences? The places where you get to dive into the culture and atmosphere, in addition to the food, and it keeps you coming back for more. Here’s my list of my favourite Edmonton food experiences: 1. Italian Centre Shop From the friendly young staff, to the wise Italian Nonnas, […]
Diary of a Northlands Poster Girl
February 17: Picture this. A call from our new Northlands CEO, Richard Andersen. He explains a new ad campaign by the organization to profile the people behind Northlands and our longstanding connection to our community. I think it’s brilliant. Northlands is well known, but not well understood. This campaign is a good first step in addressing that. Then he says they want to profile me, as a Board Director, in one of the ads. Hmmm. I am low-profile, behind the scenes, avoid the center of attention kinda girl. And now they want me to be a poster girl? Because Richard […]
How to self-implode: A DIY Guide
Learn from Charlie Sheen, Raj Sherman, Lindsay Lohan and others in this quick reference guide on how to tank your credibility and career. 1. Deny, deny, deny. You don’t have a problem. You are not addicted. You are not crazy, unstable or unbalanced. Quite simply, your side of the story has not yet been told. Whatever the other side says, categorically deny and say the opposite. That is true accountability. 2. Act crazy, talk crazier, look like you are on your death bed. Claim there is a conspiracy against you. Or better yet, invent one. Why? You will be a […]
12 questions you should be prepared to answer in a crisis
You and your company are thrust into the spotlight because something bad has happened. News of scandal, fraud, untimely death(s), environmental damage, equipment failure and so on. While the types of issues or crises that can hit your company are many and are often unknown, what is certain is that when something does happen, the media will call. And when they do, you need to be ready. Media can be your ally in a crisis. They are one of the best ways for you to get your side of the story out to customers, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders, especially […]
Are politicians made of Teflon?
While the rest of us common folk are accountable to our boss, spouse, kids and conscience, politicians seem to repeatedly skate out of controversy, scandal and bad ethics without a scratch. No matter what their ideological stripe, politicians often get themselves into trouble yet come out unscathed. Bill Clinton’s “sexual relations”, Ralph Klein’s men’s shelter rant and Gordon Campbell’s “had one to many” Hawaiian vacation are just a few high profile examples of politicians who have crossed the line but live to tell about it. Christy Clark has just been elected the leader of the BC Liberals and the province’s […]
5 lessons Alberta’s political parties can learn from Christy Clark
The election of Christy Clark as the head of the BC Liberal Party and that province’s next Premier holds some valuable lessons for the many political parties in Alberta that will soon be choosing their next leader. 1. Clark wasn’t in cabinet before the leadership vote, nor was she particularly loyal to her party in the years preceding. And party members didn’t care. Clark was not only not a part of Gordon Campbell’s government or cabinet before the leadership vote, she had pretty well abandoned her party for many years as she built her profile as a province-wide radio show […]