Welcome to this week's Open Mike. I'm Mike and I'll be your master of ceremonies for the day. Feel free to use this space to vent, rant, share a story and/or ask a question of the hivemind.
December 17, 2025
Alan Rickman was 69. He's the actor best known as Hans Gruber in Die Hard and Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films.
In this 156th episode, Mike chats with TSN Radio 1050 morning show host Mike Richards about his years on The Fan 590, The Team, Calgary's FAN 960 and why he chose 1050 over 590. We also discuss TSN Radio ratings, going against Dean Blundell and his battle with rectal cancer.
Yet another Canadian song has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Justin Bieber's Sorry is the current #1 single. What was once a pretty rare event now feels commonplace. Here's the complete list of 42 Canadian songs to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It's Love-Love-Love by Guy LombardoCry by
I snapped this picture the other day, because this snowmelter looked so sad and lonely sitting there by the lake. Then, right on cue, it snowed.
Ford of Canada has partnered with the Toronto Maple Leafs to award 200 tickets for every home game. I scored a couple of these tickets last season and my daughter and I had a blast. Nothing makes a kid happier than free all-you-can-eat popcorn. Here we are, guests of the
For most people, being able to take a vacation is an ideal way to reduce the amount of stress that they have in their life. In order to have a great vacation, a person will need to ensure all of their plans are made well in advance. If you are
In this 155th episode, Mike chats with Barry Taylor about David Bowie, his years on 102.1 the Edge, why he was fired, his work at Y108, his stand-up career and his Raptors podcast. This episode is exactly 1:00:28. You can listen to this episode in a variety
David Bowie was 69. He was the legendary musician who excelled at glam rock, art rock, soul, hard rock, dance pop, punk and electronica during his eclectic 40-plus-year career. He had a string of hits, from "Space Oddity" and "Rebel Rebel" to "Young Americans" and "Fame". Then, there's his beloved
One of the best ways to enhance your personal appearance is by getting some great looking jewelry. There are a number of jewelry pieces out there and choosing the right one will take some time and effort. The last thing you want to do is go out and not have
Sean Fitzgerald wrote a piece for 24 Hour Toronto entitled "Cheers for your ears: Top podcasts of 2015". In it, he listed the top Toronto podcasts to check out in 2016. Between Geeks & Beats and Taggart & Torrens you'll find Toronto Mike'd. It's an honour being named one of
In this 154th episode, Mike chats with singer-songwriter Emm Gryner about her work with David Bowie, Chris Hadfield and Trent Severn, her role in One Week, and her song Visiting Hours about my dear friend Mike Kic. This episode is exactly 51:05. You can listen to this episode in
The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired relief pitcher Drew Storen from the Washington Nationals in exchange for outfielder Ben Revere and a player to be named later. The Nationals will also send cash to the Blue Jays in the deal. Revere was a fun addition down the stretch and a
Many people don’t actually realise that some of the top casinos in Canada are also home to plenty of other entertainment-based attractions as well as some of the best slot and table game action around. Some of these amazing venues regularly hold big ticket events such as concerts, shows
Welcome to this week's Open Mike. I'm Mike and I'll be your master of ceremonies for the day. Feel free to use this space to vent, rant, share a story and/or ask a question of the hivemind.
I used to listen to Mike Cooper on 680 CFTR. I'm too young to remember the heydays of CHUM. Legend has it the man rode a ferris wheel at the CNE for 21 days. This past decade, Coop has co-hosted with Erin Davis, first at EZ Rock and then at
In this 153rd episode, Mike chats with radio personality and television host Stu Jeffries about Good Rockin' Tonight, Switchback, Acting Crazy, his work with Colleen Rusholme at Country 95.3 and EZ Rock and his very cool story of rebirth at Boom. This episode is exactly 1:15:46. You
Pat Harrington, Jr. was 86. He was the actor best known for his role as building superintendent "Schneider" on the sitcom One Day at a Time.
I have a copy of Nick Craine's Hard Core Logo: Portrait of a Thousand Punks. I received it in '97 but it's in great condition. I also have a big book on Nirvana by Jeremy Dean. I received that one in '96. Here are pics of the books. If you
I was just watching the Raptors lose to the Bulls, and caught a Gatorade ad featuring Usain Bolt, Dwayne Wade and others called "Moving the Game Forward". As ads go, it was pretty cool, but it was the distinctive music that captured my attention. I was hearing "Curried Soul" by
I just got off the phone with an old friend who is planning on resurrecting his old blog. He's a great writer, so I'm just excited he'll be producing long-form written content again. At some point, several years ago, blogs were declared "dead". Social media hubs like Facebook and Twitter
This is it. It's the last month-over-month cycling comparison I'm going to post. I surpassed my 2015 goal of 5000 KM way back in September, but I felt like I should see this through until the end of the year. December was awesome for cycling. Most days felt more like
Natalie Cole was 65. She followed her father Nat King Cole into the music business with hits like “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” and “Unforgettable.”
Wayne Rogers was 82. His Trapper John character on M*A*S*H was my very favourite in that excellent series.
