Little known facts

My favourite thing about the Hotline is the spontaneity. It's so interesting to see what the callers bring up for topics, because you truly never know what you're going to hear. For example, Lilly called near the end of the show to share how she used to play softball way back in 1943!! This 84-year old spitfire was the pitcher and she told us her batting average was .689! She says she played baseball with Peter Coade's mother and that her team won everything around and even travelled to P.E.I. to play!

What did you think about Gerald Keddy's performance? I thought caller Will asked some excellent questions and really had the politician on the ropes. He was started to get pretty upset, but composed himself. It was definitely a knock down, drag out between those two. Wade was fired up too. I can imagine it would have been a lot worse for the member from South Shore-St. Margaret's had he appeared on the show in the couple of weeks following the vote. People have mellowed a bit, it being summer and all. I'm not sure if we heard the full story about whether he was misquoted or not in the article about there being a new deal coming a few weeks ago.

Keddy did fill me in on something that, strangely, gives me so much joy. Question Period resumes September 17th!! Peter Stoffer and Mike Savage make fun of me for loving QP so much, but I watch it religiously every single day. It's part of my routine. It is political theatre and I find it beyond enjoyable. Rick watches it too! When I was in New Brunswick, I was in the riding of Tobique-Mactaquac, which is one of my favourites to hear pronounced by the Speaker Peter Milliken. Yes, I should go out and get another hobby!

It will be interesting during the next election to see what a difference Facebook makes. A lot of my friends are using it and joining groups to support candidates already nominated. I've mentioned there are so many different Facebook groups, both for and against politicians. If you type in Peter Mackay, there are a few to choose from!

Yvonne Colbert is coming in the studio for an hour on Friday in advance of her starting her Summer Hotline run next Tuesday after the Natal Day holiday. I'm really looking forward to that, as she did some absolutely captivating hours of radio last year. She did an hour about organ donation with Theresa Brien from Halifax Regional Police last year that was so great, I still remember it vividly. I'm sure this year's run will be equally as great, so please - tune in!!

Thanks to everyone for their calls today. Your support means everything.

Have a great day,

Amber

Back from Holidays

I really lucked out with the weather on my holiday....complete sunshine and warm temperatures, it was truly awesome.

New Brunswick was great too and we did a little shopping in Maine. You know everyone talks about obesity as a problem? Well, I think I might have figued out why. At this restaurant called "Governor's" in Maine, you can get unlimited FRENCH FRIES!! I was shocked! Also, you can get this sundae for a group of people for 17.99 that includes 6 sundaes, a couple of banana splits and a bunch of other desserts thrown in for good measure!! It was a little over the top, to say the least.

Did you hear the good news about Jim Connors today? He's the man we've had on the Hotline talking about his battle with colo-rectal cancer and how he wants Avastin covered by the province. We know a week and a half ago, the province said "No"once again to covering it. Well, Jim pays the exorbitant cost on his own and he credits it and his doctors and nurses for extending his life. Originally, he was given 6 months to live. Now the doctors say they are looking into surgery to get the remaining cancer out of his liver! He says he believes in the power of prayer and I do too! Our best to Jim and his wife and I'm sure we will be talking to them this fall as the fight to get the province to pay for that drug continues.


Well, it is supposed to clear up this afternoon...so let's hope that actually happens!

Have a great one!

Take care,

Amber

Rain, rain go away

I know rain is a very necessary part of the cycle of life. That being said, doesn't it seem like we've had so much of it lately? This has been a pretty miserable July, with the exception of the beginning of the week. Next week, I don't really care about N.S. weather because I'll be in New Brunswick! I'm not going to Moncton (Rick would disown me), but I'm going to a very small place outside of Fredericton to visit my Grandma who summers there. But for your sake - I hope the weather is great here!

One of the callers who commented on the Gay Pride hour today used a line that Rodenhiser used in his column a couple of days ago: "I'm not against gays, but..." and "they should keep it to themselves". To me, that doesn't even make sense. How horrible would it be if someone said, I'm not against women in the workplace, but I don't want to have it around me. I'm sorry, but it's discrimination. It's a super touchy subject and I don't want to alienate anyone, but I agree with Raymond. One day, hopefully, there won't have to be a Gay Pride parade because it won't be an issue. I think people are people. There are good ones, bad ones and okay ones. I don't believe in sub-categories. I've written before how infuriated I get when Rick says "bad female drivers". Anyway...kind of heavy for a Friday, so I apologize.

Anyway...are you watching the British Open? Did you see Tiger's 90 foot put yesterday at Carnoustie?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnRZv2z39Ps

Anyway...Austin will be taking your calls next week! The blog and poll question will also be on holiday too, so watch for a new blog and question on Monday July 30th.

Have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Amber

Who is right?

I cannot believe this Atlantic Accord business.

First of all, we sign a deal. That deal is changed in the last federal budget, according to Bill Casey. Gerald Keddy says on our show that nothing has changed. Then on Tuesday, Keddy says a new deal is close to being reached. Yesterday, Premier Rodney MacDonald openly questioned that statement. Who is lying? What the heck is going on? I'm very confused, but I would have to say I'm behind the Premier on this one. What do you think? Take the Hotline poll and let me know!!

Apparently, Gerald Keddy has agreed to be a guest on the Hotline next Tuesday. I'll be on holidays, but it will be interesting to see if he shows up!

So...the Rodenhiser thinks gas prices will drop tomorrow. Gas is at 97 cents a litre in Toronto today, but DR thinks we'll be paying 1.10-1.12 come tomorrow. Any drop is welcome, as I'm renting a car and driving to New Brunswick on Sunday! Finally, I get to feel everday motorists' pain at the pumps.

I went out to Dartmouth Crossing yesterday for the first time. Have you checked it out? It looks pretty similar to Bayers Lake, but there is one strip of stores with neat facades. There are more sidewalks than at Bayers Lake, which is good for pedestrians! It was really foggy last night, so the atmosphere was a little creepy! The amount of development is astonishing out there. It's so nice to see brand new sidewalks and roads though...and Metro Transit comes and goes every half hour, which is great. Warning - if you do take the bus you may want to check out a map first. We didn't really know where we were going and got off at a stop and had quite the trek to get our destination!

Anyway....I have seen sunny breaks today, so it doesn't look like it's going to be pouring rain at least.

Talk to you tomorrow!

Cheers,

Amber

The Daily News

Jack Romanelli, the editor of the Daily News was in the studio with AJ for the first hour. Now, I've only been reading the Daily News for 7 years (as long as I've been here) and I think it's a great read. Caller Robert was the only one to bring up anything negative about the paper, in terms of its news coverage. The other calls had to deal with the status of the comic section and a possible column on chess!! Breaking news: Jack said they're going to be doing a comic survey in the fall and then possibly re-vamping the section! That tidbit came after caller Tim told Jack he hated Doonesbury! You truly never know what someone is going to say on the Hotline. I politely requested to Jack to spare my favourite comic: For better or for worse! Ha!

I really liked what he had to say though, in terms of thinking about your coverage in advance so that the reporter has a better grip on what he or she will be getting out of the story for the reader's benefit...and not just re-printing the media release giving out by the P.R. person at the event. A thoughtful and meaningful approach to news is very necessary nowadays in these times of constant media bombardment.

During the second hour AJ brought up the Sheriff who apparently led some sort of tough boot camp for young offenders. Well, near the end of the show a lady called with his name: Joe Arpaio. As everyone does these days, he has a website. You can learn more by clicking here:

http://www.mcso.org/

He is controversial though - here is an anti-Arpaio website.

http://www.arpaio.com/

I'll have to do a little reading before I form an opinion on the Sheriff. I definitely think some fresh ideas are needed though in the punishment arena...since very little seems to be deterring repeat criminals and if you mention the Youth Criminal Justice Act on the Hotline and the phone lines will light up. It's a mess.

AJ posed a question today on the show: "Does anyone like the Senate?" I have an answer - YES!! I love the Senate, mainly because it would be a dream job. I mean, you are pretty much answerable to no one. You get to investigate topics that are of interest to you and travel anyplace in the world to find the answers, you make big money and you only have to work a handful of days a year. SIGN ME UP! It's like being the Vanna White of the political scene. Sounds like a dream. Amber LeBlanc for Senate!

Anyway....that being said, I do think it's an incredible waste of money.

So, enjoy the last day of sunshine!

Cheers,

Amber

P.S. Did you hear Jack confirm what Hotline listeners already know - Dave Rodenhiser is a star!!

Article from the Daily News

Here's an article written about the book on the Maritime Sex trade from the Daily News:

Maritime prostitutes call for legalization

CHARLES MANDEL
CanWest News Service

Prostitutes, escorts and others in the Maritime sex trade like the hours and the money their jobs offer, but worry about sexual and physical assaults, a new book notes.And while many Maritime hookers want prostitution legalized, they're not interested if it's state-regulated and with "a boss breathing down their neck," according to Leslie Ann Jeffrey, co-author of the book being launched in Saint John Friday that takes an intimate look at the region's sex industry.Jeffrey, and New Brunswick academic Gayle MacDonald, interviewed 60 sex-trade workers from Saint John, Moncton and Halifax to create a portrait of prostitutes' lives in their own words. Both men and women in such diverse walks of life as exotic dancers, escorts and street prostitutes spoke to the two academics.It's not known how many people work in the Canadian sex industry. A 2006 parliamentary sub-committee on solicitation reported that because the industry takes place behind closed doors, it is difficult to get an accurate estimate of its scope.In Sex Workers in the Maritimes Talk Back, prostitutes complain about being stereotyped as having "high-risk lifestyles," worry about the daily potential of violence they face, and praise the independence of their chosen profession.While legislators debate what should be done to control the sex trade, the workers themselves are explicit about what they want, says Jeffrey, an associate professor of history and politics at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John. The clearest answer is: "look, we just want a safe place to work," Jeffrey said.The independence and money are reasons why sex workers resist policy responses that argue they need to be rescued and trained in better jobs, according to Jeffrey. "The sex workers say, "Hold on. I've had those better jobs and what you people are missing is they're not so viable, either.'"Lisa Gibson, coordinator of Vancouver's Living in Community - a two-year project dealing with the sex trade and its impact on Vancouver neighborhoods - cautioned that despite their talk of independence that not all sex workers have great jobs. "There's lots of exploitation that happens. There are always people working in slave-like conditions."While some individuals may find sex work a healthy career choice, Gibson said others end up working on the street as a way to fund an addiction. "Serial killers tend to go look at those really vulnerable people because they're a kind of throw-away people in our society."The federal Report of the Subcommittee on Solicitation cited the disappearances and murders of prostitutes in Vancouver and Edmonton, but noted that such violence isn't new nor confined to just those cities. Between 1994 and 2003, at least 79 prostitutes were murdered, according to the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.

A bunch of stuff

Good morning!

Rene Ross from Stepping Stone was the guest during the first hour and it was different to hear the other side of the sex trade worker debate. I remember there was this incredibly disturbing article about the sex trade in Halifax a few years in the Daily News. The drug issue wasn't mentioned today, but I asked Rene about it during the commercial. She says it most definitely is an issue, but they don't want to dwell on it in order to stave off negative stereotypes. I asked her though, as I saw some of the listeners' points about not possibly doing it for poverty reasons, but because you have this horrendous addiction. I don't think the issue of drug use should be so utterly discounted. I love what they do though - provide support at arm's length and when the workers want help, Stepping Stone is there for them. It's a non-profit group and you can check out their website at: www.stepping-stone.org. The book launch AJ was talking about is Thursday night at 7PM at FRED salon on Agricola Street.

On a completely lighter note, Lilly the lab pup that was found with 2 broken legs is doing well! She had two operations on her front legs and Trish Pittman, the lead volunteer with Lab Rescue N.S. says she's doing great. There have been hundreds of calls from people who wanted to help Lilly, so I have no doubt she will be in a new, loving home very soon.

Crazy story today about the Dal student who started the anti-croc blog. I read the blog today and I think it's hilarious. I don't want to judge anyone, but I'm not a croc fan. They are really ugly!! Everyone says they are "soooooo comfy", so what do I know? Anyway, it's a cute story and the girl behind it was interviewed in the New York Times! There are signs posted at the malls in Metro about the dangers of wearing Crocs on escalators! Caroline had the most disturbing story about a kid having an accident after their crocs got caught. EW! One of my closest friends has the new "Mary Jane" style of crocs and they are a little better, but again, not my preferable choice of footwear, but if people want to wear it, it's their business!!

The blog is funny though.

Well kids...more tomorrow! Enjoy the sunshine...Peter Coade says it's going to be a very wet ending to the week.

Talk to you then,

Amber

Another foggy Halifax day

More fog....I'm getting pretty used to it now. I don't like it, but I'm now used to it!! They say the sun is going to come out this afternoon, so fingers crossed!!

What did you think about the Fred Macgillivary interview today? AJ thought more people should have called and challenged him, but what I heard on the Hotline with Rick is that more people think Events Halifax should be responsible to the city and not the province and I think even Fred agreed with that. I don't think a lot of people have problems with Fred, he's a great guy, and has done a lot for the city. I think even Bruce D. would agree with that! It's more of the bureaucratic red tape people have the problem with and not the actual personalities.

Did you take in any of the tall ships on the weekend? I saw a few when I was walking to the Cunard Centre for the White Stripes show on Friday night. There was a letter to the editor today in one of the papers (I forget) about the conditions in the Cunard Centre. I have to agree. Although the band was incredible, it got kind of boring when I couldn't see what was happening on stage. I'm quite short, but the person who wrote the letter in was 6'1 and he says he had a hard time seeing! Let me tell you about the heat. I love heat. I crave heat. It's been well-documented in this blog that I love hot weather and that it's not hot enough in Halifax. That being said - I'm suprised more people didn't get heat stroke in that building. There was no air flowing in the venue and it was insanely hot. Uncomfortablyhot. It's like the heat was on in there. That really did take away from the concert-going experience. Luckily, the band was so good, I could overlook these flaws, but I understand how some people couldn't!

Caller Sandy sounded so happy to report that her son will be back on Canadian soil July 30th from Afghanistan! That would be interesting to have him on the show. I think she said he would be in N.S. in the middle of August, so I'll have to mention that to Yvonne Colbert, who is doing the show after AJ finishes the first week of August.

I just want to give a shout out to Will, who calls me most days and says something that always cracks me up. Thanks Will!

Have a great day...hope for some sunshine!

Cheers,

Amber

Hungry

There's not really too much to say about today's show, since a lot of it was interviews, so here is my Peter Duffy style blog for today!

-Hearing AJ talk to Chef Craig Flinn from Chives Bistro made me pretty hungry towards the end of the show. Pretty good advertising for Chives though, eh?

-The Hotline's favourite UFO expert is going to be on CNN! Stanton Friedman is going to be talking about Roswell with Larry King. There was no date in the article in the paper though. Here's his official website - it's great: http://www.v-j-enterprises.com/sfhome.html

-For those who want more information on Lilly, the lab puppy found beaten in a ditch in Shubenacadie, here's the website: http://www.labrescuens.com/. A Hotline tip of the ball cap to Trish Pittman, for her volunteer efforts to find people to cover the 10-thousand dollars in vet bills. Great job! You can also drop off donations at the Clayton Park Vet Hospital.

-A note to pedestrians out there. If a car hits you in the crosswalk, I feel extremely sorry for you, because 99.9 per cent of the time, it's going to be the driver's fault. However, if you are hit while you are jaywalking across Robie street in 4 lanes of traffic during rush hour, my sympathy for you is out the window. Bottom line. Even worse, if you're jaywalking with your baby in a stroller.


-Finally, the fog has lifted!! Yay!! But, cool picture on the front of the Daily News!! Yes, fog can be interesting and atmospheric, but in the summer, I prefer good ol' fashioned sunshine!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Cheers,

Amber

AJ and the Bear

What an absolute pleasure to meet the legend himself today - Jerry Lawrence.

He's a great guy and trust me, he was absolutely delighted to hear your calls and your kind words today. I apologize if you couldn't get through, the phone lines were absolutely jammed with people wanting to talk to Jerbear about the good old days, especially "Hello Metro". I am going to try to find some of those tapes, they sounds absolutely hilarious!

It really says a lot about a person when he's been off the air for so long, yet he still has this rabid fan base. I really can't say enough about Jerry Lawrence! It's so great that the Lewis Lake provincial park has been re-named after him. He seemed truly humbled when he was talking about that with AJ today. We almost received more calls off the air with people wanting me to pass little messages on to him. It was great and unfortunately, the two hours went by much too quickly!

A huge thank you to Jerbear for taking time out of his schedule to pay the Hotline a visit. Much, much appreciated.

Tomorrow, I think AJ mentioned Peter Martell, the Ultimate Cage Combat promoter, will be in. You'll remember he and AJ had a on-air duel last year on the Hotline. That was classic. So, there will be fireworks tomorrow for sure, bet on it! I wonder if we can set some sort of cage on the front lawn of the building to have a real match! AJ, you better start training ASAP!

Until tomorrow,

Amber

P.S. I was complaining about the weather today with Peter Coade and he says July is the foggiest month in Nova Scotia, so we really shouldn't be complaining. That's no fun though, is it?

Pea Soup

I knew when I heard fog horns blaring when I woke up that it wasn't going to be a banner weather day. I just spoke to Peter Coade too and there's rain on the way tomorrow and he doesn't see a lot of sunshine in his forecast!! I know June is normally not a nice month in Nova Scotia, but July has always been better than this, don't you think? It's starting to really bum me out.

Taxis in the first hour didn't generate the amount of calls I thought it would, but it was really informative to hear how the industry works and what it's like to be a taxi driver from an actual cabbie. I used to take taxis to work every weekend when I used to read morning news on Saturdays and Sundays and never had a complaint. But, I filled in for Debra a few months back and called a taxi and I waited about 5 minutes, called back, they said someone was on the way, called 10 minutes later and they said, well, there may not be anyone on the road. What?? That is a major problem when you call and there isn't anyone around! I waited 35 minutes for my taxi and I wasn't too happy about it. Imagine if doctors just showed up whenever they pleased? Sorry you're stroking out right now, but a doctor didn't feel like working! That would be changed pretty quickly!

Edna called this morning to yell at AJ. Edna's the wonderful lady from North End Dartmouth who calls to promote Farrell Hall Bingo near Albro Lake Road. Whenever she calls, she always says "Hello, darling" to Rick. I think she even called him a "hunk" once! Anyway, she called because she protested AJ's use of the term "old lady". Edna has a very strong telephone presence; I wouldn't want to meet her in a dark alley. She's tough!

Tomorrow, I get to meet someone I've been speaking to on the phone for many years. Jerry Lawrence will be in, the former broadcaster and former M-L-A. As Bill Estabrooks mentioned, they are re-naming a provincial park in his old riding after him. What an honour! So, he's going to reminisce with AJ and maybe do some music trivia, there may be prizes - call up and give it a try!

Well...let's pray for some afternoon sunny breaks, that's what the forecast is calling for anyway!

Cheers!

Amber

Save the viewplanes!!

Being from Ontario, I am well-versed in the way of the developer, especially the big box store etc. Bigger is always better there and there are very few towns which strive to protect their heritage buildings. It's amusing to me that in Europe, buildings built hundreds of years ago are still standing, but here, once a building reaches 100, it might as well be condemned. It's because only a few select people care about these sorts of things, and that's a shame.

I'm definitely not anti-development, but there should be a strategy. Apparently, there is, but if there is, why is there so much in-fighting on council? Don't answer that. AJ mentioned the viewplanes from Citadel Hill today. When I run up there, it's astounding. I love seeing that view of the city, especially the water. I don't want one more thing blocking that beautiful view!!! I totally agreed with Andrew today; one way to revitalize downtown Dartmouth would be to build some of these world class buildings over there. Anyway, it was an interesting discussion today that generated a lot of calls.

Tomorrow on the show, AJ will be speaking with local jack of all trades - Candy Palmeter. I've never met her, but she's a friend of the Rodenhiser. You know what we say on the Hotline - if you're a friend of the Rodenhiser, you're a friend of the Hotline!

Sorry to be blunt - but this weather SUCKS. Summer in Atlantic Canada, isn't it wonderful! If tourism numbers are down this year, we can't even blame the government, which is no fun at all. This is strictly weather related! Let's hope the weather starts to improve for the Tall Ships, getting under way later this week.

Stay warm!

Amber

Turtle rescuer and overall great guy

Sergeant Mike Spearns was a guest on the show during hour number one this morning and it was great listening to him today, as it was when we had him on a couple of months ago. This time, he's a pseudo-celebrity after rescuing that turtle the other day.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/845472.html

That was such a great story and when I read it was Mike Spearns, I wasn't suprised at all. This guy is so dedicated to his job and wants to protect everyone and everything, including turtles!

He has been the head of the Traffic department for a couple of years and says he sees people shaving in their car, amongst other things. He took AJ to task for reading in his car during red lights. He says you always have to be alert and aware; by looking up you could prevent someone from rear-ending you, etc. He told us that he stopped a woman one time and she claimed she was in labour. He's says, okay, prove it -- and then accompanies her to the hospital!!! Guess what? She wasn't even pregnant! Some people are so desperate not to get a ticket - just slow down. Be sure to take the Hotline poll today. Who do you think are the worst drivers in Metro? I'm not going to say how I voted because I don't want people to get mad at me!

Sgt. Spearns did bring a serious message today - 10 people have died on HRM roads in 2007. He says those deaths were preventable and he doesn't want to see anymore, so please, slow down and pay attention! I would heed my own advice, but I don't have a car, so there you go.



So, Sunday shopping has commenced at the NSLC. I didn't partake yesterday, but the business was reported to be steady. Did you see the Daily News today? My question is: are those guys who bought booze even 19? They look like babies to me.

Well...some rain on the way tonight, so enjoy the afternoon!

Catch you tomorrow,

Amber

Rank amateur?

Hmmm...that was one person's assessment of what Councillor Dawn Sloane and Mayor Peter Kelly did in terms of trying to get a concert here this summer. I think Dawn put up a great defense of herself and frankly, I don't know who is to blame. It's all he said, she said at this point. Apparently one of our fave columnists has another salvo to fire this weekend. Watch for it! Even if you didn't get on the show, be sure to take the poll question to let us know your opinion. Do you think they did it to increase their public profile, or do you think their efforts were noble? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Concertgate and the Gerald Keddy interview made for a very busy show today. Keddy said some very interesting things, like admitting Harper's numbers are "grim" in Nova Scotia! He said Bill Casey was somewhat "confused". Guess what? That prompted Bill Casey to call the Hotline and fire back! Casey disputed most everything Keddy said in his normally classy way. Keddy seems like he's caught between a rock and a hard spot right now, you can hear it in his voice. It will be interesting to see what happens if he does come on the show this summer and takes calls from Hotline listeners.

Great story about the crew of H-M-C-S St. John's saving that whale.

http://www.hfxnews.com/index.cfm?sid=42629&sc=89

Although political stories makes for a great Hotline, I love hearing stories about this and people going above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you to the crew for saving this whale, who very innocently got herself into trouble.

So...starting on Monday the summer edition of the Hotline will be hosted by AJ. He gave me a water gun in reference to something I wrote about in a past blog! Ha ha.

I want to wish Rick the best holiday! Rick works extremely hard on the show and really, truly deserves time off. I'll miss you Rick and I'll see you at the end of August.

Thanks to everyone for listening and be sure to keep listening throughout the summer! The blog and the poll question will continue and there are lots of new things planned for the 10th season of the Hotline, starting September 3rd after Labour Day.

Take care,

Amber

Food....love it!

That was a quote from Rick as he was introducing our first hour - talking about restaurants with the Daily News' Valerie Mansour. What a great job she has, I would love to do that one day. Anyway, it's always fun talking about favourite restaurants etc, but the worst part is we're always STARVED at the end of the hour! Of course, Rick was on the prowl for his beloved clubhouse sandwich. One caller told us Hungry Jack's on the #7 Highway would fit the bill! Rick hasn't gone to the Rocky Lake Diner in Bedford yet. The last time Rick made his clubhouse plea, Junior called and told him to head there.

Tim called and told us that 9 times out of 10 the Lion's Head steak was good. I guess having edible food 90 per cent of the time is a good ratio. Should it not be higher for a restaurant?

Another caller was looking for a great Hot and Sour soup and Valerie suggested Cheelin at the Brewery Market. Another call recommended a place called Finbar's Irish Pub in Bedford for the Portobello burger. Rick had never heard of that, can you believe how sheltered he is? And - he's never tried Hummus? There is so much great food he is denying himself! He did say he had the best burger of his life at Hooters in Calgary! He says he was pressured by the "young guys" to go there. You might have heard me say "Whatever!" across the desk.

There were so many issues to raise during hour number 2. From the Harper snub of Rodney MacDonald to the sad deaths of 6 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, it was very busy.

Of course, it wouldn't be an open hour unless someone called to slam City Council. Today's slam du jour came courtesy of Jim, who said: "They couldn't organize a woodpecker dinner in Sherwood Forest". Awesome.

As well, it wouldn't be a Hotline show unless we heard from my beloved Ben. He called during the final few minutes of the Restaurant hour. He called to ask when Rick was coming to Brokeback Island because he makes a mean breakfast in bed! (Insert Amber's hysterical laughter here). I can always count on Ben for one great laugh a day.

Well, no sports on tomorrow's show, but we'll have a city councillor in; get your potshots ready!

Cheers,

Amber

Great guests

I love shows like today. We had two great guests on the show today, two Hotline regulars in fact. We did Hotline house calls during hour number one and that was great. Dr. Gillis is feeling a little more comfortable on the air with Rick and was cracking some jokes today, mainly about Rick's question about buying Viagra on the internet! Enough said on that topic! They talked about the doctor's charity, which scored him an invite to the White House next week. He also hosts a show on Eastlink and during one of the breaks he was extolling the virtues of radio, namely how you can slouch in your seat, look at the ceiling, eat a breakfast sandwich and still have a conversation. It's much, much different on TV!

What did you think of the Peter vs. Fred fight today? It's basically a he said, he said thing but the bottom line is, I guess we're not getting a concert this year. Fred said it was "less than 50 per cent". When we fired the Rodenhiser intro this morning David said "that's the closest that we're coming to a concert this year!" Once again, the Rodenhiser speaks the truth! Check out his column today about Liberal leader Stephen Macneil. Genius!! It's so discouraging that you get some fresh blood into a position and there is still no vision. Sad.

So, get this. The Prime Minister is coming to Halifax and the Premier isn't invited. It's not the first time Harper has done this though. He went to Saskatchewan a few months back and didn't invite Lorne Calvert to the announcement. Expect some subtle (or not so subtle) jabs at Rodney MacDonald. It's the Harper way - vindictive or bust.

Well, it's a great day today but Peter Coade says it's going to be raining for the rest of the week, so enjoy the next 8 hours or so!

Have a great day!

Cheers,

Amber

Summer Hotline

So...if you tuned in at 10am today to listen to the show, you tuned in halfway!

The Summer Hotline hours are from 9-11 for the next few weeks. This is Rick's last week before his holiday...next week AJ takes over.

That was really interesting to hear what stores continue to sell banned pesticides/herbicides in Metro, despite the fact they are illegal! Nice eh? I heard that and made a mental note. I'm buying some stuff for my garden today, and I'm definitely going to be supporting stores that practice good corporate citizenship.

It was interesting to hear Rick's recipe for getting rid of ants. Did you think he took a little too much pleasure in talking about his concoction that blows up ants?

Great story today in the Chronicle-Herald about the Motor Vehicle Inspections. Wow!! Another great expose from Jeffery Simpson. He's the reporter who did the story on restaurant cleanliness last year. 5 different garages and 5 totally different prices. So, Rick asked the question today. Was the garage with the cheapest MVI lax, or were the other garages ripping people off? I have a feeling this is going to be a big issue this week.

So, shorter show - shorter blog!!

Talk to you tomorrow!

Cheers,

Amber