• HNIC, with Sherali Najak as Exec. Producer, strives towards ACE: Authentic, Canadian, Entertaining.
• This is the 55th year on the air for HNIC.
• thought process which drives Sherali – it’s not about facts and figures but about feeling.
• HNIC strives to make a connection with people.
• the goal of the leaders at HNIC is to inspire a connection with the audience.
• important to know what you want to do in life.
• stressed the importance of volunteering to open doors.
• applied for jobs he didn’t want or “deserve” because he just wanted to get into the broadcasting industry (because he didn’t have any experience)
• talked about being unreasonable which was very uncomfortable but which helped him land jobs within CBC he shouldn’t have applied for.
• while attending Mohawk College, he gave his time and energy and enthusiasm to any and all jobs just to gain experience. (he was open-minded and had time and passion.)
• failed in his first year at College.
• got his first CBC job while failing at school.
• applied for a director job at CBC Newsworld with NO EXPERIENCE at 18 years of age while he was still a student! Got the job!
• believes in creating your own opportunities.
• Leadership and Love is unconditional.
• reason why Bob Cole is still with HNIC is because he gives the viewer that feeling.
• doesn’t believe in asking people to do better if they are already doing their best.
• also produced a Peter Mansbridge ONE on ONE Special with His Highness The Aga Khan.

Amazing 2 hours of insight into HNIC, CBC. Also a great speaker who talked with his audience rather that to his audience.

Karim Kanji

Interesting, isn’t it?

Customer service.

In Toronto, such a concept may have been going out of style. Is it suddenly un-cool to be kind these days? I pride myself on being a Torontonian. A city with a big feel, yet small enough to enjoy. This was my picture of T.O.

Recently, I was subject to 2 cases of BAD customer service. The first was from Mr. Lube and the second was from Direct Energy. I won’t bother you with the details, but in both cases, I “left” without the problem being solved and with a bad taste in my mouth. Kind of like my UHaul case a year or so back. I highly doubt these companies will earn a dime from me in the future.

Now, before you think I am “attracting” bad vibes, I do have 2 recent “success” stories. TTC and Kelsey’s. Alot of people like to beat up The Better Way. My last experience was pleasant, thank you. The driver told me to have a good evening as I stepped out of the bus! Amazing!

At Kelsey’s I had every single wait staff member in the restaurant serve me and my party this past weekend.

Moral of the story: I like you , enjoy GREAT customer service. It’s the least we can do for each other.

Have some horror stories? What about Success stories? Send them in and I’ll post them. Just keep them clean 🙂

Karim Kanji

Rakshande Italia of the Toronto Star has penned a very insightful and interesting article about Realtors. The article focuses on the Greater Toronto Area. However, I am sure the same tales can be told from municipalities throughout Canada.

Excellent article Rakshande! Keep up the great work!

Karim Kanji

Well, here I am. Back again. Stirred but not shaken. So, here we go. News and views from everything real estate in Canada and maybe from other places…..

Did you know that Toronto is Toronto’s biggest landowner? Neither did I. and to think these guys are running short on their budget. Did they not know we are 10 years into a Real Estate boom?

Looking for a 78% return? Well, you’re 10 years late. Or maybe not. If you have a roof over your head and you own that roof you may be richer than you think.

Calgary seems to be crowded because now they are looking to the sunny U.S. south for vacation homes.

Toronto seems to be slowing down. February is not over but here’s the news so far.

Non-Descript East York lowrise stars in Hollywood thriller, JUMPER. I wonder if Juno lives there….

Toronto is slowing down. What is happening in Calgary? How is a 35% jump sound to you? Nice!

2 interesting articles about the U.S. housing/mortgage slump/disaster.

Canadian Realtors may be getting into MMA soon. Why? Because they are becoming targets of more and more violence.

Sharia Loans. Scam or Not? I dunno really. Some say scam. Others feel a need is being met. I think they are a scam because ALL loans (even if they are dressed as sheep) charge interest.

Now that you have read this far you get a treat. CMHC’s 1st quarter Outlook.

Cheers!

Karim Kanji
www.RealCashCanada.com

Maybe the question is why? Or, “Who asked for this review?”Did D-Mac just wake up one afternoon from a deep slumber and come up with this all on his own? I didn’t even know they said a Prayer, let alone, the Lord’s Prayer.

I find it interesting that the Lord’s Prayer was banished from Ontario public schools by the Ontario government. And they’ve been reciting that cathy prayer ever since. Until now.

And now they are publicly thinking of changing this tradition. Isn’t there more important things to do for McGuinty? Maybe clean up the streets of snow and crime? Maybe work with cities to address uploading and downloading issues.

Actually, maybe banishing prayer from ALL government activities is a good thing. How so? Well, think of the scene from Pulp Fiction where Samuel Jackson’s character recites a passage from the Bible. Remember the one?

“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”

Then he lays the smackdown – trigger style – on his prey.How does this relate? Is Samuel a good guy just because he recites a prayer before he gets trigger happy? Is he going to heaven? Now think about the Ontario government, or any government, for that matter. Just because they pray before raising taxes doesn’t make them angels.That’s my two cents for today. Now leave me alone while I go and pray.

The path of the righteous man is beset…..

Karim Kanji

How many of you are Trekkies? Or fans of Star Wars or other SciFi fare? I enjoy a little Captain Kirk every once in a while.

Sometimes, however, you read a story and wonder how far off the cool tech toys from these shows are from becoming reality.

Case in point:

Ottawa resident, Thane Heins has seemingly discovered how to create a perpetual motion machine. Now, I’m not a science junkie so let me spell it out for you in York University-speak: A machine that essentially creates something out of nothing. Free energy so to speak.

Ok. Here’s the interesting part. Imagine no more gas line-ups. No more conversations at the water cooler about the high price of gas. No more massive energy bills.

I know I’m getting ahead of myself. But this all sounds very cool. Google this guy and check his stuff out on YouTube.

We do live in interesting times.

Karim Kanji

What does the soft American real estate market have to do with Canada’s first Prime Minister.?

Duh! Nothing. Trick question, right? Actually, it’s pretty simple. If you were a real estate agent in the States and you had a signature that was over a century old AND it belonged to the first leader of Canada, what would you do? Sell it, of course!

And that is exactly what this lady is doing.

Get your eBay accounts up and running and start bidding! Check out THE story from today’s Toronto Star.

Karim Kanji

Well, well, well.

We’ve certainly put Toronto on the map sort of speak with this one.

For those of you who don’t follow this sort of stuff, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) as announced plans to introduce an Africentric school to Toronto in about 18 months. If this is news to you please take a moment to read up on this at the follwoing link: HERE.

Is this about race relations or is it about truly helping black kids stay and succeed in school.

Well, ponder this for a moment. I thought that this school would be a “for blacks only” school. It would make sense (not that I agree) right? Blacks were the focus of this study. But, inside the report, it clearly states that this Afro-school would not be only for blacks. Anyone could attend. The focus would just be on….Afro’s, I guess.

You think this is a waste of time and money? I sure do.

I mean, if the TDSB really wants to help blacks succeed in school, what does an Afrocentric seperate school have to do with this? Really, where is the link? How does a black school help blacks succeed?

In my opinion, it doesn’t. Where’s the motivation for these kids?

How many black kids were asked about school and success? I’m willing to bet none. You want to know why? It’s because there was no Afrocentric TDSB for them to report to.

Seriously. None were asked. Their parents were probably asked. And how many black youths (any colour youths for that matter) are talking to their parents today and telling them, “I would succeed mom and dad if ONLY I was in an Afrocentric school.”

Shame on you TDSB staff. You took the easy way out of a problem that is not easy to solve. Get back to work and don’t come back till you have a real solution to a real problem.

Karim Kanji

Hey folks!

Welcome to my little space here in this blog-iverse.

For those of you who have been reading some of the interesting articles you will notice something different in the days, weeks and months to come. To those of you who are new you will want to visit this site on a weekly basis.

Here’s my plan: I’m gonna post pictures and thoughts here. Of what? Anything and everything. Whatever is “moving” me you may find it here. Whether it’s my take on the TTC, or the Leafs. Mabe I’ll have something to say during an election. Or maybe not. And sometimes I”ll just post a story that I found somewhere else.

So keep in touch, post your comments and HAVE FUN.

I know I will.

2008. It’s gonna be great!

Karim Kanji
www.KarimKanji.com