Top Ten Welcome! Episodes of 2017

I’m currently reading Jason Zinoman’s Letterman: The Last Giant of Late Night. So, in the spirit of Letterman’s Top Ten List here are my top episodes of 2017 (based on listens):

1.) When he made his appearance on Welcome!, Jagmeet Singh was still an NDP MPP in Ontario and had not yet decided on running for the leadership of the NDP federal party. Soon after his appearance, well, as they say, the rest is history.

2.) In early 2017, I had Mathew Ingram on. Part of our conversation centered around Donald Trump’s impact on the current media landscape which continues to change.

3.) More than a year ago (in 2016) Morgan P. Campbell made his first of two appearances. We discussed racism in sports (specifically baseball), football and the issue of concussions, and even steroids in professional and amateur sports.

4.) Sulemaan Ahmed is one of the parents behind the #NoFLyListKids initiative that (crazy as it sounds) still continues today.

5.) Twitter remains my personal favourite social media platform. And it was a pleasure to have Cameron Gordon, Twitter Canada’s Head of Communication on.

6.) One of the first female veejay’s on Much Music was Erica Ehm. She’s also a successful entrepreneur.

7.) Salim Naran and I used to run together while in primary school. I’m so proud to see all the success he has had over the years.

8.) In this episode with Jay Soul (aka CHIPPEWAR) we talk about cultural appropriation, truth and reconciliation, missing and murdered Indigenous women and children, how residential schools is still happening today, the problem with Canada 150 and so much more!

9.) Mark Evans is a consultant helping fast growing companies grow faster. In this episode we talked about startups, technology, journalism and urban planning.

10.) Brett Wilson is a former Dragon on CBC’s popular Dragon’s Den, head of Prairie Merchant Corporation and part owner of the NHL’s Nashville Predators.

Check Your Blood Pressure

For as long as I remember it seems I’ve had high blood pressure. It’s a combination of being overweight, a diet high in salt and of being brown.

I currently now take two pills every day to help control my blood pressure. It’s currently at a “healthy”  127/86. But it’s been much higher.

High blood pressure is ranked as the third most important risk factor for attributable burden of disease in south Asia (2010). That’s what I mean by being brown. And it doesn’t help that my dad has high blood pressure and has already suffered a heart attack.

I’m hoping to lose weight this year and boost my heart health. To do so, I’ll be attempting to log into My Fitness Pal everyday to log my calorie intake and my fitness activities. I use the words “hoping” and “attempting” purposefully because everyday can be a challenge and a struggle.

If you’re not aware of your blood pressure drop into your local pharmacy (Shoppers Drug Mart here in Toronto) and have it checked for free. You should also visit your family doctor at least once a year for a check up.

Image credit: Indian Express

Book Report: The Marriott Cell by Mohamed Fahmy

We recently went back to visiting our local library branches.

The first book I borrowed was Mohamed Fahmy’s “The Marriott Cell.”

Fahmy is a former CNN and Al Jazeera  journalist who was wrongly imprisoned on charges of being a member of a terrorist organization. He would go on to spend over 400 days in prison including Egypt’s infamous prison for terrorists Scorpion Prison.

In today’s climate of “fake news” and the disintegration of local news his story is a chilling reminder that one of the main roles of journalists is to hold power to account.

To learn more about Mohamed Fahmy visit his Twitter account.

Episode #104: MP Arif Virani

From Uganda to Ottawa.

Arif Virani is a Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Parkdale-High Park. He arrived in Canada in the early 1970s as a refugee from Uganda. Today he’s giving back to his country by serving and representing his community in Ottawa.

Image Credit: National Post

Recorded live at Girth Radio.

Listen below:

Girth Radio
MixCloud 
Apple Podcasts
Google Play Music
Stitcher 
TuneIn
Pocket Casts
You can also subscribe to the podcast via RSS Feed if you’re so inclined.

Tech Talks – Episode #1: Tech Talks with Karim Kanji (Seth Greene)

Hello!

I got my first start in media with Techvibes as their Toronto Community Manager (if we don’t include a couple of appearances on York University’s community radio station in the early 1990s).  I’ve been removed as an “author” from Techvibes but most of my work still remains on the website.

Recently, I’ve contributed to itbusiness.ca as a community blogger.  However, I had not contributed for a while until very recently. Moving forward, I’ll be doing my best to contribute on a weekly basis. This time via the spoken word.

Introducing: Tech Talks with Karim Kanji.  Hosted on Mixcloud and distributed by itbusiness, Tech Talks will feature bite-sized conversations with leaders in technology and business.

My first conversation was with Seth Greene. Businesses are using podcasts as a platform for marketing now more than ever and leading this trend is Seth Greene. I hope you enjoy!

Episode #103: Afraaz Mulji

Afraaz Mulji is a talented multi-instrumentalist specializing in percussion and keyboards. At just 18 years of age he’s already well on his way to achieving his musical dreams.

Recorded live at Girth Radio.

Listen below:

Girth Radio
MixCloud 
Apple Podcasts
Google Play Music
Stitcher 
TuneIn
Pocket Casts
You can also subscribe to the podcast via RSS Feed if you’re so inclined.

Episode #102: David Gray

David Gray has worked with Rick Rubin (yes, that Rick Rubin) and Daniel Lanois (yes, that Daniel Lanois). David has played music all over the United states with musicians such as Bob Egan, Loretta Lynn, Father Damien, and so many others. David is now using his vast experience in the music industry to teach students about sound and music. He is also an executive with Toronto-based agency, EthnoDialogue.

Recorded live at Girth Radio.

Listen below:

Girth Radio
MixCloud 
Apple Podcasts
Google Play Music
Stitcher 
TuneIn
Pocket Casts
You can also subscribe to the podcast via RSS Feed if you’re so inclined.