Michael Atkins

It’s hard to avoid the question of Rob Ford wherever you live in this country. He brings a larger than life “wince” seldom achieved in this highly contested category of public service. He can take you from rage to compassion in an afternoon.

Around 1965 I travelled to North Bay for the first time. Actually, I hitchhiked from Burk’s Falls to North Bay to visit a friend of mine from camp. His name was Barry Pond and we were councillors at a now long-defunct boys’ camp called Big Doe Camp.

It’s a complicated time to consider the matter of leadership.

It began as many things do. I didn’t have a clue what I was getting into.

In the last 10 years this ink-stained wretch has broadened his horizons into a variety of digital companies. Some have prospered. Some have died. A couple remain potential home runs. A couple remain on life support. I love each one of them.

My Aunt Betty died this year. She had suffered with dementia for some time and so it was a shock to lose her, but not a surprise. She was 87. Many of you, of course, have a favourite aunt or uncle.

I’ve never really been involved in raising money before—well, let’s clarify. I’ve raised lots of money over the years to start new businesses or help others get started. What I mean is raising money as in, “Hi, Bob.

One of the more agreeable drawbacks of being in the media business for these many years (nearly 40) is that we are frequently celebrating an anniversary of one kind or another.

Yesterday, while sitting in the front seat of the car consulting her BlackBerry my daughter made the following observation on the state of the Canadian economy. I used to have 170 contacts on my BBM directory. I now have 37.

Notwithstanding Stephen Harper’s habit of going for the jugular (i.e.