Merry Christmas.

Here is opening day on the backyard rink this past week. Yes, that's Jake in a Leafs sweater, and yes, it's a broom and not a stick. I don't get it either.

I saw this on a calendar from an MP in Ottawa. It struck me as funny to find the pizza number with the doctor and emergency.

QUICK....GET ME A PIZZA!!

We have spoken from time to time about the notion of a content factory. The story on the link below came from a jock. Not a newsroom employee. The jock took the picture with a blackberry, wrote the short story and emailed it to news. They put it up.

Imagine if all jocks in all centers did this once a day?

http://urlPass.com/4hpy

Morning!! Here is a great example of what leaving the station with a video camera can do. Hats off to Jamie and the gang at Drum FM.

http://urlPass.com/4hfc

One more in case you missed it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkOYF7Un_iM&feature=email

If you have kids you gotta' try this out. Even if you don't have kids, send one to anyone special to you. They'll get a kick out of it. http://santa.sympatico.ca/home/

Have a great weekend.

A few scattered thoughts on Christmas.....

• Christmas is many things to many people. The one thing most of us agree on is that there is tradition and meaning in the season. Make sure that is reflected in your Christmas music and comments. It's not all shopping and "Run, Run Reindeer". It's also "Silent Night" and stories of love and giving.
• On our portals and in print be sure to use the word "Christmas" and not "X-Mas". It's just who we are.
• Make Christmas shopping a positive thing. Too often we paint it as a chore that no one likes. Not so. Treat it as fun, exciting and exhilarating.
• Get out an experience Christmas events in your community and talk about them on the air. Drop names, get audio on site and make specific comments about what you see and do. It's powerful local stuff.

Ho, Ho, Ho....