golden age
History shows that media do not die, they adapt and occupy new and different spaces for consumers. That’s what happened to radio. Many predicted the medium was a goner, with a possibility that digital streaming might save it. Digital delivery did not rescue broadcast radio. Instead, podcasting happened; bite sized slices of radio, streamed or downloaded on demand. Some are rambling conversations. Others are tight, sound-designed journalism, much like the features I produced for CBC Radio. The best are stories well told. The result is a new golden era. Here are links to some podcasts I love.
magpies
“Those black and white birds are beautiful,” says my cousin visiting from LA. “What are they?” “Magpies.” Beautiful? Magpies? Here in Alberta, Canada, they’re as common as sparrows. Ignored by most, hated by some, they’re scavengers and bullies. I call them biker birds. About as big as your forearm, they prey on smaller birds, squirrels and harass rabbits. What I think is common, visitors find exotic, similar to when I visit Texas and see armadillos. Lately I have been appreciating magpies. My cousin is right. They are attractive, coloured like penguins except they’re fighter jets, not chubby submarines. And they’re fearless. They don’t care what you think.