Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Toronto Mike'd #1
Episode Date: August 29, 2012Toronto Mike and Rosie chat about Twitter spoilers, the elderly and technology and what the podcast is and is not...
Transcript
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What up, Miami?
Toronto!
VK on the beat, uh-huh, check, uh-huh
I'm in Toronto where you wanna get the city love
I'm from Toronto where you wanna get the city love
I'm a Toronto Mike, wanna get the city love
My city love, I'm back for my city love
I'm in Toronto where you wanna get the city love
I'm from Toronto where you wanna get the city love I'm a Toronto Mike, wanna get the city love Welcome, welcome to Toronto Mic'd.
What a great song.
I've got to give some props to Ill Vibe at illvibem music.com for putting that uh theme song together
for the toronto mic podcast it sounds very personalized i actually hear toronto mic in the
song i gave him details like i told him okay 30 minutes a week and if you listen closely he's like
30 minutes a week he's rhyming rapper. He's a Toronto rapper? Yeah. Toronto rapper? Yeah, Toronto rapper.
You need something done, like musically,
you contact Ill Vibe.
He'll take care of you.
He knows what he's doing.
So this is the first one, Rosie.
And I'll do a more formal introduction in a bit,
but I just wanted to have a very brief discussion
about what the heck this podcast is.
Podcast?
Yeah, it's a podcast.
What is it, and what is it not?
Because I have one definite idea about what this is not.
This cannot be, and you guys have to keep me in line,
this cannot be an anti-Rob Ford rant every single time we record.
Once we start on the Rob ford gorilla in the room then that's it we'll just go down a very ugly path
okay so no rob ford and every time rob ford comes up i got a bell like i stole this from humble and
fred it's like literally i can hit right? It's a retro desk bell.
Yeah, so if Rob Ford comes up and we start going down that path,
ding ourselves out of it.
No Rob Ford.
Okay, what else is this not?
Okay, it's not about Rob Ford, and it's not boring.
We have to keep this thing interesting.
I don't want to talk about city politics every week
and who's saying what at City Hall.
Oh, and yeah, it has to be about Toronto,
but about things that are fun and interesting
and about the blog torontomike.com.
And we'll talk later in the show about how we can tie that into this
and how the two can feed each other
and it can become a nice little interaction.
Well, anyone that's ever visited torontomike.com,
and I have to admit, I'm a bit of a super fan.
I read TorontoMic.com every day because not only is it very newsy,
but there's also lots of interesting personal tidbits that TorontoMic offers it.
And what I particularly love about TorontoMic.com
is all the great commentary that you get from all the people
that read it and that will be listening to it as well. What's also neat is how Toronto
Mike is on Twitter tweeting all the time. But I have to admit, you sort of annoyed me
recently with something that you tweeted.
Okay, hold on. Slow down because I want to take this in.
Okay.
So I tweeted something at Toronto Mike, and it upset you.
It was regarding a spoiler.
You tweeted to me not to spoil the newsroom for you,
because you had it all queued up, all ten episodes.
The season finale had just happened Sunday night.
And you asked, no spoilers, please, because you were about to view it.
But my issue, Mike, is that social media, Twitter, I get really excited after I watch
something and I want to share it.
That's the whole point of it.
And I don't want to spoil it for you but i feel that and i think you
recently addressed this on your site if you don't want things spoiled then you have to have a media
blackout for yourself unplug turn off twitter okay that's the thing firstly i'm glad i'm glad
you came you came to me with this you didn't uh you know bottle this up and have it rot away for
you know years and years where you resent me for what i
tweeted at you i actually am glad you mentioned this because i have a serious issue with spoilers
on twitter okay case in point breaking bad two episodes left in the season i'm watching the
second the second last episode aired on sunday at eight o'clock and i was on the internet but not
watching because i watch it i watched it the next day. So I watched it yesterday.
But while it was airing live on Sunday, I was dodging spoilers like a dance in a minefield.
Everybody everywhere on Reddit or Facebook, especially Twitter, are trying to tell me a certain detail that I will not reveal in this podcast.
But something that would have ruined the episode for me.
But that's the point of all...
That's the point for Oscars or for political events
or Michael Jackson died or things that are like that.
Not for television shows.
Nobody watches these things live anymore.
Nobody watches them live,
but discussions about things happen all the time.
People are... It's hard for me, when I have rage, it's hard for me to suppress
it.
And after watching the season finale of the newsroom, and I forgave Sorkin a lot throughout
the whole thing because it's overly earnest.
People don't, you know, the complaints about him, his writing, people don't talk like that.
I don't care.
I love it.
I love it all.
I love the West Wing.
I love the newsroom but in the final episode don't spoil i'm not gonna spoil this will not
spoil it for you don't worry i bought because i actually do it is awful to have something spoiled
thank that's my point thank you i get it you've come around i absolutely get it but but something
happened in the episode where a certain character of a show that I love,
there was a little diss.
Something happened.
Which I didn't quite get
because Sorkin is supposed
to be dating.
Do you know I know
what you're talking about
because I saw your tweet?
Which I think is why
you tweeted to me
to stop spoiling it.
Okay.
But the point is
I had rage.
The point is
keep your rage,
phone your mom,
or talk to your friends.
And oh,
that is what Twitter is for.
That is exactly what it's for it's immediate
it is an outlet for me to
you felt better ruining this for everybody
Mike who hadn't seen it yet
it was the next morning
so it wasn't even during when it was happening
so if you don't want things
spoiled I think you're just going to have to
shut yourself off
that's just my opinion so
I got that off my chest.
I'm good.
We can move on.
Breaking news.
I'm going to reveal this co-host, Rosie.
You've heard her name.
I'm going to tell the world that Rosie,
I'm going to just share a little story about how I met Rosie
and then why she will be an amazing co-host here.
In addition to the fact she's my lone super fan,
which really got her the gig.
Yeah, that got her the gig right there.
Once I found that out.
But I want to say that in grade 10 at michael power high school which is also in
etobicoke where we're recording today e dot yeah the e dot is it's forever to be known that's cool
uh michael power i'm getting a tattoo no i'm just joking um rosie this is a very emotional story
i'm trying to tell come on so i'm in grade 10 and some i can't remember mr daughtry or dolchin or adultery he had a beard and he we were learning a separate piece and i
still remember like that's my contribution to the war effort like it still rings in my head
and i think there was a group and there i can remember like me and a couple of nerds because
i was cool and a couple of nerds and some australian guy and we needed someone else for our
group and you took pity on us and joined our group as i recall so nerdy true story it was like one
was nerdier after the well i was the cool one and then i had a couple of nerdy guys in the room who
joined in and then the australian guy who he might he might have turned into like russell crowe for all i know if that might have been
russell crowe right yeah that was russell crowe so that was grade 10 so i've known you since grade
10 and along the way you became a media sensation appearing nationally on the weather network yes
and that gave you and you with your ryerson media degree and your weather girl like credentials
you you and your super fandom you qualified for
the role of co-host there was a lot of auditions and i was up against a lot of competition but oh
my god i'm here i'm so excited well you had to beat out uh mike wickson who is helping me out
he's actually producing the show pressing these buttons for me because i i haven't figured out
this uh mechanics yet but mike wson, anyone who listens to the
Humble and Fred show or
what's the other one? Fluffy Talks? Is that
Turd Pants? Turd Pants. Turd Pants.
Which is very awesome. He's really
cute. Turd Pants is
different. Wixson?
Wixson's cute? He's totally cute.
Do you wear glasses?
Did you forget your glasses? I can't look directly
at him. Oh my god
You're cute too
She's in the presence
Of a superstar
Well
I think your podcast
Is going really well
Yeah well
This is a very cool podcast
Hey
If we clear ten
Ten listeners
Will exceed my expectation
Oh I think it's going to be
Bigger than that
Carry on sorry
Okay
So that's Mike Wixon
Helping us out
So that's Rosie Rosieixon helping us out.
So that's Rosie.
Rosie, do you want to tell us a little bit about your time at the Weather Network?
Just briefly, since people watch that channel.
Yes, I was at the Weather Network for almost 10 years.
And I did pretty much every job under the sun there.
I worked in the sales department in research.
I was the programming coordinator.
I styled everybody.
I dressed them. I got them on air. I styled everybody. I dressed them.
I got them on air 24 hours a day, seven days a week, because as you know, it's live. And then when I'd done pretty much every job, my boss was like, why don't you go on air? Go on the air. So
I thought, why not? So learned about some high pressure, low pressure. So you don't have a
meteorology degree? You don't have a diploma from the School
of Meteorology? What I did was I went and I bought a book called Weather for Dummies,
and I read it. Well, I read the first couple chapters. That's an appropriate title. I've
seen the book. It's awesome. Weather's so confusing if you don't read that book.
Weather is actually really, really hard. No, at the Weather Network,
there are several amazing meteorologists that go on the air,
but a lot of the presenters
actually don't have meteorology backgrounds,
but it is staffed with such an amazing,
amazing group of meteorologists
that what they do is they brief you.
So you get your briefing,
and obviously you have some weather knowledge yourself,
and then you go on air in front of the big green screen.
There's nothing behind you and you talk about the weather.
One thing that's kind of neat that a lot of people don't realize
is that when you're a weather person, it's completely unscripted.
There's no teleprompter. There's no notes.
You just have a big green screen and a little monitor with some maps
and you have to really know what you're talking about.
Did you work with Carla Collins?
I did not.
Oh, she was on that network.
Liza Frommer?
She was before.
Who's the most famous person during your time there who went on to bigger?
Well, I think personally, Bill Coulter on CP24.
Big one.
He's amazing.
Amazing on air.
Never heard of him, to be honest.
Never heard of him.
His face is on. I don't watch CP24.
Anwar Razvi?
Oh my God, yes.
I went to college with him.
He was going to be a sales guy.
That's all he wanted to do was sell media.
And now look at him.
He actually left just when I was starting, so our paths crossed very briefly.
But he's so talented.
One reason why I think you see such amazing broadcasters that started off as weather people
is because of that really unique thing where you have to go on air, live, with no script.
It's rare.
And a lot of really, interestingly, a lot of really good weather people and other people came from radio.
Because radio, as well, you have to be able to talk.
And there's nothing else but the words.
So if you don't know what you're talking about, it's not going to be good radio.
So a lot of really good weather people came from radio.
And a lot of amazing broadcasters in every type of media had their start as weather people.
And then you left that network?
Yep.
So I did that for quite some time,
and then I went to work for TSN.
I was in sports broadcasting.
I worked in mobile productions,
doing, crewing live events,
and a whole bunch of stuff like that.
I did that for a couple years,
and then I was missing the on-air,
so I went back to an online startup business network.
And I did business news for a year, which was amazing because it was something totally different.
And again, had to really learn.
This wasn't the naked news, was it?
No, everyone thinks that though.
As soon as I say online news, everyone's like, oh my God, that's the naked news.
That's Toronto.
That's Toronto based, right? No. have been asked to audition wow that's a good sound never did it a writer that
i used to hire all the time actually went on to produce there and rosie come okay and then you
became a super fan and here we are today and here we Good job. That's very good. That's me. So tell us more about you, Toronto Mike.
Toronto Mike, okay, just a few things.
If you're looking for me on the web, I'm at torontomike.com.
I'm on Twitter trying to avoid spoilers when breaking bad airs.
And on Twitter, I'm also torontomike.
And anyone can email me with any feedback or questions that we'll read during next episode at Mike at Toronto Mike dot com.
So Mike at Toronto Mike dot com.
We'll read your email and your comments aloud.
And I should also tell everybody that I'm a proud member of the Humble and Fred network.
And we're here live.
Humble and Fred radio dot com. In the Humble and Fred Network. And we're here live. Humble at FredRadio.com.
In the Humble and Fred studio.
Five-hour energy studio.
Yep, I went to the fridge for a five-hour energy
and I couldn't find one.
I'm a little disappointed.
You know what I'm disappointed about?
I was kind of hoping...
Phil.
I kind of wanted to meet Phil.
Oh, Phil is a wonderful man.
I'm sort of.
I have a bit of like... Wakes up very early. I have a little radio crush on Phil. He's really funny. I'm sort of. I have a bit of like a little...
Wakes up very early.
I have a little radio crush on Phil.
He's really funny.
You know, I could get you a meeting with him.
Oh my God, I can't take it.
I can do that.
I saw Phil today wearing sandals and white socks.
Yeah, that's the Phil I know and love.
And I can hook this up.
So let me know.
I can arrange a meeting.
You can get an autograph or something.
Just saying.
That's all.
He's adorable.
He's wonderful.
Oh my...
And your Twitter.
Because your Twitter is very entertaining.
I mentioned it because I'm over there avoiding.
Remember, I'm avoiding the spoilage.
TorontoMike.com.
So, yeah, lots of ways to contact me and to contribute to the show and reach out and let me know how bad I suck or how amazing I am.
I can take either.
Just give me some reality.
And I wanted to bring up a topic.
I know that in broadcasting school,
they probably taught you about like segues and stuff.
And I've never been to broadcasting school,
so I don't do segues.
So I'm just going to do a cool turn here.
And we're going to talk about old people and technology.
Wixen, you're not the old person I'm talking about.
Someone in the room flinched.
First of all, he's younger than I am, first of all.
I don't know how I'm listening to this podcast.
Where is it coming from?
Why is the universal sound for an old person like this?
That's how old people sound.
I don't know.
Listen, Missy.
Missy.
I don't tolerate. how does it work can i ask like does old people the
the the vocal cords start to strip or something like every old people the same voice everything
stretches all right so i think perhaps maybe you mean generate like a generation removed from
ours perhaps yeah maybe but uh speaking of old people
how's that first segway introduce the topic that he was speaking of yeah smh okay so they're gonna
start a course old people called segway my mom is not an old person because she might she might
listen to this i don't know so my mom's not an person, but I find with people over the age of 60,
they have some serious struggles with technology.
And I find I can be pretty patient,
like showing my eight-year-old daughter
something on the computer.
But when it comes to showing my mom something,
I don't have the patience I should have.
And I'm not a very good teacher like she was.
And it's just any slight change, like if there's a new icon on the
desktop it was like a nuclear disaster any modification to the daily i always click i think
she she thought the blue e was the internet forever so then i trained her to think the red fox was the
internet but then i recently decided to show her that the chrome symbol is the internet and it's
just too much for her like it's just breaking her my sort of problem with my mom and the internet is
when it always seems to be the printer the printer's off what happened to your voice i don't
know i turned old she turned old old lady ros Oh, she's a hottie.
Rose Nyland.
I aged her 30 years.
It's perfect.
In five minutes.
No, it's my mom.
It's the printer.
She's always calling me.
The printer.
And for some reason, whenever there's a computer issue, it immediately, it sounds like she's
ran 50 kilometers.
We have the same mom, Rose.
Mike and I have always thought we have the same mom.
Rosie, the printer's gone off. Can you just can you just come and i'm like no first of all why are you printing what do you have to print nothing to print anymore don't do that it hurts
when i do this don't do that yeah the printer and then recently easy web she the bank convinced her
i was so mad at the bank they convinced her to go online to look at her accounts online i'm like no what are you doing and they changed her bank card and
then the bank card number was different no you can't change anything no you can't it's just it's
all really frustrating and like you i have zero patients it's almost it's almost as my rate the
rage the ball of rage but it's not just the internet and computers i get these i work from
i'm lucky enough to work from home,
but my phone might ring, I don't know, let's say it's 11 a.m.,
and my phone rings, it's my mom.
I go, hey, mom.
I hear on the other end, such distress.
Who's dead?
Just tell me who died and which hospital do I go to?
My digital cable's offline.
Forget the computer for a minute like maybe something
maybe she babysits her grandson sometimes so he's like two maybe he turned the station from channel
three to channel two or something through the whole system out of whack everything's out of
order i calmly i try to be calm calmly tell her the troubleshooting steps but it's can you come
down and fix it like oh i gotta like jump on my bike or whatever,
get over there and drop my work
to change the channel from two to three.
Yeah, it's...
But I'm telling you, I just, sometimes,
oh, sometimes it kills me
because the biggest long-term issue
that we cannot figure out,
and I've shown her a hundred times,
she can't copy and paste.
So she'll be on a webpage, like a really good yeah so let's pretend you're over reaching well
i didn't think so like i explained it several different ways but let's say let's say uh she's
on a web page she wants to share with my brother like my brother ryan and she wants to get
that web page to my brother she i almost think she wants to like it's like she cannot get that
web page to my she cannot get that web page to my brother and i just tell her go in the address bar
uh click select all copy paste it in the email he can click that and go to it no not gonna happen this is funny so
you should totally put on your site ask your readers to give their funniest old person technology
stories because i bet you i bet you it's not just us i'm sure everybody experiences this and i always
like i've mentioned to you before part of what i love about TorontoMike.com, not just all the interesting stuff
and timely stuff that you post,
is all the neat stuff that your commenters write.
I have to admit, I read your site for years
because I never really could shake you after high school.
I don't know, I actually blame the internet for that.
In the old days, phone number,
you lose it, it changes, you move on.
Now it's all like...
I'm a bit like a rash.
Spreads. Now it's so like... I'm a bit like a rash. Spreads.
Now it's so easy to keep in touch with people.
But one of the things I loved is you click on, in Mike's topics, you click on them,
and he has this amazing community of all these really, really neat people
that comment all the time on his site.
And it's great, and it's addictive.
And one of the things I love about commenting
is that I almost, when I put something down,
I almost can't wait.
I wait a half an hour and then I'm like,
who's going to comment?
Will it be Rick C. in Oakville?
Will it be CQ?
Will it be Cheryl?
I love Cheryl.
Cheryl's amazing.
I love her.
So that's one of the neat things about your site.
But you really should put that on. Get's stories i would like those names you mentioned like i don't
none of those people i've met in the real world but they feel like i know them because for years
ricksy and oakville right uh cq of course and his long rants about why ford should never lend me a
car and cheryl of course who loves the habs i understand and she loves the Habs, I understand, and she loves the Suns.
I'm really worried for Cheryl if there's a hockey lockout.
Oh, my.
I worry for Longos if they keep messing up her orders.
Well, that's, I mean, that's a whole, we should save that for a whole other podcast.
But what I really found neat, and recently you were asking your readers whether they thought Toronto should bid for the 2024 Olympics.
Yes.
And I was really what, and again, this is something I really like with the dialogue
that goes on your site, is that certain topics like that, some people are so passionately
for it, and then some people are so passionately against it.
And I find it really interesting because, you know, for me,
I think it's such a good idea.
I think it would be amazing if Toronto were to get an Olympics.
And then it's just so amazing how passionately some people are against it.
Can I just point out to the listeners that Rosie has printed this entire entry.
It looks like it's several pages long and it's printed in color.
And she called it...
Rosie, it's on the internet.
I printed it at my mom's house.
Oh my gosh.
She has a printer.
And she stapled it.
I've never...
That's amazing.
When was the last time you stapled something?
I can't remember when I last owned a printer.
Yeah, it's been a while.
Well, I wasn't, you know, sure of...
No, I'm impressed.
...if I'd have access.
But I really, really wanted to just talk about some of the neat things that people say.
Particularly, though.
Sure, hit us with some highlights.
Okay, so talking about the Olympics, because I do personally feel that Toronto, we should try.
I think having an Olympics builds massive infrastructure for a city.
It creates jobs.
It invokes civic pride.
But I'm idealistic like that.
I don't know if you feel the same way, Mike.
Yeah, it sounds like it'd be a hell of a party.
I'm always jealous.
Like Vancouver had such a hell of a party.
I wanted to be a part of that.
And then I saw London get it.
Like, screw that.
I want it.
Exactly.
So we feel that way.
But then CQ, who is very, he's pretty busy on your site.
We are to Bush League here in Toronto and Southern Ontario.
Our 2015 Pan Am Games will only be a sad last minute Finnish joke.
Oh my God.
I was.
For Bush League?
I couldn't.
I'm sad.
It was really sort of, you know.
Aren't we a metropolis?
When did that change? I thought so. Bush League. I was really sort of, you know. Aren't we a metropolis? When did that change?
I thought so.
Bush League.
I was really, really.
We're the biggest city in Canada.
It's, you know.
We're one of the biggest cities on Earth.
We've got the biggest tower in North America.
It's very large.
Free standing.
It's free in standing.
Toronto.
We're not Bush League.
We have an NBA team.
But this is the cool thing about the discussion that gets going. Toronto. We're not Bush League. We have an NBA team.
But this is the cool thing about the discussion that gets going.
Because then it really, really, really
got going.
Tim comments a lot, too.
He said to spend the money fixing
the Gardner and building subways.
He felt that he used to love
the Olympics, but now it's bloated,
corrupt, and costs too much money.
So that was his thing.
And then Dale, yeah, he agrees that we're Bush League, Pan Am Games.
You know, he's from Bolton.
I don't think anyone from Bolton should be calling Toronto Bush League, right?
I find it interesting that you have lots of people outside of Toronto that comment.
Former Torontonians who moved to the 905 and now just like to
point fingers, sort of like the guy who normally
sits in that seat, Freddie P.
Yeah, he does that.
He sits in his throne
in Brampton and he points fingers.
I do the same thing. All I can do is
mock Rob Ford.
Where's the bell? Bring the bell.
Sorry for that.
And we've got a guy up in Vaughan
who's like, he just quit.
I don't know. You're in Vaughan?
You live in Vaughan? I'm in the city
above Toronto. The city above Toronto.
Wow. Very catchy.
It's funny that... They stopped using it, didn't they?
I don't know, but I hear that. The city above
Toronto. That radio jingle was very effective.
Exactly.
I find it embarrassing. It seems a little snooty a little bit, huh?
It's a little snooty.
It's a little snooty.
But anyway.
But I like Vaughn Mills Mall.
Any other?
I like the Toronto New slogan.
Big fat Toronto.
I didn't say it was Rob.
Earlier, she mentioned somebody said that we were bloated,
and I almost had my finger on the bell,
like waiting for one of you two to make a bloated joke.
Who said bloated? Yeah, bloated.
I hate that word.
I must have read it.
No, you read it.
It was somebody's comment.
The Olympics are bloated, and I was ready to hit it.
Okay, hit me up.
You got one more juicy comment there?
Okay.
Because I got a topic that will make you cry.
All right.
There's just so much.
Okay, let's be positive.
Let's read a positive one.
And finish on a high note.
This is bumming me out.
I know.
Bush League?
I know.
I should read my own comments more.
No, I'm reading the mic, aren't you?
I actually always feel, too, when I put a comment,
I never want to be the last person.
I always hope somebody comments after me because then actually always feel, too, when I put a comment, I never want to be the last person. I always hope somebody comments
after me, because then I always feel like I shut
it down. Do you have to ignore
comments for a little while sometimes,
Mike? Sometimes, yeah.
Yeah, I know with Turd Pants, I just get
hurt to the point where I have to
He's a main, insanely popular
YouTube sensation.
And every little move we make,
and the kids are just you
know nasty it's all the
kids do it's I yeah no
you I think I think you
should read your comments
but I can understand I
do by the way I should
point out every comment
sends me an email and I
actually read all my
comments but I forgot
about the Bush League
thing CQ is gonna hear
from me yeah no it's
it's it's true okay so
now anonymous which
that guy comments a lot like he's a prolific commenter really interesting commenter No, it's true. Okay, so now Anonymous, which...
That guy comments a lot.
Like, he's a prolific commenter.
He has a really interesting comment here.
He says, yes, we see what the Pan Ams are doing to improve our infrastructure.
Imagine what the Olympics would bring.
We almost had it in 2008, but now that we have the 2015 Pan Ams,
I believe Toronto is finally ready to host the Olympics.
Rosie, does anyone care about the Pan Am Games?
Like, I don't even have it in my subconscious.
Like, my back of my head is, I don't give a, I just don't care at all.
This is very Toronto.
We always say we don't care about things.
We don't care about, you know, the pedestrian-only Yonge Street Festival.
I care about that.
But then it happens.
And we're like, oh my gosh, this is amazing.
So, yes, I think we do care.
So you're comparing the Pan Am Games to the pedestrian home?
I'm just saying.
What are the pancake games?
Nobody, you know why?
Is Usain Bolt going to be at the Pan Am Games?
No, but.
No?
Then why would, is Michael, not Michael Phelps, but is Lockie there going to be there?
Ryan Lockie?
He's so cute.
He's cute.
Is he going to be at the Pan Am Games?
Is Oscar, the no-legged runner that my mom's obsessed with, Is he going to be at the Pan Am Games? Is Oscar the no-legged
runner that my mom's obsessed with?
Is he going to be there? This is the thing.
It's a major international event.
Anything. Name the countries.
That brings. You name the
countries. Pan Am. I don't know.
It sounds fishy to me.
That is Bush League. CQ's freaking right.
Pan Am Games are Bush League. No, he said
Toronto is Bush League. Yeah, okay. The Olympics. deserve the olympics we don't deserve the pan am games
anything that brings infrastructure so we get the pan am games oh now we're going to be getting a
link from the airport to the station good point we need that it is what city do you travel to where you can't have a link
to get to the major
city center from the airport. That's huge.
You traveled this summer.
I was in Amsterdam and had a train
called the tram and it's like I could
jump on it at the airport and I'm downtown
Amsterdam. Exactly.
Berlin too. On the subject of traveling
I don't know if there's another topic you want to
segue into, but
I read something in the Star today that I thought
was really interesting. And you having traveled this
summer, you probably would have experienced
this, but it's about travel etiquette
and tipping. Has tipping
got out of hand? And
sort of the article was saying that there's an overall
higher expectation now
for people to tip.
And I thought it was sort of interesting because
recently i was at a restaurant and you know now when you're at a restaurant and you pay they bring
you the thing and it's like right there and like you leave the tip and the last time i was out i
noticed that the default for it was set 20 exactly which i know people have discussed before but it's
sort of the whole thing is like quite awkward because you're there
and the waitress is right there
and everybody knows that,
you know, what's happening.
But is it easy to switch it?
Like it's a 15% right beside the 20%?
It probably is.
You just press one button?
I'm sort of one of these people
that I will always,
yeah, a little bit.
And I mean,
but the point is,
is that is,
you know,
did you find when you were traveling?
No, I read a thing.
Maybe I've got bad info.
Before I went to Amsterdam,
I read a thing that said they're bad info. Before I went to Amsterdam,
I read a thing that said they're different over there.
They don't expect to be tipped,
so they don't compensate the same way.
Here, we pay our waitresses nothing because we assume they're going to be compensated by the patron.
Over there, the waitresses get a decent salary
because they don't expect tips.
I did my 15%.
I've been wired to or whatever,
but I never felt the need
to over tip.
Like the guy who opened the door for me when I arrived with my bags, like, thank you for
opening the door, but I didn't give him anything.
See, that's exactly what I was going to ask you.
So when you got to the hotel, you know, take your bags.
I carry my own bags because I like to carry my own bags and I like to do everything myself.
I feel awkward having some grown man help me.
Like I'm an able-bodied fit guy. That's true. I feel awkward having some grown man help me. Like, I'm an able-bodied, fit guy.
That's true.
I guess for a man, that's interesting.
Like, I don't know.
Maybe when I'm an old guy here like Wixen, I'm going to be, like, appreciating the help.
Let me hear this.
Old man voice.
I'm having a nap.
Oh, he woke up.
Rosie.
Rosie.
Rosie.
I think that the tipping is, you know, I think it's a little out of hand.
I do my 15% no matter where I am, but I know it's expected in North America.
And at some point, maybe we'll switch to 20, but I'm still at 15.
Yeah, it's funny because, you know, when you go, there's an expectation.
Somebody takes your bags out of the car, you tip there.
Somebody holds the door open car you tip there somebody holds the door open you tip there
so really there's four places to tip but out of those out of the car into the hotel up the stairs
um definitely yeah definitely more more opportunities uh to tip so that's that's
very interesting but i do think it would be nice if we could go back to the not the machine at the table
because it's all awkward
that silent
pause was caused by me
I was having a little
powwow here
we're doing another podcast over my
left shoulder
it's a private cast
I just wanted to see
what happened
when I stopped talking.
Sorry about that.
Your voice was so soothing.
I was just relaxing over here.
I dropped the production ball.
They both fell asleep.
Yeah, sorry about that.
That was my fault.
I dropped the production ball.
Yeah.
It's okay.
Sometimes silence is good.
Silence grabs people.
Yeah, no.
It gives you a second
to catch up.
Exactly.
I would love to wrap up
this inaugural podcast episode and the first of many, I'm sure, exactly i would love to uh wrap up this inaugural podcast episode and the
first of many i'm sure and i would love to tell the good people how they can interact with the
show i mentioned it briefly earlier and i will just repeat it again that you can write mike at
mike sorry mike at toronto mike.com feedback, good or bad.
Uh,
any questions or any questions for the show or questions in general or things
you want to discuss,
think of it as like my,
my Friday open mic.
It's sort of like a,
uh,
an audio translation of the,
a Friday open mic,
which happens on Toronto,
Mike.com.
So I'd love to hear from you on Twitter.
Follow me at Toronto,
Mike,
follow Rosie on Twitter at...
Rosie in Toronto.
You stole that from me.
No, just kidding.
I own Toronto.
Totally did.
And thanks again to Humble and Fred for adding this show to the network
and for lending us the studio.
And Mike Wixon at Redfish Studios for their awesome production of podcasts.
What a great podcast. Nice work.
Good production.
Thank you.
And we'll close in for illvibemusic.com
if you're looking for a theme song. Thank you. Outro Music