The Cormac MacSweeney Blog - 660News Calgary

One part of my job is interviewing famous people. This is always a thrill for me especially when I love the celebrity I’ve talked with.

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Rick Jackett, one of the guitarists with Finger Eleven. The Canadian band has been around for more than 10 years and started off in high school. Despite recording countless hit singles and albums the first ever DVD from Finger Eleven is being released this Tuesday.

I have seen the band live a number of times but nothing compares to being able to speak to someone you respect and admire. People like Paul Brandt, George Canyon, Tom Cochrane, Dierks Bentley, Jason McCoy, Aaron Pritchett, Amanda Wilkinson, Corb Lund, Beverly Mahood, Hal Johnson from Body Break, a couple of other members from Finger Eleven and Johnny Reid….just to name a few.

Do I like to name drop?

The only problem is that you can’t act like a crazed fan when you interview someone. You have to keep your cool, do your homework and keep the celebrity interested by having fun with it and having a good laugh.

This tactic once led to an invitation from Tom Cochrane to have some beers after his Stampede performance. Unfortunately I was out of town for my brothers wedding and couldn’t get tipsy with someone I idolized while growing up.

So remember if you ever get the chance to interview someone famous just keep calm and it could lead to a night of drinking and stories that will last for the rest of your life….but not if your brother decides to get hitched during stampede.

Well not officially, but it sure seems like it.

Yesterday we were hit with a snowfall that sent drivers in this city into a panic. I don’t mean panic in a negative way but drivers across Calgary were either taking it slow, or stressing in the congestion of the crowds of cars stuck on Deerfoot, Glenmore or Crowchild.

I drove around town for nearly 7 hours yesterday experiencing the slick conditions, the stressful traffic jams and close calls (or worse) that you were dealing with. It wasn’t fun at the end of my shift, I’m sure I have some bedsores on my behind from sitting in that cruiser for so long. We learned today that there were nearly 400 collisions in our city between 6am and 6pm yesterday.

So why all the crashes? Is it a lot of accidents because the weather was so bad, is it inadequate sanding and salting, or is it bad driving? At least one of the newspapers in Calgary ran a story with readers claiming it was a problem with snow removal saying they saw barely any salters, sanders or plows on the streets. But this morning when I went out to talk to drivers I heard a different story.

Every listener I spoke with says it was drivers doing stupid things that probably lead to a bulk of the crashes. I heard stories of tailgating, speeding, people being cut off and some even going to slow by driving 40 kilometres an hour on the Deerfoot. Not one person claimed snow removal was a problem…one man saying he didn’t think the trucks should have even been out because 3-5 centimetres on the ground is barely a snowfall. Obviously he blames the crashes on people who don’t drive to the conditions.

On the other hand as I was driving, I only saw about a couple of situations where I questioned what the other driver was doing.

So is it the “bad” weather, the horrible snow removal (which is the responsibility of both the city and the provincial), or the insane drivers that take over the roads on snow days? I guess it’s all in your opinion.

It probably comes as no surprise but the Roughriders have won the Grey Cup. It was closer than predicted by the experts (and I’m sure most Riders fans would have liked) but the green and white came through in the end.

I wasn’t able to attend any bars to catch the game but I know many fans from Saskatchewan definitely made it out. Many of the people I spoke with this morning had red eyes, looked sick and seemed to have a pounding head. Needless to say beer probably played a factor.

Eric Francis, Jack FM Morning Show Host and Sun sports columnist, said he has never cheered for a specific CFL team but after seeing the party that Riders fans have, he’s thinking of going green. I myself have been tempted by the dark side just to be able to celebrate like a rowdy frat boy even if my team loses.

But is the party really more important than the game or the team? I thought a sport is supposed to be about competition and entertainment, not about beer and pretzels. At the same time I can never turn down an amazing party full of fun, an energized crowd and an atmosphere of cheer.

One thing I can say is if Riders fans head out to make a football game into a night of celebration, at least they do it responsibly. We all remember the issues that came from Calgary and Edmonton’s cup runs with some vandalism and fighting. There were no stories out of Saskatchewan of riots, fires, or violence in the streets.

So what might you ask is the point of this entry? I guess I’m trying to commend Saskatchewan fans for their hard partying which remains a responsible celebration.

As I have written in the past, my position on air could change at the drop of a dime.

Yesterday as I was getting ready to go to bed I get a call from the newsroom. Of course it was about a change in shifts and I was told I’d have to do business.

Being thrown around this station is something I’ve gotten used to. You can’t predict what’s going to happen in news and you can’t predict where you’ll be. As an example, I was once waiting at a movie set near the Calgary Tower to do an interview with actress Melissa Joan Hart when I had to scramble to the Deerfoot where a gravel truck had flipped and closed down the highway.

Obviously I wish I could have stayed and chatted with the starlet but there’s no sense in getting angry when you have to do what you have to do. In the news industry you just have to roll with the punches.

I’ve had many times when I was the afternoon drive reporter when I got word I had to work the morning show at about 6:30 in the evening. That is no easy turn around. Thankfully a switch to business when I’m already on the Morning Show is just a teeny bit easier.

Many say “How could you do that stuff? It’s so boring.” But I actually consider it a pleasure to sit in the business seat. I have fun because it’s something new and I tend to learn a lot when I fill in for David Tait.

Is it bad that I hope he’s sick again tomorrow? (Hope you pull through.)

Over the last few weeks I have been noticing something different when I hit the streets to talk to you and get your opinion on important news of the day. Many of you know my name.

I’m not used to being recognized, but it seems that as I head to some of my regular hot spots for my reports, some of you are saying “hello” and having some nice chats with me. While I could be egotistical and gloat in the fact that people know my name and recognize me on the street, I won’t. This blog entry is to thank you.

Those who are now calling out to me by my first name are simply being personable and kind. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it when you say hi or ask me how I’m doing or what the news is for the day. You make my day when you stop and chat with me like that and treat me like a person or a friend.

Too many times (more than I can even fathom) people treat me like a bother or refuse to acknowledge my existence as I try and take 2 minutes to chat with them. On a few occasions I have had some literally hold their chins up and look me in he eye then keep walking without even saying “sorry I can’t talk.” They feel I’m not worth it and I let them keep on walking because it’s not worth trying to teach them a lesson in manners.

But when you guys stop and say hello (sometimes when I don’t even ask you anything) it makes me feel good. You also generally give me good tape for my stories and that’’s another thing I appreciate.

So without going on much longer…THANK YOU!

Today, before the airport dealt with computer glitches and delays, I had the opportunity to talk to many of you about the practice of regifting.

A new survey out today says nearly half of those asked admit to getting a gift and passing it on to someone else as a gift. Of those people who do regift, many say they have even sold the present just to get it off their hands. I admit I am someone who has passed on a gift (only once) and I’m glad that I’m not the only one who is open about it.

Many people I spoke to say they too have rewrapped a present and sent it to someone else. Most of the items they passed on were clothe, such as socks, or that awful looking sweater your mother knit you in 1989 and decided to give you last year.

One man even said he’s been the victim of a regifter in a funny way. He said him and his wife once got a Christmas present from some friends of theirs. The funny thing is they had gotten their friends that exact item last year for the holidays. He said he shrugged it off and just laughed about the whole thing.

Many of us have our own stories and so do I. When I was about 10-years-old I got a dictionary from someone a week or two before Christmas. I didn’t care for a dictionary at the time so I wrapped it up and gave it to my little brother on Christmas day. I was called on it and got in trouble and that’s why I will never do it again. My parents made sure I learned my lesson.

So is it appropriate to regift? I personally don’t have an opinion on the matter, but there were many people I spoke with who felt the idea of passing on something you don’t like to someone who could enjoy it is fine. They feel there is nothing wrong with it.

But one man said it is completely wrong. He says a present should be from the heart and a regift means nothing.

In the end, I don’t know about you but as long as I like the gift I get…I don’t care whose hands it’s been passed through.

Do we really think our quality of life is that bad?

In today’s Calgary Sun, an Ipsos survey showed that 61 per cent of us believe our quality of life is decreasing and is worse than it was three years ago. This is where it gets alarming. Only 67 per cent said their quality of life is good, which is a 10 per cent drop from a similar poll done last year.

According to the Sun, the biggest concern for those who were surveyed is the city’s rapid growth. I hit the streets this morning to find out what you would like to change about our city to make your life better.

Many of you…well, most of you, said traffic was the biggest problem you face in your life. I have lived in three cities in my life and one thing is for sure, we can thank our lucky stars we don’t have the traffic Toronto does. I understand this city ain’t what it used to be…but, things could be a lot worse.

When we see surveys like this, it makes you think Calgary is going to the dumps. It gives the impression that things are a lot worse than they may be, or they leave you thinking, “I hate this and this about Calgary.”

I was glad that I found many people who were still able to look at our city and admit that despite our faults, we still have it better than many other cities in our country. At least one woman told me she felt there was nothing that should be changed to improve her quality of life and only two people said they felt there were serious problems facing our city. The rest said those things that could be changed were just bonuses to help us along and that we have it pretty good.

I agree with the majority, our city is still top-notch and I feel my quality of life is better in Calgary than it is in any other city I have lived in (I’m not trying to put down those other cities).

What do you think? If I didn’t catch you this morning, you can still have your say by commenting on this post.

Like a broken record, the Canadian dollar has hit another modern day high by topping the $1.10 (U.S.) mark.

The dollar has been soaring for months now and since March it has jumped up a full quarter in value. Many say the rise shows no signs of stopping … that is except for one economist.

This morning I spoke with Fred Ketchen with ScotiaMcLeod who says the loonie is going to dip in altitude and drop as quickly as it flew up up and away. He predicts in the next six months our dollar will fall 10 cents and back to parity. Ketchen believes after that we will be hovering around the U.S. dollar mark for another six months to a year at least.

So what does this mean for you and me?

Ketchen explains there are some industries struggling because of the value of our dollar and this drop would be a great help to them. He says it would ease pressures and allow them to deal with the new dollar. He doesn’t believe it will fall below 90 cents for a long time and as always, companies will adjust and adapt to deal with the challenges of a higher dollar than we are used to.

I don’t know about you but I am seriously considering a trip to the bank. I’ll take out a grand or two in American currency and wait for the loonie to drop…then cash in.

It may seem like deja vu when you check out your late-night viewing pleasures.

Writers for television shows and films have gone on strike and now we are actually being forced to watch reruns of our favourite talk shows or pick up a book (gasp).

The main issues between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers is shares of DVD sales and internet revenues. The last strike by writers lasted 22 weeks in 1988.

You may be asking “what does this mean to me?” Well, do you like watching American programming? If you do this means a heck of a lot. Almost every prime time show may be stuck on rerun mode if this strike lasts long enough and there are some immediate effects as well.

Late night talk shows appear to be the first to be hit by the strike. Shows like David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Conan O’Brien tonight will look familiar because they will not be new episodes. Next up will be daytime talk shows and soap operas. They record their shows a day or two (maybe even three) in advance and we will have to wait to see the reruns. Finally we have to suffer through new episodes of primetime dramas and comedies for a month or two before finally getting into the repeats.

So what am I going to do tonight? I can’t watch my favourite late night shows. As you may have heard on our station this morning, one man told reporter Kevin Misener he will just have to sit and stare at his dog with a bag of potato chips. Since I don’t have a dog, I find it appalling that I may have to pick up a book and read a book.

Let’s all hope and pray this strike comes to an end as soon as possible.

Politicians are a funny breed. They generally start off as the media’s best friend but some odd things seem to happen as they move on. People who get into politics all seem to shape themselves into the same mould when it comes to dealing with the media.

Some examples.

Politicians like to hold news conferences on either old issues or things that have already been announced. Too many times I have shown up to a “newser” just to find out that I went to the same announcement six months ago or that a minor detail made them want to revel in something good again.

There are also times when politicians decide to make themselves available to the media a tad too late. There have been times where one politician announces something or an issue arises and days (sometimes a week) later the reaction from certain politicians come.

The other funny thing politicians do is not answer questions directly, they give you the run around. I won’t name names but today I was at just such an event. Reporters were asking many different questions and were receiving the same answer…whether it made sense or not.

Let me give you a fictitious scenario:

Reporter: What’s better dogs or cats?

Politician: I like dogs.

Reporter: Do you hate cats?

Politician: I like dogs.

Reporter: Would you support an all dog nation?

Politician: I like dogs.

Reporter: Would you put down a dog that has bitten someone?

Politician: I like dogs.

I think you can see how frustrating that can be. None of the reporters were happy with the responses they were getting.

These are just two examples of many I will probably give you over the history of my blog.

Happy Politicking.