Whether it's the pension, salary or severance package, politicians are paid handsomely. This means the big wave of incumbent MPs who didn't get reelected still has a way of getting your money. Why is this? Guest: Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation - There is a lot of money to be made in the art world and as such, some people try to cut in on the action by creating forgeries of already existing art. If you were given some clues about a certain artist and their tend...
Sep 30, 2021•34 min
Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) NASA is looking for a new van to take astronauts to and from their spacecraft. Luckily a company with a well known vehicle has offered their services. The question now stands, would NASA be willing to let its astronauts ride in the Oscar Mayer WEINERMOBILE? 2) Sleeping is crucial for humans, just like eating. Meth, on the other hand, is anything but essential... unless you're this guy from Alabama. When police arrested him, he was found asle...
Sep 29, 2021•10 min
As many Canadians celebrate the return of Michael Kovrig & Michael Spavor back to Canada, some are still remembering those who remain locked up in China. One such person is a lady from Burlington whose husband has been imprisoned as a political prisoner for 15 years without any family contact.. Guest: Kamila Telendibaeva, Wife of Huseyin Celil - The price of groceries is on the rise and that's undeniable however some people are saying the price is rising at one rate while others are saying i...
Sep 29, 2021•45 min
Some new information regarding Hamilton's bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games is being revealed but will it be enough to secure the win? What are the proposed ideas and how would they work? Guest: Robert Livingstone, Producer & Senior Journalist, GamesBids.com - We can say, without a doubt, this year had some interesting weather. The rain, heat, sunshine and more all impacts how grapes grow and when you're in world renown wine country, that means this year's vintage could be amazing or g...
Sep 28, 2021•56 min
This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Scot Urquhart who joins Scott to talk about COVID-19, the stress level when in large groups/traveling, China, Canada's government post-election & more. Guest: Scot Urquhart, Co-Host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14
Sep 25, 2021•55 min
Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) A Boston high school had to hire a private bus company due to a school bus shortage so they could take students on a field trip. When the bus pulled up to the school and the students got on, it was quickly realized that this was no ordinary bus, this was a party bus complete with LED light strips and a stripper pole! Getting to the field trip was probably more exciting than the trip itself! 2) If a ref makes a bad call, groan & complain ...
Sep 24, 2021•8 min
As the light gets shone more and more on mental health, are we doing any favours by devaluing the marks our students are receiving? Is it time to get rid of the idea of grading as a whole? Guest: Dr. Paul Bennett, Founding Director & Lead Consultant, Schoolhouse Consulting and Author, "The State of the System" & Educhatter blog - Where did COVID-19 come from? Some said a lab in Wuhan, China while others suggested bats found in Chinese wet markets were the point of origin. Is there a poss...
Sep 24, 2021•48 min
Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) The saying, "If something seems too good to be true, it probably is," rings very true with these two guys from Mississippi. While walking down the street they saw a car with a sign in the window that said it was free and the keys were in the ignition. After taking it home, they found something, or rather someone, in the trunk that they weren't expecting. 2) New Zealand's strict lockdown measures have prevented many restaurants from offering ...
Sep 22, 2021•7 min
We've been hearing political promises and hopes for the future for a little over a month but it's now time to get back to reality and the real issues that are happening right now. Many of these issues are based in the financial realm which is precisely why Scott welcomes Dr. Ian Lee to the show so help put these problems into perspective. Guest: Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University - Is there anything any of the Toronto Maple Leafs' players can say tha...
Sep 22, 2021•35 min
As we approach closing time for the polls, Scott is joined by someone who might be able to help shine some light on where we're at going into the final hours of the 2021 federal election. Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair, Summa Strategies - Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Baby showers are supposed to be full of joy and celebration however this one took a turn for the worst. How bad can a gift be that a family goes from celebrating a baby shower to gun-slinging? 2) There is...
Sep 21, 2021•25 min
Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Sometimes it's better to not ask a question because the answer can leave you more confused than you were to begin with. For example, why was this guy shooting out of a window? Apparently it was because he thought he was shooting at aliens. I don't know about you but I'm certainly more confused and have many, many more questions all because of that answer. 2) If you need to bring positive vibes, generate some laughs and spread love, joy &...
Sep 17, 2021•8 min
While an election boils down to who gets the most votes, there's always much more that goes into garnering those votes. To help break down who's doing what and how this election is going as a whole, Scott invites Stephen LeDrew on to the show. Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - Hamilton will play host to the NHL's Heritage Classic game where the Toronto Maple Leafs will square off against the Buffalo ...
Sep 17, 2021•46 min
Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Cup Noodle, a ramen noodle company, is celebrating their 50th anniversary by creating a line of ramen noodle flavoured soda pops. This lineup will consist of their basic Cup Noodle soda, a seafood-accented cream soda, a curry-accented cola and a chili-tomato soda. Thirsty yet? 2) Trying to fake documents when traveling is not an easy thing to do and that's by design. If you ask anyone who knows anything about documents, legal or not, one of ...
Sep 15, 2021•9 min
If you compare most of the political platforms that are being put forward by the candidates in Canada's federal election, you'll see that there are many similarities. Despite this, there are some topics that the party leaders differ on and one such topic is childcare. What are their perspectives, how would they implement their program, if at all, and what would it cost to do so? Guest: Peter Shawn Taylor, Senior Features Editor, C2C Journal - The Tiger-Cats have found themselves in an interestin...
Sep 15, 2021•28 min
Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Running late for your flight is always nerve wracking and extremely stressful however one lady found a sure fire way to make sure the plane doesn't take off for a few more hours... call in a bomb threat! Now you don't have to worry about being late for your flight ever again! 2) Some people from Florida have a whole new approach to life. While police had a massive standoff with an armed man on a house's roof, a buck-naked woman pulled up in ...
Sep 14, 2021•9 min
There is already much controversy over the upcoming Olympics that are set to take place in China. Activists have been sending letter pleading for countries to reconsider sending athletes to the Games and also, interestingly enough, to television networks. Why television networks and how could they help protest China's atrocities? Guest: Lhadon Tethong, Political Activist, Co-Founder & Director, Tibet Action Institute & Former Executive Director, Students for a Free Tibet - Some interesti...
Sep 14, 2021•59 min
Tonight's debate between the leaders of Canada's federal parties will see a lot of words get exchanged but that doesn't always dictate what message gets portrayed. Scott speaks with someone to help explain what different signs mean and what to watch for during tonight's debate. Guest: Robyn Braley, Brand Specialist, Unimark Creative; Blogger; Body Language Interpreter - Political candidates will often promise new things that cost money however we don't seem to have any candidates that want to cu...
Sep 10, 2021•35 min
Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Criminals aren't always the smartest and we've found another to add to that pile. When it comes to cocaine smuggling, there are many ways to do it but under a toupee is definitely one of the worst. 2) Stealing a car is a bad idea and stealing one while running from the police is even worse but this criminal found a way to take things to a whole new level. All it took was stealing a mortuary van while it was being loaded up with a body! 3) Ga...
Sep 09, 2021•8 min
The negative impact that closing our schools has had on our students hasn't been dealt evenly. This disparity has prompted many experts in the education realm to start sounding the alarms because there are many red flags that are waving. Guest: Irvin Studin, Chair, Worldwide Commission to Educate All Kids; Editor-in-Chief, Publisher & Founder, Global Brief Magazine; President, The Institute for 21st Century Questions - Larry Walker has been welcomed into the Baseball Hall of Fame however his...
Sep 09, 2021•37 min
Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) People were protesting outside of Facebook's offices in London in the hopes of changing the way they moderate pictures of nipples vs tattoos of nipples on breast cancer survivors. Though some protestors dressed up as giant breasts, hopefully no one acted like one. 2) Gender reveals have caused much damage and devastation around the world. An expectant father from Tennessee got the good news and simply had to fire off a few celebratory rounds...
Sep 08, 2021•8 min
How is this election moving along? Are things going the way we expected when the writ was initially dropped? Guest: Kate Harrison, Vice Chair, Summa Strategies - The price of meat is rising rapidly and there's no denying it. The question, however, is why? Has it been the pandemic alone that's caused this spike or is there something more to it and is it time to start stashing tonnes of meat in your freezer? Guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois a.k.a. The Food Professor, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analyt...
Sep 08, 2021•45 min
This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features Graeme Mackay who joins Scott to talk about the current situation in Afghanistan, vaccine hesitancy, the fact that Hamilton has 9,000 employees, conscious cartooning and more. Guest: Graeme Mackay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator
Aug 21, 2021•58 min
Why are social media platforms willing to ban people like Donald Trump from their platforms while at the same time allowing members of groups like the Taliban to use it. Where is the line drawn and why aren't social media companies fully enforcing their own, self-imposed, policies? Guest: Allen Mendelsohn, Canadian Internet and Tech. Lawyer - There's a chance that you remember the company Consumers Distributing. 25-years-ago this week, Consumers Distributing went out of business despite it being...
Aug 20, 2021•33 min
Aug 19, 2021•48 min
Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) Crashing your car is one of the last things that you want to do. What can make it even worse is when you crash a nice Audi Q7 into a 371-year-old house built by the ancestors of Abraham Lincoln. Wouldn't it be crazy if all of this actually did happen and just because the driver tried to avoid hitting a squirrel? 2) What do you do when there's a tree that sits right on the property line and one owner wants the tree while the other doesn't? Sp...
Aug 18, 2021•8 min
A new poll has found that around one third of Ontarians say they are house-poor meaning the majority of their income goes towards their mortgage and/or house-related bills. Of that third, half of them say they're concerned they won't be able to make ends meet in this coming year. Guest: Don Fox, Principal, IG Private Wealth Management & Co-host, Planning Your Financial Future on Global News Radio 900 CHML - Bob Ross is one of the few people who's loved by just about everyone and a documentar...
Aug 18, 2021•35 min
Interesting numbers are arising as the federal election campaign gets underway. Where can we expect to be seeing support and for whom will that support be for? Guest: Nik Nanos, Chief Data Scientist & Founder, Nanos Research - If you take a look at who's running in your local riding chances are you won't see anyone familiar. How might this lack incumbent MPs impact the outcome of this election? Guest: Larry Di Ianni, Host & Community Producer, Cable 14 & Former Hamilton Mayor - Don R...
Aug 17, 2021•53 min
This week's edition of The Brightest Conversation in Hamilton features our friend Mike Fortune who joins Scott to talk about the new Jeopardy! lineup, the potential for a federal election, how people vote, vaccine passports and more. Guest: Mike Fortune, Co-host, The Hamilton Network, Cable 14
Aug 14, 2021•54 min
Today's edition of Ben's Story of the Day features: 1) The University of Wisconsin is removing a rock from its campus because some people are saying it's racist. That's because of a name that it was referred to as at one point in time. 2) If there's one place OJ Simpson will never return to, it's Los Angeles. Why might you ask? Well isn't it obvious, the killer is still there! 3) They say that a picture is worth a thousand words however you only need a couple words to paint this picture. Flasher...
Aug 13, 2021•7 min
What do you do when you're the president of the United States and you cancelled an oil pipeline from being built on your first day but your country needs more oil to bring gas prices down? Request more oil! But don't order it from Canada, request it from countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and more. Guest: Stephen LeDrew, Political Commentator; Host, The LeDrew Three Minute Interview; Former President, Liberal Party of Canada - The movie set where Field of Dreams was shot...
Aug 13, 2021•35 min
