The coolest thing happened at work this week. We received an email from a listener in Finland!
Ismo Kauppi wanted to let us know that he picked up our 770 AM signal from Lapland.
Ismo is a semi-pro AM radio enthusiast and was in a tiny cabin near the famous Aihkiniemi DXpeditionbase. It’s about 320 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in northern Finland and no, I didn’t know it was famous. You really do learn something every day.
Every year, Ismo and his friend Vesa Rinkinen head up to this remote part of the planet and search for radio signals.
Both Kauppi and Rinkinen enjoyed eavesdropping on Calgary and learning all about Those Old Radio Shows. We reached out to Kauppi and had a wonderful interview with him on The Morning News on Dec. 21.
We learned about high-tech radio equipment, the home of Father Christmas, and we even reminisced about Miika Kiprusoff and his days with the Calgary Flames.
Kauppi was a delight to talk with and we plan on keeping in touch.
It was a timely reminder of just how small the world really is and how much fun it is making new friends. Here’s to many more friendships in 2018.
What I want to avoid next year is –the Milkshake Duck.
Again, you really do learn something new every day.
What is a Milkshake Duck? It’s a phrase used to describe something that starts out good and ends up in tatters. It first appeared in a tweet in 2016 from popular Twitter user Ben Ward, a.k.a. @pixelatedboat:
Remember Keaton Jones? He’s the young boy from Knoxville, Tenn. who talked about how horrible it was being bullied.
WATCH: Tennessee boy questions why people bully in tearful video
His heartbreaking plea went viral and was shared all over the world– and the world responded with love. Celebrities weighed in with offers of support and friendship: it was a powerful response to his suffering.
Cue the Milkshake Duck.
People began digging around on Keaton’s mother and it turns out some of her views are, well, kind of racist. Keaton’s swift rise was followed by an almost as fast fall.
WATCH: Young boy at the centre of Tennessee bullying video speaks out
It’s a shame the story couldn’t end with the feel good finish we all were hoping for. Sigh. That’s the world we live in.
As we prepare for 2018, I wish you all good health and happiness. May you spend lots of time with friends and family and yes, maybe even make a few new friends.
And as that friendship blossoms I sincerely hope it doesn’t end with a Milkshake Duck.
Happy New Year!
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