Five different takes on how Canadians wrestle with a lack of competition and the presence of industry duopolies in their daily lives.

Special guests: Mark Do Couto (@MarkDoCouto), Mick Sloniowski (@MSloniowski), Chris Henderson (@Baseball4Brains), Marshall Auerback (@Mauerback) and Geoff Falbo (@gfalbo13).

Subscribe to arishapiro.ca today and receive future Take 5 episodes straight to your e-mail and cell phone.

This episode was brought to you by: Cloudwifi (@CloudwifiInc) – Toronto’s newest and most progressive internet service provider, and by Seven View Chrysler (@7ViewChrysler) – Ontario’s finest and most reputable Jeep dealership located in the heart of Woodbridge.

My conversation with Juno-award winning singer, actress and television personality Sass Jordan, who is often referred to as Canada’s Queen of Rock – and for good reason! This British-born rock singer from Montreal, Quebec is beloved on both sides of the border as a legendary Canadian musician and personality.

We discussed the staples of a Gen-X childhood growing up in Toronto during the 1980’s, what inspires her to continue writing music, how the changing industry has affected her quest for authenticity, what drives her to embrace the creative process in an ever-changing world, how her emotional maturity transcended the usual trappings of soul-sucking fame, what it means to appeal to a brand new and younger audience while enjoying the fruits of the old, and what it was like to rub shoulders with some of the biggest artists on the planet (Foo Fighters, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, The Rolling Stones).

Be sure to visit Sassjordan.com to order your (kick ass) 180-gram coloured vinyl limited edition 25th anniversary of her seminal release “Rats”, and check out Twitter (@sassjordan) and Instagram (sass.jordan) to catch up on the latest Sass Jordan tour dates, musical releases and other literary moments of zen.

Five different takes on the spectacularly dull and largely uneventful NHL off-season to this point.

Special guests: Mike Stephens (@mikeystephens81), James Tanner (@James_Tanner123), Austin Owens (@_AustinOwens), Mark Do Couto (@MarkDoCouto) and Marshall Auerback (@Mauerback).

Subscribe to arishapiro.ca today and receive future Take 5 episodes straight to your e-mail and cell phone.

This episode was brought to you by: Cloudwifi (@CloudwifiInc) – Toronto’s newest and most progressive internet service provider, and by Seven View Chrysler (@7ViewChrysler) – Ontario’s finest and most reputable Jeep dealership located in the heart of Woodbridge.

My latest appearance (08-09) on TSN 1260 Radio (Edmonton) with host Tom Gazzola (@TomGazzola) sitting in for Dave Jamieson.

We discussed the historic start to Bo Bichette’s career, the feeling around the Blue Jays clubhouse as the last vestiges of the Alex Anthopoulos regime were traded away, my candid thoughts on the recent Stroman-Sanchez-Biagini exorcism, the bizarre fallout from Igor Ozhiganov/Nikita Zaitsev’s involvement with the Maple Leafs, and why a Russian cultural bias tends to only exist in the minds of largely mediocre NHL players.

Be sure to check out Dave’s excellent show on TSN radio (weekdays at noon) and be mindful that he once put out a raging barbecue fire with nothing more than an old dish towel and a steely glance.

My latest appearance on TSN 1260 Radio (Edmonton) with host Andrew Mitchell (@Lowetide).

Talking Blue Jays baseball at the MLB trade deadline; the fallout from the Aaron Sanchez trade, how fans should remember acquiring Derek Fisher, why the Marcus Stroman trade reeks of defeatism, the dangers of using position players to lure pitching prospects, why fans have grown tired of corporate doublespeak and misdirection, an ode to Justin Smoak as the last man standing, and flushing the last remnants of Anthopoulos engine oil to mark the transition from old guard to new.

Be sure to check out The Lowdown with Lowetide on TSN 1260 radio (@TSN1260).