LCA! is no more

Some of you may remember I was doing freelance work for an advocacy group called Lights, Camera, Access. I was their web administrator and volunteer for roughly seven years. Unfortunately, I feel sorry and sad to say that LCA! is no more. Below is the official statement on its dissolution, published in late 2017. I continue to act as an activist for disability issues, as I feel they can no longer be ignored. ♿️

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACCESS!

At the end of December, the LCA! Board unanimously agreed to dissolve LCA! as a charitable organization and as a corporation, effective December 31, 2017.

This was a very difficult, but realistic decision made in light of challenges meeting LCA! funding needs over the past year.

The LCA! Board acknowledges the incredible achievements of LCA! over the past 10+ years, in particular the vision that our founder Leesa Levinson has had, way in advance of the times, to ensure advocacy for people with disabilities (PWDs) in the media and entertainment industries.

From an organizational perspective, LCA! has an excellent reputation as an organization that has:

worked tirelessly for our members
contributed to provincial and national legislative changes around accessibility
raised awareness in the industry of the unrecognized talent of PWDs
improved job opportunities for talented individuals

The LCA! Board feels very strongly that many of our initial aims and objectives have been met and that the groundwork LCA! has done will continue to positively impact PWDs in this industry in the future.

The above achievements were only possible through the incredible commitment LCA! received from its Founder (Leesa Levinson), its volunteer Board members, its Executive Director (Dean Ifill), and from its members; in particular, those who have volunteered with LCA! and lent your expertise and time over the years to help us achieve our goals. In addition, LCA! appreciates the mentorship it has received from many people as well as the opportunities it has had to work closely with industry and government to enable change.

Over the coming month LCA! will be closing down our operations. LCA! will maintain email communication with members until the end of February 2018. The website will be non-operational as of January 15, 2018.

Leesa, Dean, and the LCA! Board wish to thank everyone who has supported LCA! over the years and wish you all a happy and healthy 2018.

Thank you.
Lights, Camera, Access!

Billboard's #1 song of 2018

Billboard magazine has named Drake's "God's Plan" as the #1 song of 2018. It also happens to be MY favourite song of 2018.

Employable Me Canada, Series 2: Premiere Screening Event

My episode of Employable Me ("Donald & Miranda") will air Friday, October 12 at 7 pm ET on AMItv!

 

What's new in Season 2 of Employable Me Canada

A funny Burt Reynolds moment

Hollywood icon Burt Reynolds passed away today at the age of 82. This is one of his funniest moments on TV. It comes from one of my favourite episodes of The Golden Girls. Enjoy. RIP Bandit.

New Season of Employable Me (Canada) on AMI-tv

To my friends and fam in Canada: you may want to hang on to your TV sets a while longer. Somebody I know all too well is appearing on this show this season!

 

Gertcha

When I was 10, I remember renting a music video of children singing the popular hits of the day. Mini-Pops, which originated in England, enjoyed some success in Canada in the early '80s. I remember this one strange-sounding English song about an older man who would shout out a borderline curse word every time he got upset. What was stranger is that I couldn't make out most of the words in the chorus!

I also had not heard the original rendition on the radio in Canada. Apparently it never charted on this side of the pond.

This week, my 30+ year mystery was solved. Through the magic of YouTube, I was able to locate the Mini-Pops special in all its garish glory. While scrolling through the comments, a poster responded to a person's inquiry about this weird song. Turns out it is called "Gertcha."

I immediately looked up what gertcha means. It is a Cockney English expression for "Go away! Get out of here!" I always found Cockney slang bizarre, and this one is no exception!

'Cowson' is another Cockney word said in the song. The only definition I was able to find for that one is, "Term of mild to medium abuse for a person or a situation."

"Gertcha" was a hit in the UK for Chas & Dave in 1979. They specialize in Cockney-influenced rock, or 'rockney.' They managed to have some significant success, especially in the late '70s to early '80s.

Here is the song as performed by Chas & Dave.



I can understand why "Gertcha" did not catch on in North America. The words appeal mostly to a localized audience, and people like me who were not raised in a Cockney household wouldn't understand or appreciate the material. In other words, the alternative jargon does not transfer well outside of London, where the Cockney dialect is commonly used in certain areas of the city.

Solving the mystery of this obscure song made me happy. I'm glad I revisited that clip, even though watching kids appear as adults and singing songs written for an adult audience can give one the creeps. Watching Mini-Pops today might even prompt some viewers to say... gertcha!