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Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton lost his battle with cancer this morning, but we lost much more.

This year when I watched the federal election I couldn’t help but admire the brevity, passion and charisma that Layton exhibited in the political arena. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with his ideologies, it’s hard to argue against the fact that he was one of the most relatable leaders that spoke to the average Canadian and helped the NDP earn its first official opposition status in the party’s 50 year history.

The first time I took note of Layton was a few years back during his attendance at the Muchmusic Video Awards. I was covering the awards show for a different station and watching him work the crowd. He wasn’t there to simply shake hands, he proactively engaged his young following and proved he was a man of the people that was looking to empower the next generation of votes.

I will always respect his ability to eloquently speak “to” someone, rather than “at” them with trite rhetoric. It was tough to read his final letter but Jack Layton will be remembered for the rise of the NDP and getting us all just a little bit more interested in Canadian politics.

Jack\’s Final Letter

RM

If you missed ‘America’s Got Talent’ (AGT) last night, allow me to put the spotlight on the final act of the evening, ‘Team iLuminate’. This group brought the house down with their innovative dance routine, infused with laser lights and goose bump inducing creativity.

Check out the clip and be sure to catch the results show tonight at 9pm on Citytv. Plus, if you’ve got a hidden talent check out Canada’s Got Talent and apply! Auditions are in Vancouver on September 19th and 20th.

RM

How’s this for an anniversary gift? Given it’s the Space Needle’s 50th birthday, the owners of the iconic Seattle staple are giving away a free trip to outer space. I repeat, you may get to do what Lance Bass can only dream of.

So how is ‘Space Race 2012’ possible? Well thanks to Space Adventures, a suborbital flight on G-Force One could be yours for FREE. The prize is worth $110,000 and if you want a shot at the coveted title of space tourist, you need to sign up at the Space Needle website. If your submission is one of the 1000 randomly chosen entries, you will be asked to submit a short video telling everyone why you are the next Buzz Aldrin and the voting public will decide who makes the final cut. Then, the last hopefuls standing will undergo a series of fitness tests after which a panel of judges make the final decision, so be sure to keep up with your Bulgarian Split Squats.

Good luck!

RM

Doing live television is a different beast altogether, especially when you are immersed in the spontaneous arena that is Breakfast Television. That is why, whenever I come across clips like this, I can’t help but smile and appreciate the candid demeanor these hosts conveyed when a bit with a water-powered jet pack backfired on the air.

Kudos to the morning crew in San Diego for making us laugh with this impromptu mishap:

RM

After last week’s shocking incident where a father fell to his death attempting to catch a baseball thrown to him by MLB All-Star Josh Hamilton, my jaw dropped when I saw the same scary incident almost play out again during the Home Run Derby on Monday night.

With the likes of Robinson Cano and Prince Fielder cranking out some monster shots at Chase Field in Arizona, this fan (after already catching three home run balls mind you) decides to jump on a table and dive for another.

Unbelievable and ridiculous is what this is considering recent events, but thankfully his friends saved him from following the same sad fate of Shannon Stone.

Is the souvenir really worth risking an unnecessary tragedy?

RM

Canada's Got Talent

Does Canada Have Talent? Buckle up, we’re about to find out.

Citytv is about to deliver a Canadian version of the ‘Got Talent’ franchise and good news for you soon to be superstars, auditions are being held in Vancouver Sept. 19 and 20 at the Westin Bayshore. Details to come on the judges, but this will be huge.

This franchise has become a monster hit because it gives the average person the chance to step out of their comfort zone and become an overnight star. America’s Got Talent has quickly become one of my personal favorite programs given the raw passion and enthusiasm each contestant conveys. The judges and host Nick Cannon make the American version a lot of fun to watch and I’m excited to see how the Canadian production comes together.

For all the details check out the following:

canadasgottalent.com

Twitter: @CGTCitytv

Facebook: Search for ‘Canada’s Got Talent’

RM

Is this a lesson in a true fan’s selflessness or is this just bad financial planning?

When Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees surprisingly cranked a home run for his historic 3000^th hit in Major League Baseball, all I could think about was the person that catches that ball just hit the jackpot.

Enter 23-year-old salesman Christian Lopez who made the catch of a lifetime off Jeter’s long ball. While estimates had his precious gem worth around $250,000, Lopez opted to return the ball to the 28^th Major Leaguer to reach this milestone.

For his efforts, Lopez was rewarded with four tickets to a suite in Yankee stadium for the remainder of the season including the playoffs.

If I caught that thing I would sell it to the highest bidder and reinvest the profits in a profitable mutual fund to put my future kids through college (no, I’m not married and no I have not fathered any mini-Meghjis yet), but then again I don’t love the Yankees like Lopez apparently does.

Which begs the question. What would you do?

This past week I had one of my favorite assignments for Breakfast Television. Fly to Chicago, get a ticket to ‘The Madhouse’ and experience what it’s like to be a Canuck fan in the opposing arena come playoff time. Sure we lost 7-2 in Game 4, but it’s one game and I was proud to see how far Vancouver Canuck pride stretches even if Vince Vaughn was in his Blackhawk jersey pointing fingers down by the Canuck bench.

Followers came from all over to represent for our boys in blue. Check out these pics of some of the greatest fans out there. GO CANUCKS GO!

Game 5, it’s on!

RM

In light of the Riverdance crew stopping by the BT studios today, the producers decided to test our hosts’ dancing skills and put me on the spot to guess what genre they were performing.

Twelve types of dance were delivered and despite missing a couple of guesses, I think I did them justice in deciphering those memorable hip gyrations.

Just in case you missed it, have a look at this….

RM

The journey continues as I attempt to become a Blue Run skier. Greg Harper has been looking like Rob Boyd out on the slopes of Cypress. Yours truly, sadly was not at one with the mountain this time around as there was a bit of a tumble and a broken ski. Yikes!

RM