I love when someone approaches me and says “I want to see an article on …”

Its tough coming up with new ideas all the time, so please, send me your requests!

This week, a client said, “I want to see a column on why my dog always rolls in the most disgusting things.” So, here we go.

We see this action in our domestic pets all the time. We had a Jack Russel in the store the other day, and I gave him a treat that was pure fish. He took it, dropped it and started rolling on it. Fish, tripe, we use the stronger scented treats for dogs visiting the store because there are so many smells in the store, we need the most attractive treats to get them to take one from us.

Murray Williamson, a Manitoban who made a major impact on hockey in the United States, died in the Twin Cities on Sept. 15 at age 91. At the time of his death, he was described as a hockey legend and a trailblazer whose contributions shaped the sport in the United States for decades. He was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Manitoba Hockey Hall as a builder in 2009.

Williamson was born in Winnipeg where he played junior hockey for the St. Boniface Canadiens of the MJHL. He was also an excellent junior baseball player with the Winnipeg Buffaloes. His journey to U.S. hockey glory began when he was scouted by University of Minnesota head coach Johnny Mariucci while playing senior in Mariucci’s hometown of Eveleth, Minn. He was approached about joining the Gophers while shooting pool in a pool room owned by Mariucci’s former Chicago Black Hawks teammate goalie Mike Karakas. Williamson had been thinking about attending the University of Michigan.

Mariucci always focused on recruiting players from Minnesota rather than bring in players from out-of-state and Canada, so making an offer to Williamson was unusual. The Winnipeg forward joined the Gophers for three seasons and was an All-American in 1958-59 when he led the team in both goals and assists. That season the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux beat Michigan State 4-3 in overtime to win its first NCAA championship. Winnipeg’s Steve Thullner and Ralph Lyndon played for UND with defenceman Lyndon contributing a goal and an assist in the victory. Barry Thorndycraft, Williamson’s teammate on the 1953-54 St. Boniface Canadiens, was an assistant coach.

In his role as a coach and a builder is where Williamson made his mark. He served as head coach of the U.S. National Team from 1966-67 to 1971-72 and coached the team in the 1968 and 1972 Winter Olympics. Henry Boucha from Warroad, MN, who played for the junior Winnipeg Jets in 1969-70, played for the U.S. in the 1971 World Championship and was the team’s leading scorer in 1971-72. Flin Flon’s George Konik, who settled in the Twin Cities after his outstanding career at the University of Denver, was captain of the National Team in 1970-71 when the team finished sixth. The former Flin Flon Bomber defenceman, a 2011 Manitoba Hockey Hall inductee, wasn’t eligible to play for the States in the Olympics.

It’s pervasive. Forget subliminal messaging, these messages are front and centre and everywhere. Online betting has taken over commercial breaks, in-arena signage, and game broadcasts. We all have either taken part or know someone who is very serious about placing bets from their phones or computers. The explosion of the online gambling market in the past several years is unrivaled. It’s expected to top $15 billion in Canada this year.

Online betting, unlike gambling in provincially regulated casinos or VLT areas, is the wild west. Some companies operate within the various rules of each province and state and aim to cultivate upstanding reputations. Others are massive money-munching machines that have little care for the rules or their customers.

But the difference between these types of companies is nearly impossible to decipher. Both of them blare their commercials and place their logos in your favourite broadcasts.

That’s what often tricks consumers into thinking what they’re doing is safe or regulated. If their favourite sports anchor is drinking out of a Bodog mug, Bodog must be a straight shooter, right?

Dear Money Lady,

Could you write about reverse mortgages — I am not sure if I should consider one.

Alma

Dear Alma,

Dear Money Lady,

My husband started day trading this year and it turned into a disaster. He is retired and took a course on investing – but that didn’t seem to matter, we have lost over $200,000. I am so upset! Marissa P.

Dear Marissa,

Oh dear, I feel your pain. Many retirees have done the same thing. The economic market right now is shaky — we all know that. Our neighbours to the south have forever changed the landscape of how we view the United States. But with this backdrop, I must caution those that are entering retirement or already in it, about managing their investments and ultimately impacting their long-term plans.