Father & Son Documentary, Wyclef Jean & Dreams

October 30th 2007 episode

Just a quick recap today. Maybe the other contributors will chime in in the comments.

Two interviews this evening – Canadian documentary director Bryan Friedman and his 59 year old body builder father Bill Friedman, and singer and social activist Wyclef Jean. Both interviews for me had a sincerity and openness that was good to see.

Not surprised by the first having it because I assume making a documentary about a painful relationship with one’s father would translate to a certain comfort for talking openly about things – especially since the men have had a rapprochement.

 

 

George and Wyclef Jean had a great rapport in this interview. Jean seemed so at ease as he spoke about his childhood in Haiti and his motivations/benefits for music – then (chicks) and now (social consciousness). I would love to have heard more about his experiences as an immigrant. For more insight I will have to check out his new album The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant and read the lyrics. When I listen to music I like to read along – maybe it goes back to my days with read-along story book albums (‘after you hear the bell, turn the page’).

I have always loved the ‘Everything You Always Wanted To Know About’ segment and was thrilled to see it was about dreaming – one of my favourite topics and experiences. It featured responses by Jeff Warren, author of The Head Trip.

– Go Lightly –

The no-bullshit, no boredom Geminis!

First of all, Congrats to George and team for doing a great job on the Geminis tonight! It takes a lot of work to pull off an award show, and even more work to get people to watch it… and stay watching it….

Some say it was snappy and short, I say Thank God and the CBC…etc… that it wasn’t more than an hour! Not that it wasn’t good… award shows are by nature stupid and meaningless for those not in the industry, and I typically can’t stomach more than an hour of any award show generally… so it was the perfect amount of time- AND entertaining!

I thought they did a fantastic job with that little bit off the top where George insults the locals by calling Saskatchewan “flat.”… it was funny and gave them a chance to reiterate the “famous” Canadian “stars” that were in attendance.

I thought George did a great job as host, although its not much out of his element, he kept the flow going… there are very few people that can speak as quickly as he can. We all know the award show process, and its so overly indulgent of the industry to make us sit through the same shit every year, which is again why I liked the pace and the structure and the lack of fluff. It also makes it seem more professional. In the past, award shows tend to be slow moving and like 4 hours long, allowing people to ramble, and thus seeming sloppy. This was not the case here. To the point is good. Very good.

And George was indeed to the point when he suggested to the execs in the house to please spend money on new content. risk is fun, and rewarding. We don’t need another American rip-off show, its bad enough we have to watch the American version (I’m talking to you CTV…)

A mention must also be made to the music they used.. some nice Canadian talent. That alone made the show better than it was in the past.

As for the 5th-Grader bit… wasn’t the mini-George adorable… did he really give him the finger?! Yes he did.

All in all a great job. I hope more award shows adopt the slimmer format, especially since we’re gonna change the channel after an hour anyway…

Tonights The Night

Well Well Well

It has finally arrived.

Tonight is the annual Gemini’s – Hosted by the winner for “Best Host” George Stroumboulopoulos. Tune into any CBC Station tonight for the on air awards. Congrats to Mr. Stroumboulopoulos (and the gang) for also receiving Gemini’s for “Best Talk Series”. Additional congrats to Callum MacLachlan for getting the award for ” best production design on a non-fiction show”

Let us also take this time to let everyone know (who doesn’t already) that George will be back on the radio waves every Sunday evening.

Beginning Nov. 4th, this broadcast can be heard both online and on air every Sunday at the following Stations and (local) times:

99.3 Fox Vancouver @ 2-5pm
Power 97 Winnipeg @ 4-7pm
102.1 Toronto @ 5-8pm
FM96 London @ 5-8pm
Y108 Hamilton @ 5-8pm

Good on ya George, glad to have you back on the radio!

AJ Jacobs, Deborah Harry and Tree Houses

I had never heard of AJ Jacobs before this interview. I am now wanting to read more of his work, or at least, learn much more about him. Choosing topics that he can throw himself into, choosing to live his life as close as possible to the word of the Bible perked my ears. Maybe it’s my secret want for an excuse to stone someone. Obviously anyone who would take on such a topic (and his previous topics, even taking on the concept of the Wikipedia system) would have a fantastic sense of humour. His next topic should be interesting. I’m adding him to my list of interesting people.

I found the interview with Deborah Harry a bit disappointing, and wasn’t surprised to hear that she was sick that day. You could tell that she wasn’t really able to focus on some of her replies ( when prodded for who she thinks is a great band/artist now ). Deborah is a formidable force and important part in the history of Women in Music. As is Blondie. I was looking forward to hear her opinions and replies, and her fantastic sense of humour. Shame she didn’t seem to be feeling up for it this time. Maybe next time she comes through, we can get a second crack at it.

The footage of the I.E.D. was freakish and real. Makes you wonder what is kept from our eyes, above and beyond footage like this.

The “Is This a Good Idea” segment was interesting, but so obviously unsustainable (at least at this point). This is a great concept, that is before its time, but at least someone is thinking about this possibility, and others. Its a great direction to go in, and to keep looking for ideas in, but this one just seems to be already stalled. Its also great to note the honesty in answers, even when there were none. That is refreshing.

Tony Robbins Best Story Ever was good for a laugh also.

Over all, a great show!

I’m off to make my first coffee of the day…….

Lisa Rowe

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Kid Rock, Protecting abused Elephants

October 24, 2007

I know The Hour gets some flack from corners, about ‘dumbing down’ information with their introductions on topics. It’s impossible for everyone to know the background on every topic brought forth on this program, this was a perfect example of such a time, when, “Background” was perfectly suitable as an introduction.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo is someone who is actually trying to not only find a solution, but to put himself into the real situation of organizing, and structuring a system of proof and (hopefully) a justice. He is taking on the struggle of finding the evidence, and physically ‘charging’ someone for the genocide itself. Much beyond finding of aid, and bringing attention to the matter. I was struck by his ability to keep a strait line to what his involvement is, and what was not his focus. Once all the attention and money has been thrown at a situation like Darfur, men like Luis Moreno-Ocampo are the ones to truly make a difference in completing the change needed.

Kid Rock – I’ve never been big into his music, but I’ve always loved watching interviews with him. As someone who is often bottled into the ‘dirtbag’ image, (which is associated with being not intelligent), he is nothing as he seems. Hearing his real view of Iraq before and after, and having brought his son to see the reality also, shows his truth. You can tell a lot about someone by the important pieces of life they teach their children, along-side the debauchery and excess. I personally think that Kid Rock is less about excess than he seems. Which is fine with him.

I also wanted to say that – Kid Rock’s comments about the music industry brought it down to the contract and corporate basics. In many ways, downloading “can” level the playing field money wise. The old contracts no longer work (not that they ever did for the artist). Downloading music has given the industry a much needed shake. Maybe now, the corporations that own the majors (labels), will loose interest in the cash cow they are used to. The major’s can now (possibly) be sold back to the one’s who know and appreciate MUSIC again. Kill the old scheme and begin a new.

The story on abused Elephants broke my heart. Anyone who has wanted to learn, have always known that elephants are a very sensitive animal. Hearing and seeing stories like this at a young age, I have been against animal use in Circus’ and many zoo’s since I was a child. I was watching the gentleman’s eyes tear up, telling the story of his friend (and work-mate) being trampled, and thought “people are going to ridicule him for crying, and thinking that elephant is aware”. Thats a sad statement to have, because we know its true. Ive always wondered, what makes ‘people’ think that they are the only species that can communicate? Maybe if we had more protection on more of the animals on this planet, maybe if more of us just stopped and lost some arrogance, we could see that elephants aren’t the only ones speaking, and acting out.

I’m glad I got to finally find out how Jeff Goldblum lost his virginity (?)

– Lisa Rowe

Atticus Finch writes:

Initially when I decided to write about tonight’s episode it was because I was excited that Kid Rock was going to be on. I love Kid Rock. He is so unapologetically skeevy that I just somehow have to respect him. I don’t always agree with the things he says in his songs but at least he’s being honest. Many people dismiss him as a rich loud mouth rocker. Try setting aside all the Pamela/Tommy insanity and listen to his opinions on Iraq and the music industry. George asked him about his trip last Christmas to visit soldiers in Iraq and the changes he noticed since the last time he’d been there. As a single father Kid used the trip as a lesson for his son on the importance of giving back and he said that the mood had changed dramatically from his first visit. He quoted an official who said “we don’t create diplomacy we execute it.”

I enjoyed the discussion about Rock’s new album Rock n Roll Jesus. The guys discussed the history of the music industry’s treatment of artists and the musical roots of the album. On this one Kid Rock is upping his game and getting away from the “I love to party” mantra he generally spouts.

He talked about people wanting to find some common middle ground in this day and age of political correctness where people are more interested in hitting everyone over the head with their opinions than with actually getting anything accomplished. George commented that Kid doesn’t often make the foray into the political even though he’s outspoken about so many other things. His answer was that he’s not educated in political science and that celebrities shouldn’t speak about things they don’t really understand.

Which leads me to the next guest (in a rather George like segue). Luis Moreno- Ocampo is the Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court. This interview was so good I watched it twice. Mr. Moreno-Ocampo was more positive about celebrity driven causes saying that at least they open up communication and that they act as the voice for global citizens. At the moment he is waiting for the U.N Security Council to put more pressure on Sudan to hand over the two people charged with the atrocities committed in Darfur and he stressed that everyone needs to bring the issue to the attention of our elected officials.

The one thing Moreno-Ocampo said that really got to me was that “this catastrophe is not the consequence of a tsunami or climate change, it is not a natural catastrophe, it’s a policy of one person. We can prove one person coordinated all activities.” It’s chilling to think that one person could orchestrate the deaths of 200,000 and the displacement of 2 million more. Worse still to discover that this man is now in charge of disbursing the aid to these camps that would not even exist if not for his crimes. The Prosecutor goes before the Security Council again in December. Let’s hope that the next time he’s on The Hour he can report that progress has been made.

Atticus Finch

Danny Glover, Bruce McDonald and Kevin O’Leary

October 23rd 2007 episode

I was not able to catch the whole episode in one viewing. It was a piecemeal viewing from various sources, but what can a busy gal do? I am thankful there are a few ways to watch.

Danny Glover – If I recall this interview had been promoted in the first week of the season so I was a little confused of whether the show was fresh. I don’t know much about him so I was not sure if I was interested in hearing what he had to say – George even mentioned how Glover keeps a low profile. As I watched it I realized a couple of things – I had not seen the interview (maybe the number of promos are messing with my mind) and that Glover’s work and interests were definitely worth hearing about. The Hour and its guests have been good at challenging my assumptions. Good stuff.

Bruce McDonald – This felt like a comfortable conversation between George and McDonald. It covered his career nicely, what it is like to be a working director, and discussing his new film. He seems like a very genuine person.

Kevin O’Leary – I enjoyed the new location for the Newsstand. Keeping it fresh, mixing it up, kicked out of the other location or just convenience? Whatever the case, a little change is good. The segment was a dynamic bit. O’Leary is certainly an engaging man. George and he covered a variety of topics in a little over 5 minutes. I found it strong and compelling. Quick and fast.

– Go Lightly –

The Hour – Orman, Anderson and Schwartzman

October 18th, 2007 episode

Liana here. It’s a quick recap of the issues and moments of Thursday’s show. Of course if you saw it, you don’t need this, and if you missed it, you do have a bit of time to hit up www.cbc.ca/thehour and watch it commercial free. It only takes 45 minutes!

After some interesting news about a gun battle in Rio and the American Military recruiting on a gay and lesbian web site, we have Suze Orman, the poverty to prosperity financial success. Net worth these days: 25 million. She’s the author of Women and Money, and she talked about the purpose of money and how women perceive it. Apparently, women don’t financially wake up until something hhappens. “A woman says yes out of fear instead of no out of love”. That was a great quote Suze had. Another, with regard to money: “You have what it takes to save yourself” She’s energetic, emotional and passionate, and it was an entertaining interview, even if it was about finance.

The News! Sir Richard goes to Calgary, more Brittney stuff, and something about a new X Files movie, with Spiderman 4 and Wolverine coming up, and Coppola disses some actors.

Wes Anderson stopped in, his new film is the Darjeeling Limited, but maybe you know him from Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic. It’s always good to listen to directors discuss their films. George showed some good restrain and some class by not digging into details about Owen Wilson, Anderson’s best friend, they just discussed that he’s fine and moved on. good way to show caring and not sensationalize the moment.

Then Jason Schwartzman, who is in Darjeeling, joined George and Wes on the Red Chairs, and they talked about Jason’s music. Apparently he’s the next Keith Moon. There was discussion about their work writing Darjeeling, then Wes directing and Jason acting in it. The quote I liked best from Jason: “Work with people you can learn from.” Go the The Hour’s site, watch it. It was fairly upbeat, some laughs, it’s good stuff.

No list, no fancy ending, just a quick summation and it was over. Plug the ‘best of’ Friday show, plug the Geminis, and that’s time.

Monday is going to be some best of repeat recap show from the constant previews they tend to cram into the show. So if you have been a good viewer, Monday is your night off. Missed a lot of the last few weeks? Monday is your night to watch!

Now to find a glass of wine and a good book on demonology. Sweet sleep shall soon follow.

Tom Williams, Iman & a Nifty Bike

October 17th, 2007 episode

So it seems Tom Williams did a bunch of neat things when he was teenager. He was one of those whiz kids living and working amongst adults and made a bunch of money (and helped other people make money). It left him dissatisfied (plus addicted to cigarettes and drinking a bunch of booze) and so in his mid-twenties he turned to philanthropy. Williams decided to create a charitable venture – GiveMeaning – which lets people set up fundraising requests for humanitarian projects and then processes the donations on behalf of the projects. George asked him about what other things he is involved with, but Williams kept the focus on GiveMeaning, name dropping Canadian cities and projects as examples of what is working and what he likes. I noticed this because I thought the organization was an American one, but a quick perusal of their website says it began in Canada in 2004. I feel bad that I thought it was an American organization trying to improve their Canadian profile. There are lots of cool things that start up here but I guess I don’t hear enough about of them.

By the way, he has a blog and wrote a wee bit about his experience on The Hour.

Next up was Iman who spoke about one of those American things making its way to Canada – hosting a competitive reality TV show called Project Runway. I enjoy fashion but I don’t watch these shows. Still, I think it is a good move to bring the show to Canada as we have an interesting and vibrant fashion industry. But that is all I can say about that and thankfully the interview itself focused on other things as well. I really appreciated Iman’s thoughts on her life and her work. She seems so down to earth and serious but also with a great sense of humour. She has this graceful yet determined way of expressing herself. I loved it!

A new segment aired last week called ‘Is This a Good Idea?’ presented by Hilary Doyle. The first idea suggested was cremated remains being projected into space (costing about $12 000). This week we had the VeloMobile (priced at $10 000 – yikes!) . Hmmm maybe this is about things that are priced in the $10 000 range? I suppose these segments are meant as conversation starters and to encourage some discussion at its very own blog (though it seems people are voting not only on the suggested ideas but on the blog entries as well – not exactly what those little thumbs up and thumbs down icons are for – but what can ya do, its the Net and people like to click on things).

In any case, I see the segments as somewhat similar to the Profiles of Canadians – quirky filler. And for favourite quirky filler my vote is torn between Best Story Ever and Disinformation. Every now and then BSE is terribly funny and every now and then Disinformation hits me with something I had no clue about.

– Go Lightly –

Paul Potts and Nature vs. Nurture

October 16, 2007 episode

First of all, the opener cracked me up. I’m one of those annoying friends that hassles people about recycling – absolutely cracked me up!

I was fascinated with the story of twins (separated at birth) Elyse & Paula Schein. I was mortified to think that there was/is such a thing as a purposeful “Twin Study”. Talk about a God Complex. As much as I am truly curious about the events of Nature vs. Nurture, to think that this was decided by one person, or one ‘commitee’ makes me nausious.

How far can an agency or scientist go, in the name of learning?

Having said that, the similarities between the two separated twins, is incredible. I’d love to hear more on this subject. Looks like I’ll be adding yet another book to my reading list. ( Identical Strangers)

Paul Potts. Just as George mentioned – it was the heart that hits us. I think that even the most arrogant people have something inside that they just can’t get themselves to do. The story of having music in your heart, but not having the confidence to show the world what you are made of, is something I think that we all can share. We can all root for this man, and his dream, because we have that same fear and hope inside of us for our own. To think that this choice was all up to (literally) a toss of a coin, makes you shake your head. It was a great interview; because the subject had heart and honesty (and humour), and you can’t help but feel like you are going through this experience with him, or at least, through him, and that he is worthy of it.

The Dis-Information hurt my heart. Bribes taking up 1/3 of the average household budget in Kenya. Terrible, and how do you stop such a thing???

I was also really bothered hearing that emissions have gone UP 25% between 1998 and 2005 – what is so hard to understand about BREATHING and AIR ?

The Kielburgers on The Hour

October 15 2007 episode

Craig and Marc Kielburger

It was great to see Craig and Marc Kielburger on The Hour. They are the activists behind the organization Free the Children. I was impressed when I first heard their story back in the 1990s (via a Canadian media source – sometime before he was on Oprah) and I was impressed some more tonight. I think it is great that they are inspiring Canadian children to take action to help their peers.

It got me to thinking about my own childhood and how much smaller the scope my activism was. I was involved in volunteer activities in Girl Guides and through Sunday School at the United Church of Canada. There was also some fundraising done at my elementary school but no real education about global issues or even things closer to home that had a direct impact on children in my community. I wonder why that was? My guess is that grassroots and in-school activism was not the force that it has now become.

Back to the interview… I was blown away by the stats they gave. It certainly reminded me of how money spent on extras really could be used for better things. I already live a simple life but I find the call to consumerism very difficult to resist at times. Their words reminded me that there are better things I can do with my money.

– Go Lightly –