photo Friday

Glenn Gould, as he sits outside, in front of the CBC headquarters in Toronto.

your song

All you Canucks out there may have heard about CBC Radio's play list for U.S. President Barack Obama, 49 Songs from North of the 49th Parallel. Canadians were given the chance to vote on which songs would best define Canada to the new president. Well leave it to The Hour to come up with their own spin on things. They compiled a play list for former President George W. Bush. And it is excellent. You can see the full list here. I think it really captures his tenure as president. Here are a few of my favourites.

American Idiot - Green Day
2 + 2 = 5 - Radiohead
Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta - Ghetto Boys
Thank God I'm A Country Boy - John Denver
War Pigs - Black Sabbath
The Man Who Sold The World - David Bowie
When The Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin

let the music play...

After listening to the Oscar Peterson tribute (see previous post) I explored the CBC Radio 2 Concerts on Demand page a little further. There are some amazing concerts on this site! How did I not know until now that this existed? I often wondered what happened with the tons of live shows that the CBC records on a regular basis, after they have been broadcast on various radio programs. It's so great that they offer some of them up on the website for us to enjoy. So while I've been cleaning up my home office, I have enjoyed some great live shows including Jim Cuddy at Kingfest, Serena Ryder at Hugh's Room and William Carn Quintet at the Rex. And there are a ton of others that I plan to listen to. All thanks to the magic of the interwebs!

someone as wonderful as you

On January 12, a tribute concert for the late Oscar Peterson was held in Toronto at Roy Thomson Hall. It was free and open to the public. I was working at a conference and could not attend, so I was thrilled to hear that the CBC had put the concert up on their website. I'm listening to it as I write this and am overwhelmed with emotion. O.P. was a much loved and admired musician and human being. The tributes to him, both musical and in words are simply beautiful.

Earlier this week, I spoke with Phil Nimmons, who was a close friend of Oscar's for over half a century. For him, speaking at this concert was the opportunity to say goodbye to a friend who meant so much to him. When Phil arrived at Roy Thomson Hall people were lined up around the block. And though the hall seats over 2600, there is no way that all of those people got in. Phil, a jazz legend himself, was amazed at how many people lined up for hours just to see this concert. He was in awe of the fact that Oscar meant so much to so many. I think that sometimes, artists don't realize just how much their talent and artistry affect us as human beings. And Oscar affected and influenced so many people. His musical legacy will live on for a very long time.

oh night divine...

Steve and I had a very Canadian experience a few weeks ago. We attended a live Vinyl Cafe Christmas show at the University of Toronto's Convocation Hall. For those of you who are a) not Canadian or b) don't listen to CBC radio, the Vinyl Cafe is a one-hour, weekly variety program on CBC Radio One. It features stories, music & essays. Mostly, it is centered around the fictional family of Dave, the owner of the Vinyl Cafe Record Store, his wife Morley, their children Stephanie and Sam, Arthur the dog and Galway the cat. It is the brilliant creation of Stuart McLean, a magnificent writer and master storyteller.

Stuart McLean, hard at work.

Up until recently, I had only heard a few episodes of the Vinyl Cafe but each one made me laugh or left me completely emotional. Luckily, the CBC has added the Vinyl Cafe to its podcast lineup, so I now get a weekly dose. But seeing it live adds another level to the experience. I had seen pictures of Stuart McLean so I thought I knew what to expect visually from the performance. I was completely unprepared for what we saw. McLean was unbelievably energetic, on his toes as he told his stories, practically airborne. I hadn't expected so much movement from him but it only heightened the experience. His timing and delivery are impeccable. He was simply brilliant.


In addition to the fantastic storytelling, there was music. Two fabulous Canadian talents, Allison Russell and Danny Michel performed with the "house band" featuring Chris Whitely on guitar & trumpet, John Sheard on piano and Dennis Pendrith on bass. The music of these talented individuals added another dimension to the night. Danny Michel's performance of Snowglobe was a particular highlight as was Allison Russell's Till It's Gone.

Allison Russell & Chris Whitely

Danny Michel

If you are a fan of the Vinyl Cafe and have the chance to take in the live show, you must! And if you haven't yet listened to the Vinyl Cafe, do it! You will not be disappointed.

early one morning...

The following article appeared in the Globe and Mail yesterday. (I have included the text below since the Globe cuts off access to non-members after a number of days.) For those who did not grow up in Canada, The Friendly Giant was a wonderful children's program that ran on the CBC from 1958-1985. I have very fond memories of this show and can still see Bob Homme's (The Friendly Giant) smiling face. There was something warm and comforting about the Giant and his faithful puppet companions Rusty and Jerome. These clips I found on You Tube will give you the general idea of what this show was all about. I had nostalgic tears in my eyes watching them. (Although the commercials for Fraggle Rock and The Beachcombers that begin the first clip did make me laugh my ass off.)





I was pretty disappointed when I read this article. Not in the CBC. The only thing the CBC did wrong was not ask for permission to use the puppets. But come on people! Doesn't anyone have a sense of humour anymore?

EDIT: Just found the offending clip on You Tube. Judge for yourself.




Rusty and Jerome will live happily ever - after the CBC
GAYLE MACDONALD
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
November 27, 2007 at 1:04 AM EST

Two of the most enduring characters in the history of Canadian children's programming, Rusty the Rooster and Jerome the Giraffe, are about to quit the building. The children of actor and Friendly Giant creator Bob Homme, angered by the CBC's recent treatment of the loveable puppets, are removing them from a museum at the public broadcaster, their home since the iconic program debuted in Canada in 1958.

In an e-mail to The Globe and Mail, Mr. Homme's daughter, Ann, asked for assistance tracking down a video of the recent Gemini Awards, which included a skit showing Rusty, Jerome and other stuffed stars now living in a retirement home after their shows were cancelled.

From friends, Ms. Homme had heard about her dad's puppets appearing in the mock clip, where a narrator described them as sitting around, drinking, smoking and having sex.

Rusty and Jerome were not shown engaging in any salacious behaviour.

“The appearance of the puppets, alone, shocked me, as the CBC is required to get our permission to use them in any way… This is the last straw (a big one) and I feel I have to address it,” Ms. Homme wrote.

“Until recently, we were contacted by the people at the CBC museum, where the puppets are on loan, by a very conscientious woman who seemed to guard the Friendly Giant display with her life. Recently, she was let go, and replaced by someone who seems to think our permission is unnecessary. Needless to say, I am going to remove the Friendly Giant props and puppets as soon as possible.”

Ms. Homme and a brother plan to remove Rusty, Jerome and other Friendly Giant paraphernalia from the CBC Museum Tuesday.

Monday, in an internal memo, the CBC communications group invited staff to “say goodbye to Rusty and Jerome in style,” at a midafternoon ceremony at the Graham Spry Theatre, where milk and cookies were served while classic episodes of Friendly Giant ran on a continuous loop.

“While you may have bid farewell to Friendly when you left your childhood behind, this afternoon, you'll have an opportunity to say goodbye to the real Rusty and Jerome,” the memo said. “After a lengthy stay with us here in the Broadcasting Centre, these iconic creations and other Friendly artifacts, which have been on loan to the CBC museum for many years, will be going home – at the request of the family of the man who made them famous,” the memo said.

None of Mr. Homme's family attended.

For 26 years, young viewers were greeted by the tune Early One Morning as Friendly (played by Mr. Homme) lowered the drawbridge on the miniature castle. He would invite them to have a seat: “One little chair for one of you, and a bigger chair for two to curl up in, and for someone who likes to rock, a rocking chair in the middle.”

Then: “Look up, look wa-a-ay up …” and there was Friendly, soon joined by Rusty, a guitar-playing rooster who lived in a book bag hung on the castle wall, and Jerome, a giraffe with blue spots who stuck his head through a nearby window. The two principal puppets were manipulated by CBC radio veteran Rod Coneybeare.

Mr. Homme produced more than 3,000 episodes before the show was cancelled in 1985 after deep cuts to the CBC budget. Mr. Homme was made a member of the Order of Canada in 1998. He died on May 2, 2000, of prostate cancer, at the age of 81.

In her e-mail to The Globe, Ms. Homme called her father “a truly gentle man” who “never caused much of a fuss.”

“But I can assure you,” she wrote, referring to the Geminis, “that he would be very angry about this breach of trust.”

it's not easy being green...

I just listened to a fantastic edition of the CBC's Listener's Choice podcast. It's an interview with Michael Pollan, an award winning writer of books and articles on "places where the human and natural worlds intersect: food, agriculture, gardens, drugs, and architecture. " (Quote taken directly from his bio.) In this particular interview he speaks about the organic food industry. I found him absolutely riveting. It's obvious that this guy knows his stuff and he's able to deliver the findings of his research in a calm, rational, seemingly unbiased way. If you have any interest at all in organic food I urge you to listen to this podcast. (It is the November 23rd edition.) It certainly cleared up a few misconceptions for me and further reiterated the fact that we as consumers have the power to influence what happens in the food industry.

Note: I have cross-posted this entry to my other blog, Pure and Green.

baby love the radio

I love the CBC. Especially CBC radio. We are very lucky in this country to have such an excellent national radio station. Having said that, I don't often get to listen to the programs I enjoy simply because of the time of day that they are on. Podcasting has completely changed that. And thankfully, the CBC has jumped on the podcast bandwagon. I am able to download highlights from some of my favourite CBC programs like Sounds Like Canada and Definitely Not the Opera. It makes up for not being able to hear the entire shows when they are actually on.

Recently, CBC added two new programs that I am totally digging. Search Engine delves into how the internet is changing the world we live in. It's not a show about technology, but rather how technology, specifically the world wide web, is affecting all aspects of society from politics to the arts. One of my favourite things about the show is the audience interaction. The listeners are encouraged to participate not only on the show's blog but by contributing to the show's content by pitching story ideas and submitting audio segments.

Spark is another great new show that looks at new trends and technology and their application the world we live in. Both programs show that the CBC is listening to their audience and addressing the interests of younger listeners by adding these hip new shows to their lineup. It's all about building the audience and the CBC appears to know what they are doing.

everyday I write the book...

I don't read nearly as much as I would like to (or should) but I've always been a huge fan of Douglas Coupland. He is the brilliant Canadian author of Generation X among many others. His latest book, The Gum Thief, was released on September 25 and was promoted via You Tube. What, you say? He used a video sharing site to promote his book? Oh yeah! Coupland released 9 videos over a 3 week period that feature him reading clips from his book set to video. Did it work? Who knows? I, for one, did not find out about the campaign until a month after the book was released and only thanks to a news article on CBC. While the videos are a clever promotion, I wonder if they actually helped drum up any sales that the book would not have received through traditional advertising means.

Here are all of the videos squished into one, for your viewing pleasure.

super duper!

After a stressful day at work this totally perked me up. Mel Brooks is a comic genius and Young Frankenstein is one of my favourites. Can't wait to see in on stage!

...in the sky with diamonds...

I work next door to the Royal Ontario Museum. We are really very lucky to have such a fantastic museum. If ever in Toronto, it's a must visit destination.

The museum is a gorgeous stone building dating from the early 1910's that was expanded in the 1920's and 30's. In the past few years, the ROM has been undergoing a major expansion with the addition of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. I have watched this thing being constructed from day one and since that day, I have been torn as to how I feel about it. That's why this article from the CBC caught my eye. I am all for modern architecture but I also believe in the preservation of history. I understand why the ROM needed to expand. I just don't get why they choose such a contradictory and intrusive design to accompany the stately original building. I have spent the last few years walking by this construction site several times a day and waffling about how I feel about the new addition. With the building almost complete I can honestly say, I don't like it. Honestly, I find it offensive. Call me a traditionalist, I don't care. I still love the ROM, but I don't have to like the crystal.

on the radio

Earlier this week, CBC Radio announced it's summer programming. They are focusing heavily on the environment and health care, which makes sense as these are two of the big issues in Canada these days. But what I'm really excited about is that Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies will be hosting a show titled All The Rage. Here's the description from the CBC blog.

"All the Rage - Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) takes an entertaining look at fads and trends through the ages…and uncovers the surprising ways they connect to our lives today."

Steven Page is the perfect choice for this type of a show. I can't wait to hear it! According to the BNL blog, it begins on June 26 and will air on CBC Radio One on Tuesdays at 7:30pm and on Saturdays at 11am. I'm crossing my fingers for a podcast version as well. For those of you not in Canada, you can listen online.

June Callwood, 1924-2007

June Callwood passed away this morning at the age of 82. She was a remarkable woman. She fought hard for social justice and Canada is a better place for her efforts. Click here to see her final media interview.

wishin' and hopin'

As I was preparing our Easter lunch feast, I was getting caught up on my backlog of podcasts. On a recent edition of CBC Radio's The Current, they reported on the town of Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, the first Canadian city to ban the sale and distribution of plastic bags. How amazing is this? An entire town without plastic bags! And they are not alone. San Francisco has already implemented a ban on plastic bags and many other countries, such as Australia, Bangladesh, Ireland, Italy and South Africa have also done so. This is very encouraging news. Hopefully other Canadian cities will follow suit.

I did it my way...

June Callwood is one of Canada's greatest journalists, authors and advocates for social justice. She was diagnosed with inoperable cancer in 2004 and was admitted to hospital last week. She gave her last interview to George Stroumboulopoulos on The Hour on CBC. She's an amazing woman and George does a fantastic interview. If we could all embody her spirit and positivity, the world would be a much better place.