Has The Hour Lost Its Relevance?

With the end of the year looming, and in light of the heated discussions that have been taking place on this site, I think this may be the ideal time to re-evaluate the significance of The Hour in our lives.

Personally, and sadly, for me, the show is no longer a factor in my daily existence. This is primarily a function of the unfortunate scheduling changes that The Hour has undertaken this season, but even disregarding that factor, I have been hearing cries of discontent regarding changes to the format itself.

One of the primary complaints seems to be the disconnect with the viewing audience. With the show moving to a taped format, one level of communication with viewers, the real time response to emails, has been removed. Although the show is now taped in front of a live audience, it seems strangely removed from the immediacy that was once such a vibrant part of the show's fabric. The (admittedly) few times I have been able to watch the show this year, the presence of an audience did not seem to add any degree of life to the show. Rather, their presence had no more impact on the show than a laugh track would provide. In contrast to past seasons, where the addition of an audience for special occasions, most particularly when the show went on the road, added a real spark and a real connection to the Canadian public, the presence of a daily audience now feels mundane and, I'm sorry to say, a trifle pointless.

The website, which appears to have been an integral part of the show's function since its inception, continues to post daily video clips and this year has included a complete download of the previous day's show. And this of course begs the question, is the website enhancing The Hour's presence on television or it is actually replacing the show? Does having the entire episode available on-line in fact increase the overall audience numbers, or is download viewing simply cannibalizing the existing audience?

When The Hour first aired, it was unique in its presentation of rapid-fire short snippets in amongst lengthier and more indepth stories. All these seemingly disparate parts flowed into a surprisingly uniform and seamless show. But with some of us being turned off the show by scheduling inequities, others choosing to watch only those video clips of immediate interest on the website, is The Hour as an entity still fulfilling a need of the Canadian public?

With the rise of YouTube culture and the collective shrinking of the human attention span, can we even sustain an hour long (well in reality, 40 minutes) daily program of this nature? Or will we one day be reduced to simply watching a series of video clips on the website?

- Barbara B

George in the Special Issue

MACLEANS Magazine's does not show George Stroumboulopoulos on the cover. Nor does it mention that he is even in the issue. I heard it on the Strombo Forum or was it on Georges MySpace page?

Page 48 and 49 of the Dec. 25th issue, talk about the perceived expectations put on George's shoulders and the story behind it all.

The writer, Jonathon Gatehouse used a word I had to look up; Pastiche imitation of the style of another's work. Unlike a parody, a pastiche is not making fun of the original.
Here is the sentence.
The Hour- a five-night-a-week pastiche of news, politics and pop culture - is neither the saviour nor the nadir(another word I have to look up) for Canada's public broadcaster.
Nadir is below or opposite the zenith... so it's not the low point? It's just a show dude.

"of course I can't save the CBC." "One show does not make a network" George is quoted as saying in the article.

I do recommend you pick up a copy of MacLean's and read it for yourself.

Last paragraph of the article; 'There is a possibility that George Stroumboulopoulos could grow up without growing old. Right now, though, he's a little too stoked about interviewing the guy from Twisted Sister.'

That interview George did with Dee Snider of Twisted Sister was fantastic. If that's too stoked, bring it on.

Barbara W.

The Hour then and now

Last Season; I can't recall a news show where the host befriends his viewers, "Hi, I'm your buddy George, and this is The Hour." I think that is what got me hooked.

Now; Still hooked. It's sad really. My internet habit now includes, aside from all the blogger friends I visit, I tend to frequent the strombo forum, strombo.com, Jian.ca, CBC.ca, insidethecbc blog and The Hour.

I still have time for work, rest and play. Trust me, I have been more involved in life in the past 7 months then I have in the two years before that.


Last Season and now; OK, so I was hooked on my buddy George but, what kept me watching was the content.

Now; I look back at season two, and I look at this season so far, and I have favourite moments in each.
Maybe Last Season still has the advantage because there is more interaction with the entire country via email read live on the air.
Going on the road with the show and interacting with the audience.
Sending the Panel Van to places like Lake Louise...
Check out the old stuff on the website in the archives.
Moments like those were gold.
I think that may be what this season needs a bit more of.

Then; An invitation on the website to see The Hour being taped soon followed so I booked a seat and went to the taping in Montreal.

Now; I moved to Toronto because the opportunities for work were better But The Bonus was I could go to regularly scheduled taping of The Hour at the CBC this season.

I still think they should take it on the road at some point though...


It's just how I feel
Barbara W.

We are 100

It's a bit of an anniversary around here.

This is the 100th post to be penned by the Stroumboulopouli, 100 posts in which we've attempted to celebrate the value of a unique show called The Hour, to discuss the issues that have been raised on the show, and to salute the appeal of a certain charismatic and intelligent host.

We began this blog in May 2006, as The Hour was wrapping up its second season. By this point, it had garnered much critical acclaim and a loyal audience, with its compelling combination of insightful investigations and sassy observations. And of course, with Season Three came many changes in format. How has The Hour fared so far this season, compared to last year and the year previous? What are your feelings about how the show is presented, and do you still have the same relationship with The Hour that you did at the end of Season Two?

We asked ourselves the same questions and thought that the best way to start answering some of them would be to take a look back and indulge in a little nostalgia.

So dear readers, we are happy to present to you, our very first Stroumbouloulouli post from May 2006: "Why We Love The Hour".

Please enjoy.

- Barbara B

---

I can't recall a news show where the host befriends his viewers, "Hi, I'm your buddy George, and this is The Hour." I think that is what got me hooked. I vaguely recall a time in childhood where the same invitation for friendship was extended by The Friendly Giant or Mr Dressup.

Ok, so I was hooked on my buddy George but, what kept me watching was the content. I did not always agree with the subject matter but that is what makes it interesting. I found myself reacting to the issues presented whether my reaction was positive or negative, it did not matter to me. I might be smiling one segment and growling the next or just plain fascinated (or not). George's gesture of friendship with an invitation to interaction with the show could not be resisted. A plea from George to email was too tempting not to reply to. So email I did.

An invitation on the website to see The Hour being taped soon followed so I booked a seat and went to the taping in Montreal. After the show I met George but that is another post for another day. I am sure he could not pick me out in a lineup after meeting me but, I will be at the taping of the season finale next Thursday representing the Stroumboulopouli. After that he may have a chance picking me out of a lineup. Just hopefully not a police lineup.

My regular emails are usually nice and complimentary. Then, George ran a segment about the use of the F-word. I wrote and told him as politely as I could that there are alternatives to using the F-word like swearing in French. He read my letter on the air. If I wanted to be funny right now I would say 'That was F-'en great!" But I would never say that! Whenever I tell other fans about George reading the letter I wrote on air about the F-word they say 'That was you!" Yup.

I don't always agree with the Man but I do admire the heck out of him.

Barbara W. of the Stroumboulopouli
---

Why do I watch The Hour? It's easy to answer! George is a talented host sharing his view of the world with us. He's not the conventional tv guy, have you ever seen an other CBC Newsworld's host wearing white Adidas, jeans and a studded belt? No, George is like you and I, and cares about important issues that matter to us too. He's also friendly and invites the viewers to say what they think. And, he's still a kid at heart, remember how he loves little animals and that he called his mom during the show? And there's more than that, George knows a lot of things about a lot of subjects from pop culture to politics. And he cares about the viewers, he went on the road to meet us!

And it's not only about George; it's also about the content. It covers a variety of subjects, it's not only about the news of the day. Sometimes The Hour makes you smile, sometimes you're really angry and you wished he hadn't say that, but after all he is allowed to think whatever he wants. And by the end of the show, you're glad you watched because you learned stuff and were not feeling like that you just had a good time watching the show.

Evelyne

---

As a student of The New Music and The Punk Show, I started out watching The Hour purely on a "Well I enjoyed him there basis," and besides, talking about current global issues I just needed the TV Guide to tell me what channel do I turn to, and I was on board. Even during the first couple of shows, and my gravol induced stomach - due to the camera movement - nothing could take me away from the 8pm time slot. George and company managed to marry the success of what made him so popular on MM - the no bullshit attitude, along with new music tips and witty commentary - and bring all of that while sitting down and talking about socially relevant issues.

There are times when I do the 'Oprah nod' and find myself not completely engaged in what is being said, but for the most part I'm fully animated in the content. The topics brought up always, without fail, produce heated 'dinner talk.' And really, what more can you ask for out of a news program, then a reason to throw food at someone if you don't agree with them? The Hour is like an extended member of the family, and each night George enters into our collective spaces and gives us all something to talk about the next day besides who was last voted off the latest reality show. And for that I thank you.

Allison

---

I am a Beatles fan, so on December 8, 2005 (The 25th anniversary of John Lennon's death), I switched to Newsworld to see if they were covering the ceremonies in New York. I came just in time to see one of The Hour's many contributors (Nick McCabe-Lokos) talk about what a "sanctimonious crybaby" Lennon was, and how his 'working class hero' was ironic, as Lennon was worth millions. This sparked some sort of rage in me, something I had never gotten from a TV program before! That contributor made my feel like I should do something about it, e-mail in, something!

Well, I never did e-mail in, but I did get hooked on 'The Hour', I think I've only missed six episodes since then (five of which a family member has taped for me). I am, as a teasing classmate likes to call me, a Strombohead (I should put a copyright on that...).

Since December I have driven with my mom south to Calgary, where I saw one of George's shows (which was beyond cool). I have luckily met others (now the Stroumboulopouli) over the blogtracker on The Hour's website (I think my school friends were sick of me quoting George), and just recently I got an e-mail read on the air during 'The Strombo Show'. All this means so much to me because some people want to be authors or fashion designers, so they write stories or sketch outfits, I want to become a journalist, so I watch 'The Hour', and take part in it. It makes me feel like I'm always getting one step closer to my goal.

In the end, I don't watch George because of how he dresses, or because he's for a younger demographic, I watch him because he has a true passion for what he does (and let's admit it, the man's hilarious!), and because of him I feel like I can make a difference in the world. If I've had a terrible day, I know I just need to wait until 6 p.m., and I know that that music and those opening credits will instantly make me feel better. That's why I love and watch The Hour.

Thank god for Nick (and George, of course).

Becky

---

One of my favourite first memories of George was from back when he VJ'd for Much Music. He was hosting a show called Fandemonium, where two contestants battle eachother to see who's the bigger fan of whatever given band/artist/group they love. I don't remember what artist the episode was focused on, but I do remember that it was two girls, and George was bombarding them with questions. He turned to one of the contestants and asked her, "Do you look in the toilet after you go to the bathroom?" and she replied, "I guess if I didn't, I wouldn't know about the colour green". I laughed uproariously as George responded with "Good answer!".

Since then, I've been hooked on the "rocker dude" and followed him as he left Much Music and ventured over to CBC Newsworld to host The Hour, which for me, is the perfect mix of news regarding both Canada and the rest of the world, and spectacular interviews that would never be seen on any other show, all in a context that truly allows you to decide how you feel about it without the forced opinions you may encounter elsewhere. And with just the right amount of music-driven conversation that lets you know what's fresh and upcoming in the music industry, George seams it all in effortlessly with everything you need to know about what's going on in the world around you, while providing you with information and interviews with everyone from the melodic Coldplay to the in-your-face Black Flag.

Where else can you go to learn about Brangelina's baby, which Vice President shot who in the face, and the onset of H5N1 without even changing the channel?

As fate has revealed, The Hour also brought us girls together, as we discovered eachother through The Hour's online Blog Tracker, having our own links showcased on the website. It was our love of George and The Hour that brought us together, so in turn we can show you the world of Mr.Stroumboulopoulos, and why you should be in it along with us.

Alana

---

I admit I’ve always been both a CBC freak and a news junkie. So when it was announced that CBC Newsworld was launching a nightly current affairs show hosted by that cool guy from MuchMusic, naturally I had to check it out. The first episode of The Hour aired opposite the debut of Hatching, Matching and Dispatching, which I was also keen to watch, so I thought I would flip back and forth, but I have to admit, much as I love Mary Walsh and Shaun Majumder, the Much guy won out.

The thing I love about The Hour is the compelling mix of in-depth news analysis, interviews that really get to the meat of a story, and off-the-cuff sassiness and irreverence. We can be hearing about mercenaries in Afghanistan in one segment and, with a quick segue, be watching a clip of the 30-second bunnies performing The Shining.

And it is all presented in such a riveting and fresh manner by the force of nature that is George Stroumboulopoulos. This is not a talking head in a suit giving us the goods, but nor is it a vacant Much DJ with a fringe. Rather it is an intelligent, perceptive, magnanimous individual who just happens to be adorable. And with The Hour actively inviting participation from viewers – reading emails as they are sent in, taping shows in front of live audiences in other cities across Canada, linking blogs on the website, it’s no wonder The Hour can boast such a loyal following.

It’s been speculated by some cynics that George will be eventually lured into transforming himself for the American market. My understanding is that one of the main considerations underlying his move from MuchMusic to CBC Newsworld was that he was not expected to transform himself into a suit. Personally, I think that he is one of the most intelligent and interesting voices of Canadian culture, and I like to think that this staunch Canadian has too much integrity to be lured away.

Barbara B.

---

I was introduced to “The Hour” and George S. by our very own Barb Bruederlin, who I have the pleasure of working with, about a year and a half ago. As I did not have a subscription to cable television at that point in time, my only source of information was Barb herself and the website. As well, I watched occasional shows while visiting my brother in Toronto. I do have a cable subscription as of March this year, and I was most excited about watching the show from the comfort of my home and my beloved couch. Well, lets get to why I watch the show. I like it mostly because of George himself. He is the most amiable host, he is smart, creative, very contemporary and unconventional. With his casual attire, he turns this news hour into something more, it feels like an interactive show, very unlike the other conventional news programs. Social issues, global problems to entertainment/music/art/films, he has got everything in his bag. And like other members of this blog, although I may not necessarily agree on all issues, I love this show. It is different. And dare I add that I love the way George S. speaks, his smile and his eyes. :)

Peace out.

Jas

Read it in a magazine

All good magazine covers get their picture taken on my heart pillow.

Before you go check out the links I want to give you what George said about the article in Toronto Life. He told the audience of The Hour on Wednesday evening that most of this article is true... there is some of it that is not. Was it by design because he want to keep some private things private? Is there is built in misdirection? I hope for his sake that she did not just give his real street location to any stalker that wants to go see him Sunday morning... *My mind did not just plan to go for a little drive Sunday morning because that would be bad!* * I better not find his place is all I am saying.

The January issue of Toronto Life features Man of The Hour George Stroumboulopoulos.
The well crafted detailed Article is written by Olivia Stren, photos by Finn O’Hara.

Barbara W.

Dec 6th visit to The Hour

Matthew Fox of Lost was on the set today!
I guess they found him in time to do a Movie Promo for We Are Marshall.













Taking full advantage of living in Toronto, I make a plan to see The Hour once a month.
I love to go to the show with fans of The Hour I have only met online.
Don't try this at home kids.
This time round, I went to the show with "E" and her brother "K".
George was happy to see everyone, and as always, is a most congenial host.










E and G








On a dare, and also because it suited the occasion, we were supposed to wear boxers under our low cut jeans... Well it was just me, as it happens. Out on that limb again...
It was worth it!
We had planned other addition mischief but the
proper timing was not available. Believe me, I asked Kevin the stage manager... He is so sweet!
We are scheduled to create that mischief next time we go to The Hour.
CBC approved of course....

My oh so Canadian boxer shorts!







George did have something to say about the boxers.
He said he used to wear them like that on Much Music all the time and no one wrote about it.
My thought 'It's a bit more distracting when you
talking about serious subjects like .... ummm I can't recall now.
See, I was so distracted I can't remember what
you were talking about at the time.

Me and G


So other than getting on Georges back about the boxers...

I asked George about what The Hour will be presenting between Dec 14 and Jan 2nd seeing as there will be no live audience bookings. His answer is they will be making The Hour sans audience with all the footage and stories and news in the holiday period.

On the closer today, George made some excellent points about the same sex marriage debate.
You have to watch it. If you don't see it on CBC Newsworld or CBC you can always catch it on The Hour's Site.
Now that is a great closer.

Barbara W.

Some questions for you.

There is a vote going on at The Hour. What's you favourite photo?
The link to vote will be on the right hand side in a box called Photo Gallery.

What is your favourite Strombo youtube moment? There are more than few to explore.

Wondering what the line up is next week?

For that question I do have a partial answer....
On Wednesday it's Matthew Fox from 'Lost.' Also Stephen Lewis is coming by The Hour on Monday and Dee Snider from Twisted Sister will be here on Tuesday.

There are new Strombo sites!

If you follow the Strombo show on Sunday nights you can interact with the show via Georges myspace page while listening in online, or tune in to CFRB (Toronto) and CJAD (Montreal).

The fun of interacting is not just about George reading your comments on the air, in between conversations with Bob, or arguments with Alex.
It is also about having a conversation with other listeners on the same page.
We got into the conversations we were having, and at some points, almost left the radio hosts to talk amongst themselves... The question was 'how can we make the conversation amongst the audience faster, better, last longer'... There were at least two separate projects started then, because of a need for George's fans to interact, interface, become friends, while of course including The Strombo show in the project. It's all about the love.

A forum was stated by Xiolla aka Karma and a chat room was started By Melanie.

Both ladies were present on the MySpace page and their sites were up and running officially for the first time last night to compliment the show.

I asked Melanie if she got a lot of encouragement from other myspacers.

Melanie says 'Definitely, within two or three minutes of posting the chat link on myspace, the room began to fill up. Everyone seemed to enjoy being able to interact not only with George, but with each other in real time rather than constantly refreshing myspace. Not that we stopped using myspace - it's important to keep leaving comments there - it was just a more "user-friendly" way to converse.'

If you are a good multitask-er I recommend you enjoy the chat room on Sunday nights.

It may have split the audience response a bit but George's myspace page seemed very active as more and more people are catching on to the fun of interacting with George, Bob and Alex on The Strombo show.

Karma's site The http://strombo.muze.ca forum is open for comments 24/7 but is active with folks watching The Hour and commenting on the show, Monday night through Thursday Night.
There are all kinds of other topics on the board to leave you two cents about please join in .
One small thing is you have to be 16... Some of those topics are adult in nature.

The two sites had a little chat in each others rooms later on that night and decided to merge and the merged link is here.

Drum Roll Please...

Results are in, and thanks to all your hard work, The Stroumboulopouli have proceeded to Round 2 in the 2006 Canadian Blog Awards!

The top 5 in each category make it to Round 2, and with 140 votes in total, we landed 3rd place out of 32 nominees. So as a group, we would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who voted for us, you did a phenomenal job!!

Round 2 of voting begins on Saturday, November 25th and proceeds until Friday, December 1st, and you can vote once a day, so come Saturday you'll have 7 days to get 7 votes in and help us claim the 2006 award for Best Group Blog!

Thank you all so much for everything you've helped us achieve, we couldn't have done it without you. By all means, continue kicking ass!

xoxox

The Stroumboulopouli

Good Answer

I don’t know if you have ever been to a place outside the space time continuum called MySpace. I only ventured into that strange territory to do research for the blog at first. Now I go for fun and research. If I blogged about Fine Art I would venture into museums and libraries…
Sure research on topics The Hour covers could bring me to a library for the latest book they get me interested in, but more often than not, it brings me to youtube or MySpace.

I was chatting with Dee (Diane) of Rock 94 in Thunder Bay on MySpace the other day, I asked her a question and she sent me such a great answer I had to share it. It's written as it is would be spoken with a flow only a fast talking rock DJ can do.

I have talked to a lot of George's fans this way, and I know that many of them are inspired by George to pursue careers in media. What do you think about his influence on his fans?

As far as the influence George has on his fans.... I think he's at an age where he can relate quite easily between the young and older fans. My mom loves the show, my younger cousin who is 15 even watches it with me. It really doesn't matter who he has on the show that sparks my interest, it's more about how George takes that person, topic, or whatever, and relates it to society, or to how people are thinking right now. His ability to tap into the heads of his viewers is what makes me stick around for the whole show.

Also since we do live in such a fast paced society these days, I think he gets young people listening to him not just to blab his own opinion, and force feeds us his own side....He let's us think about topics like war, poverty, politics by giving us the critical information (and I love it when he teaches the viewers at the same time...not always assuming we know what or who he is talking about) ‘cause let's face it...we're kind of a dumb society when it comes to politics and the issues surrounding the war. I know young people that live in Spain and Germany etc...and they always talk with their friends over coffee about the goings on in the world...where as unfortunately a lot of us in Canada sit around talking about the latest episode of Family Guy....or Trailer Park Boys..or whatever. So George, in his lightening fast speed-talking ways shows us that it's "cool" to be interested in world topics. I hate to use this but "Curious George" he is...and his daily interest in these topics and exceptional interviewing skills...he gets a different spin out of his guest which I really like. It was definitely time Canada had a host like him on TV....I mean I like that show Sunday Encore...but it's a little dry and for an A.D.D. person like me, his show is super great! hahaha

Dee
www.rock94.com {- Thunder Bay *Mark and Dee - Mornings 6am - 10am*}

by Barbara W.
Than you for your vote s!

Is the Medium the Message?

I have a confession to make. I haven’t really been watching The Hour this season on a regular basis. Other things keep getting in the way. What I have been doing is watching online. However, this too has proved troublesome because I feel as though I am missing a connection, an interaction of sorts with not only the people I watch television with, but the interaction between myself and the object of television, and the thoughts which are transmitted through the television. Now, I’m going to digress I bit and bring in media theorist talk, coming back later to the point about interaction.

When one thinks of media history, and the advent of television the catch phrase 'the medium is the message', which Marshall McLuhan coined undoubtedly comes to mind. However, it is important not to leave out another voice that too shaped the way in which media is perceived today, and that is the voice of Harold Innis. Both McLuhan and Innis developed schools of thought on media and its relationship to the viewer, yet there are fundamental differences in their ideologies.

Innis argues that one holds the ability to change and interpret the information that is given to them, through any medium. McLuhan states that really it is already predetermined for the content itself is not the message. McLuhan's concept, 'the medium is the message,' can be broken down to that any extension of ourselves is the message and it is not what we do with the extension that is the message, it is that the extension itself exists. McLuhan states, "The content of any medium is always another medium."

The fact that the medium reaches other people is the message, not for what it does when it gets there. This then starts the debate between form and content. The form is like a blank canvas, and the content is the paint, not the picture. McLuhan's concept is the centre without margins. He is saying that the 'picture' is not there, so one cannot judge invisibility. It is up to the viewer what he/she does with the paint; it has no relation to the message itself.

This is in direct contrast with Innis's concept, which is that it is up to us to determine the value of the information that we are given. With McLuhan's concept there would be nothing to determine because he rejects the idea that, "Its not the machine, but one did with the machine, that was its meaning, or message."

OK, still with me? I felt the need to detail some history and concepts of thought because I wanted to ask, how do these arguments change when we bring in the computers and the Internet? Or do they not change? Has the computer replaced the television, and the Internet the dialogue of television content?

One of the biggest struggles I have had this season watching The Hour (because I’m viewing online) is that I am missing an open discussion. However, sometimes I would watch The Hour alone on TV, and I still feel different watching online and alone to watching through the TV and alone. And I think is is because I’m missing a few steps. Watching through the television I have the physical space between the object and myself. And somehow this space is different between the computer and myself. It would seem as though I have missed the next step of digestion. The conversing out loud or in ones mind with the television in real time, is somehow different online. It is as if I am seeing the canvas and looking at the paint, but no picture is coming.

I apologize if these ponderings make little sense, I just felt the need to get them out, as next week when I delve into CBC history and discuss This Hour Has Seven Days, which was indirectly built upon ideas put forth from McLuhan.
--
Innis, Harold. The Bias of Communication: A Plea For Time. University of Toronto Press: 1951.
McLuhan, Marshall. Understanding Media.

November 20 - 23

CBC-TV's THE HOUR Upcoming Guests*: November 20 - 23

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20

Tony Bennett in studio

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Jann Arden in studio

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22

Rachel Weisz

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23

K-OS and Rick Hillier both in studio

*Guests subject to change

THE HOUR broadcasts Monday through Thursday and on Sundays on CBC Television at 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET on CBC Newsworld.

For more information on THE HOUR visit www.cbc.ca/thehour.

The Hour's website brings you more.

This drawing needs a caption...
We will take suggestions in the comment section.
Best suggestion gets to be the caption... I added the picture I sketched it from and now it looks to me like he is trying to do the Vulcan hand gesture... see what you started with the star trek thing....
--------------------------------------------------------------

In news from The Hour....
Some changes of note on www.cbc.ca/thehour/

Whats out there?

Links to more news (link will bring you to an image of Jesus on a dogs behind) or other stories of an odd and interesting nature. Check out what The Hour 's web producer Paul McGrath has brought to the page. News that is fresh and hot. Digg in!

You are getting sleepy

I am probably the last person in the world who should be writing about music to battle insomnia, because I have quite the opposite problem. In fact, my quibble with CBC Programming in airing The Hour at 11:00pm is quite well known in certain circles. I just can't stay awake that late anymore, and with the alarm going off at 5:45 every morning, that's probably not even advisable.

However, our family had last Friday off work and school in lieu of Remembrance Day, so we had big plans to finally watch The Hour on Thursday night. We loaded up on caffeine, got warmed up with South Park, and then, at 11:00, tuned in to The Hour. We were pretty excited, as it was only the third time we had been able to watch this year and we really do miss having George and company as part of our evening routine.

I should probably confess that I only made it to about 11:45 before passing out on the couch, but ironically, I did catch the chat that George had with a trio of folks in which they discussed their musical choices for combatting insomnia. One of the lucky guests was given a Kathleen Edwards cd, after George recommended her song Hockey Skates, which was an excellent choice by the way.

And while I don't have trouble falling asleep, it did of course get me thinking about music that could lull you to a state of peace. I would tend to stay away from music with a lot of lyrics, as they always send my mind off on tangents, and I would choose something more ambient-sounding, like Porcupine Tree, Hylozoists, or even Joy Division.

But sometimes you want to hear somebody's voice as you are struggling for sleep, to assure you that you are not alone in the dark. And you could certainly do much worse than to listen to the voices of Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian or Wayne Petti of Cuff the Duke.

-

Fox in the Snow - Belle and Sebastian

-

No Sleep, No Heat- Cuff the Duke

-

Enjoy, and sleep well, my pretties ...

Barbara B

Best Group Blog!

Good news! We've been nominated for Best Group Blog in the 2006 Canadian Blog Awards! Round One begins on Wednesday, November 15th and will close the following Tuesday, on the 21st, so you've got 7 days to get your votes in. You can vote once every 24 hours, and we've got some stiff competition, so show us your love and help us get to Round 2!



You can find the link in the button above, which can also be found in the left sidebar. You can also pick from a variety of button styles and put it on your own site!

Now go!

Go now!!

This week on The Hour

CBC-TV's THE HOUR Upcoming Guests*: November 13 - 16

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13

Billy Connelly

Muhammad Yunus

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14

Foo Fighters

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Catherine O'Hara

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16

Michael Franti

*Guests subject to change

THE HOUR broadcasts Monday through Thursday and on Sundays on CBC Television at 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET on CBC Newsworld.

For more information on THE HOUR, visit www.cbc.ca/thehour.

A night at The Hour

If you have ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at The Hour.
Let me tell you a bit about my experiences tonight in the studios of the CBC building in Toronto.

I am Barbara W., a confessed blogger for The Hour and for George Stroumboulopoulos.
I invited along a 4th year journalism student from Ryerson University to come with me to see The Hour tonight. Joe Rayment writes for Ryerson Review Of Journalism . he is doing a story for the magazine about The Hour and George S. and contacted our blog to get some background for his story.

He had been to two tapings just last week, and was kind enough to come to this one with me to get the story from a stroumboulopouli blogger. All seven 'stroumbi' across Canada are answering his questions to us about blogging for The Hour, and how we see the changes that The Hour has been going through.

We met in the lobby and chatted before being admitted upstairs via elevator into the maze that is that is The Hour's studio. We were chatting at the studio doors when George wandered into the small group. He said hi to everyone, posed for pictures, answered questions, accepted compliments and thanked people for coming. The perfect host.

If you followed the MySpace drama this past Sunday re: The Strombo Show.... I had a conversation with George all about that at that point in the evening. Not to bore the rest of you, I will blog about that on MySpace.

George had to leave us and go into the studio to rehearse and we were soon admitted.

Joe and I sat on the left hand side second row. Too far left to see in the audience shots. Don't bother looking for us.
Before the show started taping, George was talking to us all and taking questions.
I had a few for him.
Re: that Gemini skit, I told him how funny I thought it was and how I think The Hour could do one skit like that a week.
He said they were kicking around that idea this morning.
George talked about how wearing that pink shirt made him feel dirty...
We all laughed. One other question I had was about why they rolled no credits. He said, there was no time for credits. It's not something a news show on CBC Newsworld usually runs in any case, and most of the crews family knew they were working at The Hour.
We laughed again, and throughout the hour of The Hour, had a very entertaining time.
When he had time to talk to us Mr. Stroumboulopoulos opened up about his love of his job as Host of The Hour.
He also talked about his days at Much Music. How he would interview bands he loved and bands he hated. Some of the bands he hated made the best interviews. He interviewed musicians at the start of their Career, after the first record contract, when they started to go down hill with drugs and hopefully interviewed them after rehab.... words to that effect.
Speaking of effective words, George would be very good at doing those 'don't do drugs' talks with High School students.

The Show tonight featured an interview with Tom Cochrane. It was wonderful to see Tom in the lobby before the show just standing there like any other Canadian guy. It was great to hear him in conversation, talking about his music, his daughter, and Saddam Hussein of all things.
The other treat we witnessed tonight was George taking Rick Mercer to the Newsstand.
Of course we watched it on tape like you did. But that's our laughter you hear added for your viewing experience. I blame Rick Mercer for my laughter lines!


The audience, as always, got a change to get more pictures, ask more questions, and get an autograph with the man himself after the show was finished taping. I waited for George to finish with the people after he said 'wait' and gave me a wink.
When he was done with the last few fans, I talked with him for a bit and at one point asked him where Bob was. He asked his 'God' Correction his Producer(in this case David) over his microphone. Where Bob was? Bob was busy...
He was getting instructions from David in his ear piece about stuff they were preparing to shoot in a few moments time. That's all the time we had. I gave George un petit cadeau for Bob (Strombo Show related) and I got a high five and I left the studio.

As I was waiting for escort to the Elevator

I spotted the piano that George was playing in the Fear Episode.
Doh! I did not get a picture with George.
Mostly because there was no one left
to take a picture, but a nice woman
(CBC employee?) was willing to take
a picture of me and the piano....

I did get to talk to our friend Siobhan, who takes all the reservations for The Hour, and I chatted with Amanda, a long time fan of Georges.

That's all I can process at this point about my evening at The Hour.
Some of it stays unsaid, some things I will recall at 4am I'm sure...
All I can do is recommend you try this experience for yourself.

Barbara W.
Yes that is me wearing a Canadiens sweatshirt. It was the sexiest thing I could think of to wear to The Hour.
George liked it.
:-)

Coming up

THE HOUR on CBC-TV: Upcoming Guests Nov. 6 - Nov. 9

Monday, November 6
Tom Cochrane
George takes Rick Mercer to the Newsstand

Tuesday, November 7
Dick Pound
Suroosh Alvi

Wednesday, November 8
John Grisham
Wyclef Jean

Thursday, November 9
Deepak Chopra
Mark Zupan

Global warming, greenhouse gases and David Suzuki

Have you watched Suzuki’s interview on The Hour on Thursday night? I’m always looking forward those interviews, so here’s what they talked about, well sort of… anyways.

You might have heard about the Stern report, stating that if we don’t cut our greenhouse gas emissions, the world economy will get into trouble (think about the Great depression of the 20’s, we don’t really want that to happen)… but it’s not only about the economy, the Arctic is melting (which isn’t a good thing, but even more, we don’t want Greenland to be melting, that would be much worst), the global average temperature is rising (and some parts of the world are going to be more affected than others)… And the Kyoto accord states that we have to reduce our greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions by 6% of what it was in 1990… so it means by about 25% of what they are today… think about it, what could you do to reduce your greenhouse gases by 25%? And by greenhouse gases we don’t only mean carbon dioxide, we are talking about NOx (nitrous oxide), methane… what could you do? Are you ready to change your lifestyle? Do you want to try to change the way you are living, to try to cut down your CO2 emissions? What are you ready to do? (I know, that it wasn’t discussed during the interview, but still).

Right now, the Conservatives want to regulate the smog level by 2010 and cut GHG emissions in half by 2050… who is going to be our Prime Minister in 2050?… I’m pretty sure that it won’t be Mr. Harper… so, really, are they going to try to do something, or are the Conservatives are going to let the next party take care of the environment? But, Harper has to say something about the environment, because if he doesn’t the public won’t be happy… and if the public isn’t happy, he might now win the next election. So it means that if you guys want something to happen, we have to let the government know, we have to be clear about it, otherwise they’ll do nothing (and politicians seem to like to be doing nothing).

Look at what is going on in Australia : They don’t have enough water, they need more water, the PM, Howard, doesn’t admit that global warming is happening… but then, droughts (oh, oh, big problem, what can we do?)… so maybe that Global warming might sort of maybe I think happen, he doesn’t really want to admit it… so, because global warming is affecting them, they might start to think that they have to do something to stop it.

And what’s wrong with having a made in Canada plan? Of course it will be a made in Canada plan, the only things that Kyoto says : Cut down greenhouse gas emissions… it doesn’t say how, so as Canadians, we will have to find a way to cut down those emissions… because Canada isn’t a green country at all, we emit 2% of the world’s emissions but we only represent 0.5% of the world’s population… so the little problem over there? We have to be more energy efficient, we have to use less energy, to use alternative ways.

Here’s one thing that we have to think about… what kind of world are we going to leave to the next generations, a screwed up Earth? An Earth that is going to get healthier? Think about your kid, thing about the little boy you saw on your way to work today, what kind of world is he going to live in?

Gemini Skit

Just in case you missed it last night...

Fear and The Hour

Did you see the Halloween edition of The Hour?
I am re-watching the Fear Show at the moment online. The show is inspiring me to get over a fear I will admit to. It's not snakes, or spiders, or Heavy Metal Bands.
If you listen to the Strombo show on Sunday nights you have the opportunity to message George on his MySpace, or email go@stombo.com or call into the show and talk to George, Bob and Alex of The Hour, live on radio in Montreal CJAD, Toronto CFRB and anywhere if people are listening online.
Two weeks ago I was listening to the show and Bob was talking about being disturbed by the negative fortune cookies he had been getting lately. I made a comment on Georges MySpace that I would do a card reading for him. I wanted to rest his fears about that. I was not expecting them to take me up on it. I was not going to call in because I have a fear of calling in to radio shows... {1-866-866-7387}.I offered to email the reading in, and George and Bob agreed to accept my email reading. George was sweet enough to read it to Bob on air (my hero!).
The other MySpacers later told me they were disappointed that I didn't call. They would have loved to hear me on the radio. I try to do all I can for other fans of The Hour, their encouragement keeps me going.
Fears... I have faced and beaten so many challenges in the past four years. One example; I learned to drive two years ago. I got over that fear of driving thing. Bridges, distances, and finally the 401 itself were part of that fear and I won over every one of them.
I am going to call the show this Sunday! I can't let a ego/fear thing slow me down.
Don't let your fears get in the way of your life! Now I just have to figure out what to say. Part of me hopes they take my call, part of me hopes they don't.

I will be going to The Hour on Monday. I have no fear of saying hi to George in person. Not a scary guy at all, very easy to talk to. I will have a guest with me from Ryersons Review of Journalism (Joe) who is working on an article about The Hour and he would like to include something about our blog. It's going to be an interesting show and I don't even know what the lineup is yet.

Barbara W.

Hilary M on Strombo and the Career Fair

We invite you to take an extra click and go over to Hilary's Blog and read her recap on this weekends Calgary Career Fair, and her take on meeting George. As always, she writes with a witty humour that paints an excellent picture.

Coming up, thanks to the CBC

THE HOUR
on CBC-TV: Upcoming Guests* Oct. 30 - Nov. 2

MONDAY, OCTOBER 30
Josh Groban
Lewis Lapham
Kardinal Official

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31
Fear Special: George Stroumboulopoulos takes the Fear Doctor down a dark
alley to find out how pervasive fear is in our lives

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1
Jared Leto
Rick Hansen

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2
David Suziki
Olympia Dukakis

*Guests subject to change

THE HOUR broadcasts on CBC Television at 11:00 p.m. on CBC Television
and 8:00 p.m. ET on CBC Newsworld.

For more information on THE HOUR, visit www.cbc.ca/thehour


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would like to share a letter addressed to us but it goes to all fans of The Hour, George S., and all the fans of CBC.

Dear Stromboulopouli,
I am contacting those of you who I could find contact info for and hoping
that you'll spread the word. I don't know if you are just George fans or CBC fans in general,
but if you are willing I could use your assistance.
From what I understand the Hour last Sunday got only 69 thousand viewers
for the Tragically Hip show. I can only assume that this means people
didn't know it was on. If I announced right now that there was a free Hip
show in downtown Toronto tonight, it's a safe bet it would draw 69 thousand people.
Anyway, being a sometimes CBC employee who doesn't work there right now I am free to do as I please without checking with managers or having to
answer to anyone so I have started a friends of the CBC myspace, http://www.myspace.com/cbclove a CBC google group http://groups.google.ca/group/theCBC , Created a web button that people can use
on their web sites http://www.publicbroadcasting.ca/support.html have a little 'we love the CBC' petition thing going http://www.petitiononline.com/Love4CBC/petition.html etc., all in the hope of getting the word out about, and generating interest in things CBC through other than official channels.

If any of you would like to participate in, help with or help get the word
out about any of this it would be greatly appreciated. Oh, in case you
don't know, I'm also the one who does publicbroadcasting.ca

Cheers!
Justin


I would like to reply to Justin as a fan of the CBC and a stroumboulopouli, I am very happy to support the CBC. I am now proud to be a 'friend' of the CBC on myspace.
But I am curious about the ratings quoted. I would like to know if the ratings are added up by how many watch the show on CBC Newsworld (that time varies by timezone), plus on CBC main at 11 and do they count the thousands who watch the show online... It's on what.... 3 times a night plus anytime you want online... are they counting all of that?
No, I don't think so.
I was confronted by a 'pro-con' on insidethecbc who said The Hours ratings 'can't get any lower'.
I am curious where people are getting the numbers and what do the numbers represent...
Barbara W.

Billboards

This was up across from the MTV building yesterday morning.











Then when I came out of work at lunch everything had changed.
As I was taking a picture of the new billboard they thoughtfully put up for me, a crew from MTV was getting in my way on the corner of Yonge and Church...
Hey, MTV stop trying to tape a segment I am preparing for a blog here.
















The song that George whispered about last night at the end of The Hour is Shine a Light by Spiritualized


Do links work now?
Here is the Globe and Mail article about George and his motorcycles.

Dear The Hour,

It’s not you, it’s me.

No, actually, it’s not me either; it’s whoever came up with that god-awful schedule this season.

Do you remember how last season and the season before, we would meet up every night at 9:00, which was a perfect time, as all the chores had been done and we could all sit down and enjoy each other’s company? The whole family would pile onto the couch together and we would discuss the news that you presented and we would debate the issues that you raised. It was perfect and we rarely missed an episode in two years.

Imagine our dismay when we found out that if we wanted to become engaged in our favourite show this season we had to watch at either 6:00 or 11:00pm. I don’t know about the rest of the world, but around our house those are pretty much the worst evening hours to attempt to watch television. The Hour might as well be on at 4:00am.

Frankly, I don’t see how anyone west of Manitoba or east of Quebec could routinely tune in to The Hour this year. In fact, if I were to subscribe to any sort of western alienation theory, this would be perfect fodder to fuel complaints of centralist bias in the CBC. I don’t think this is the case, but it sure looks bad from out here in the provinces.

And please don’t tell me I can tape The Hour and watch it at a more convenient time. For a variety of long and boring reasons, usually involving the necessity to watch the taped show in a cold grungy basement on a broken couch with a spring sticking into my ass, taping is just not a workable option. Lord knows I’ve tried; I keep taping the show and I keep not watching those tapes. But that, of course, is my problem, not yours.

I do appreciate the fact that you put each show in its entirety on the website. I’ve even watched parts of some of those shows. But The Hour is the type of program that you want to watch as a community. I want to be able to sit down with my entire family and really watch the show as a group, to use it as a springboard for some scintillating discussions. Huddling over a one-inch square video clip on a computer screen, sadly, just does not lend itself to that sort of activity.

We did manage to catch most of the special episode on Sunday night, featuring the Tragically Hip and that was great to see. And it is a little easier to make those sorts of arrangements on a Sunday night, rather than on a week night. Even so, I still had to move heaven and earth to accomplish that.

Please consider either making the 8:00pm episode to be on National Time, so that it is on at 8:00 across the country, much as the 11:00pm show is on at that time nationally, or adding some other options so that people who aren’t in the central time zones have an opportunity to enjoy The Hour, as we have in the past.

Otherwise, I’m afraid that, for our family anyway, The Hour will shift from being an essential program that we cannot miss, to one that we will catch occasionally, under special circumstances.

I really hate to say goodbye, but I fear this is The End.

Barbara B.

This here is George (from his myspace bulletin)

This bulletin is copied and pasted with only a few minor alterations. It's done without permission from the author (but he can call me if he has a problem with it.)

The Strombo Show is back LIVE tonight (Sunday).

Hello.
What's happening?
The Radio show is going on between 9-11pm ET.
It's two hours of shooting the shit about your lives and our lives.
Call us and get in on it. 1-866-866-7387.
We're here to talk about feelings... (ok, maybe not, but maybe...) the world, politics, music and movies.
Plus we're offering free advice. (Basically we're just trying to save you from Dr. Phil :-)
Listen, call, write to go@strombo.com , post on myspace... or do whatever you like... I'll support ya ;-)
And remember... we're trying to find listeners all over the world... do you know anybody in North Korea, Cuba, China or any/everywhere else...?
Let's get them on board...
Here are the details...Listen online - www.cfrb.com Toronto - CFRB 1010 AM Montreal - CJAD 800 AM

THE STROMBO SHOW TONIGHT 9-11 PM ET.

Bgood,George.

We are not George!

We are not George. We are not even paid by The Hour.
I am not sure why people have been e-mailing this blog with letters to George. We only ask for email from people who have ideas to post. Guest contributors. You can also feel free to write us if you just want to say how much you like or don't like the blog... :-) we may reserve the right to post that too.
I am sure you don't want us to post (put up on the blog) the personal letters to George, do you?
I don't even know if he reads this blog. I don't see how he even has time to read all the email he gets. His blackberry is always going off though, so he is aware you are trying to contact him.
Here are the addresses again go@strombo.com (for the Sunday nights radio show), george@strombo.com (his own websites email) and you can go to The Hour at www.cbc.ca/thehour/ and contact him there. Or his myspace shortcut is on the sidebar and you can contact him there.
Copy those addresses, paste them in your address book!
Contact him yourself directly. We are not the way, I'm not your mother and I am not Georges mother. She is sweet though. :-)

Next week on The Hour

The Tragically Hip rock an exclusive performance and
intimate interview with Gemini winner George Stroumboulopoulos on THE
HOUR Special with The Tragically Hip airing Sunday, Oct. 22 at 11 p.m.
on CBC Television and 8 p.m. ET on CBC Newsworld.



CBC-TV's THE HOUR UPCOMING GUESTS:

THURSDAY (Oct 19) Actor Barry Pepper (Flags of Our Fathers 2006, The
Snow Walker, 2003) In-Studio

SUNDAY (Oct 22) THE HOUR Special with The Tragically Hip

MONDAY (Oct 23) Musician Alice Cooper

TUESDAY (Oct 24) Musician Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges In-Studio

WEDNESDAY (Oct 25) Margaret Trudeau In-Studio

THURSDAY (Oct 26) Toronto Argonaut Ricky Williams In-Studio

I would just like to add this...
Fridays he may be out somewhere enjoying Toronto's night life...
Saturdays he might be watching Hockey... I'm just sayin'
Oh and every Sunday on CFRB 1010 in Toronto and CJAD 800 in Montreal from 9 'til 11 you can hear him, Bob and Alex and maybe some other guests via the radio or online (link is on the sidebar), then you can watch The Best of The Hour at 11pm.
See how they worked it so he does not compete with himself.
Two Geminis won by The Hour, one more to win!

The Hour wins Best Talk Series

The Strombi would like to send congratulations to George and the whole gang at The Hour for winning Best Talk Series at this years Gemini's. Well deserved, well deserved!

The Hour goes Porno

From the first notes, the new season for The Hour has kicked off to a grand start.

Let's backtrack to Season Two. Yeah sure, so last year, but follow my train of thought for a second, and I promise I will get back to Season Three again. During Season Two, right smack in the middle of the program, just in time for "the news" (or entertainment gossip) and right after the commercial, the viewing audience is pelted with the hard hitting song "Romantic Rights" from the musical duo know as Death From Above 1979. After the disbandment of DFA 1979 over the summer, it is fitting that the theme song for the show has changed too. For season three, The Hour begins with the charming tune "Use It", by the immensely talented Canadian indie band, The New Pornographers. "Use It" is a more than appropriate introduction.

"if you've got something that sheds some light /use it tonight, tonight /heads down thumbs up /two sips from the cup of human kindness"
lyrics from "Use It" - The New Pornographers

George Stroumboloupoulos and The Hour have proven willing to turn the spotlight up to a highbeam - right into the eye of whatever might be happening in our world and sometimes onto us. Catch up on current events from the world, our country, entertainment, and music. Go ahead, curl up on the couch but keep those ears perked and a notebook at hand to scribble down important facts, such as relevant internet sites and musical artists fresh to the scene or particular favorites of George. That said, The New Pornographers, are certainly of the last two categories. "Use It" is track # 3 on the most recent release for The New Pornographers, Twin Cinema (2005). Twin Cinema was nominated for the Polaris Music Prize, this year. It is a fantastic album.

The New Pornographers consist of the following artists: A.C. Newman, John Collins, Kurt Dahle, Neko Case, Dan Bejar, Blaine Thurier, Todd Fancey, Katheryn Calder, Nora O'Conner, Dave Carswell, Shaun Brodie, Todd MacDonald, Tyre Jami. The list reads as long as the members of Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene. And the combined talent is equally revered in the indie rock scene. A.C. Newman and Neko Case are celebrated solo artists.

In their own words, A.C. Newman has stated on the New Pornographers' website (and "myspace") that on the song "Use It", drummer Dahle used beats from Iron Maiden, Kiss's "Detroit Rock City", and Led Zeppelin's "Fool in the Rain" to create this "Frankenstein's Monster". With Halloween nearing, one can't help but regard The Hour with the same wonder ... the tactful and monstrous creation of the CBC, altering perspective and viewing the world with an innovative eye.

Here's to Season Three my friends...

{guest contributor}

Serah

Get music codes at Bolt.

Stand Up

Think back to July 2, 2005. What were you doing? Typical Saturday morning routine, get to sleep in and relax? On that particular morning I awoke at 5am in Vancouver and promptly turned on CTV, the Live 8 concert was starting in London. The concert had made the headlines for weeks, bands quick to sign up everyone wanted to help, show their support. The concert was an attempt - before the 2005 G8 summit - to apply pressure to the world leaders towards relieving poverty. The music was just the backdrop.

Since that day, not a day passes where I don't see a white band on someone. I regularly get emails from the Canadian Make Poverty History campaign, and was thrilled when I read this;

Dear Make Poverty History supporter: ?This time we aren't asking you to send another letter to a politician. We just wanted to report back on how much we have accomplished with your support and participation. And we want to remind you to participate in the Stand Up Make Poverty History events on Oct. 15 and Global White Band Day events on Oct. 17


On Tuesday I'm going to be one in the many of people taking part in Stand Up. I'm participating here in Kingston, doing a building wrap. Remember you can participate physically or symbolically. Wearing the white band helps more than you might think.
For more information on the Canadian campaign click here and here for the International one.

Bulletin from the CBC

THE TRAGICALLY HIP ROCK CBC-TV'S THE HOUR

WITH AN EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF THEIR
MUCH-ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM, SUNDAY, OCT. 22

THE HOUR will broadcast a one-hour exclusive performance and intimate
interview with The Tragically Hip, Sunday, Oct. 22 at 11 p.m. on CBC
Television, and 8 p.m. ET on CBC Newsworld.

Host George Stroumboulopoulos is a veritable encyclopedia of music
knowledge. His famous fans include U2's Bono, who once stated, "George,
I am a fan." Stroumboulopoulos has a slew of high-profile interviews
under his belt, including musical artists such as Radiohead, the Sex
Pistols, Mariah Carey, Green Day and Snoop Dog.

Taped in front of a live studio audience, Sunday, Oct. 15, THE HOUR
Special with The Tragically Hip will feature The Hip's first public
performance of songs from their new album World Container, which will be
released two days later on Tuesday, Oct. 17. The much-anticipated album
was produced by Bob Rock, whose extensive credits include Metallica, Bon
Jovi, The Cult, Bryan Adams, Simple Plan and The Tea Party.
For more information on CBC Television's THE HOUR, visit
www.cbc.ca/thehour


The official news release

Ouch.

From Tuesday's show, George's YouTube debut:

The Hip @ The Hour

Is this technically live blogging?

Okay, so I'm watching the second show of the new season at this moment, and George has just finished talking about The Tragically Hip's upcoming appearance on the show to promote their new album World Container, on October 15th. Personally, I'm stoked for the album and I can't wait to see them perform on The Hour, but to make the deal even better, George and those at The Hour have passed out the invite to get tickets to the show to see The Hip's performance.

If I lived in Toronto or in any surrounding area, I would be jumping all over this. The Hip are an incredible Canadian band who could not get any better in a live venue, and I want to help make it possible for you to see them at The Hour, since I cannot.

However, there's one problem. George has made it a little harder to land these tickets, demanding you answer a question about The Tragically Hip first. The question? Name one hockey player other than Bill Barilko (who is more than just mentioned in "Fifty Mission Cap") that The Hip have sung about. I instantly knew the answer, and George helped a little bit by singing a small verse from the song with the answer in it.

The song?

"Fireworks".

And because I am such a wonderfully helpful person, take a listen to the song yourself! And if you're in the Toronto area and can make the show on Sunday, October 15th, contact The Hour to enter the contest HERE, with the answer to the skill testing question.

If not, just enjoy the song, it's great!

- Alana


Get music codes at Bolt.

First show, third season.

I was at the season premier tonight but I was only half there... To get there for this afternoons taping I drove in from Montreal starting out early this morning. I saw George and Bob and Jian and Jeremy and all the crew and friends... The new set was full of backdrops with busy graphics or the name of the show. The set was raised but the audience was not. They ran out of budget for bleachers... We saw what we could see from ground level. The shows format has not changed that much. The music changed, the set changed, and in some small ways George has changed.
You can point out to me what I missed as far as format goes when you watch the show.
I have to say my guests and I enjoyed tonight's show. There was politics with Belinda and a talk about a new film by Monty python's Terry Gilliam and a feature on a career I would not be interested in getting into, cleaning up crime scenes, oh and George defending the goal dressed as a Hab.
George was his usually friendly host self, talking to the audience, before and after the show. His mom was in the audience so he hugged her sweetly and kept his swearing to a minimum . I thought about taking a picture of that hug but I won't cross the privacy line...
I did however, take pictures of the new set.
Oh, and a picture of George taken with my cell phone,
I apologize for the poor quality of the photo.

Strombo.com

Just wanted to let you know that George's website : Strombo.com will be launched tomorrow (Tuesday). Here's what the main page says :

HELL HAS FROZEN OVER!

Hells yeah, this website has finally been launched - well officially tomorrow (Tuesday) but I thought that I would put my first post online today with the premiere of the third season of The Hour.

This is will be where you can find me most of the time... Well, this site and my myspace page as well :-)

So, what's going to be on my site? Well, there will be updated headlines from some highly respected organizations, below them and on the right you'll see some places to find me and my friends, and yes, I'll also be blogging regularly along with some of my close friends.

If there are any links that you think should be on the site then I'll be more than happy to oblige. And here's where you come in... I want to post your awesome stuff, so if you have work that needs to be seen by people... Lemme know... And up it goes... Cool? Cool!

You can always reach me at george@strombo.com.

At any rate, thank you very much for checking the site out... Hope to hear from you soon.

Bgood,
George.