Hello...

Hello!! My name is Steph. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you would know me by another name…I’m Miss A! If you want to know more about me, take a peek at my profile. That’s pretty much me in a nutshell.

When I was first approached to join the Stroumboulopouli, I was both surprised and hesitant. I haven’t watched The Hour since day one. I only started reading this blog part way through season three and I have yet to attend a taping. I considered myself the least qualified of individuals to be here. I have been reassured that my ‘qualifications’ stem from the fact that I truly enjoy The Hour, appreciate the work of its host and have strong opinions regarding both. I’d like to thank the other ladies for their warm welcome.

So what is it about The Hour that I like the most? Primarily, it’s the diversity of the guests and the topics they cover. From politics to religion, music to movies, and the eclectic human interest stories, there is pretty much something for everyone. I enjoy watching a program that can evoke a variety of emotions while introducing me to new things.

And what about Mr. Stroumboulopoulos? In my mind, there is no interview that he has done that can surpass the June Callwood piece. She chose George for a reason and that choice speaks volumes to his ability and reputation. It is refreshing to sit down and watch a witty and animated human being. I love his anecdotal stories, in particular, the recent “raccoon whisperer” adventures. The true gift that George brings to his audience is his genuine nature. Genuine is not often a quality one associates with a television personality.

On the flip side, is every segment/story on The Hour riveting television? Of course the answer is no. You can’t please all of the people all of the time. No television program is capable of achieving this goal. As viewers of the public broadcaster we are entitled to be critical of ‘our’ programming. However, constant negativity is not as effective as positive reinforcement in attempting to promote improvement or change.

It is my hope to provide a positive ‘vibe’ to the blog, while attempting to fulfill the “what we are all about” mission....and hopefully we’ll enjoy a few laughs along the way!

Please stand by

I am posting from a remote location just to say Coming up this week is
The Sunday night Strombo Show with Ryan Doyle (who loves the Strombo fans).

Monday through Friday on The Hour more of your favourite episodes.

La Press did an article about George, here it is. They talk a great deal about Montreal and Toronto and Politics and Hockey. Wow, George's French has to impress you in that article.

I don't do translations like this for a living. My apologies to Marc Cassivi and George Stroumboulopoulos if I don't get the tone right.

George Stroumboulopoulos: A Toronto-Montreal game
By Marc Cassivi

I dined with George Stroumboulopoulos at La Rotonde in the Contemporary Art Museum. With his talk-show on weeknights at 11pm the former Much Music VJ has a look of eternal adolescence that gives the CBC some cool ( a little bit)
This skillful and informed Interviewer, it is as much at ease with political commentator P.J. O' Rourke, as he is with Gene Simmons of KISS.
Last weekend, he sat on the jury of Comédia, at the Just for laugh festival. A Toronto-Montreal match with a true fan of the Canadiens.

Marc Cassivi: I thought of this topic when I saw on your show where you make fun of Saskatchewan while playing the guy who never leaves Toronto.

George Stroumboulopoulos: It was a sketch for a film maker who had made a documentary entitled Everyone Hates Toronto.

M.C.: Montreal saw a little the same phenomenon in Quebec. Many people hate Montreal for all kinds of reasons. For some time, there was much in the media made of the competition Toronto-Montreal and I wondered whether, like Montreal in the competition Quebec-Montreal, Toronto did not care about that...

G.S.: What is funny, it is that the majority of people of Toronto adore Montreal. We made this sketch to have fun a little the sensitivity of Canadians. I just thought of this:The Canada of our parents does not interest me. I understand the questions of identity, policy, economy and culture of Canadians, but I am not interested by the way in which it's been done for thirty years. It bugs me that the West wants more power; I am not interested by the linguistic debate in Quebec. One more thing. We are adults, we are good people, for the most part we prefer to live in the same country. Another thing, let's live with the fact that we do not agree on everything. It is what I always thought of the "Quebec question". I have been interested in the Canadian politics since I was young. I do not believe that Canada is like Europe, where the countries separate. I am tired of this discussion which has prevented us from progressing for too long. It is like the complaints of the West in connection with Ontario. When was the last time there was a Prime Minister from Toronto? Once in the last 50 years. Most Torontonians figure that the resentment about Toronto is not justified. But in my opinion, the only true competition between Montreal and Toronto relate to hockey, at least from the point of view of Toronto.

M.C.: The rivalry between Quebec and Montreal also knew its equal in the rivalry between the Nordique and Les Canadiens. Is it a mirror of Society? I don't know.

G.S.: The Londoners hate Manchester because of the rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester United (with the soccer)...

M.C.: I am a true fan of United.

G.S.: I did a report with Old Trafford during a match Arsenal-United.

M.C.: Fans of Manchester, tend to hate United. Mancuniens natives are fans of City (the other club, more modest, city). United, it is for the tourists.

G.S.: The Gallagher brothers (Oasis) are fans of Man City.

M.C.: It's true that there is a generational question in the constitutional debate. People of our generation generally find that we wasted enough time going over the same questions unceasingly. Even if we do not know ourselves all the answers. It is particularly true in Quebec. People who are 60 years old today remember the trouble between English and French in school. It is not something which the 30 year old people experienced in the same way.

G.S.: People of the preceding generation advanced society in many good ways, but on certain questions, they failed. This is not in Northern Ireland. There is no more October Crisis.

M.C.: Nobody is ready to carry weapons, except some all fired up.

G.S.: Can one imagine a Prime Minister who would declare today the War Measures Act? Not on your life. It's not who we are. However, it is always the rhetoric of the old guard. In Toronto, a very polite and Canadian city, one does not tolerate any more this kind of discussion. It is not accepted any more that somebody says "Fucking Quebec".

M.C.: It is perhaps the good side of the proverbial courtesy of the Canadians. But why do you believe that the remainder of Canada hates Toronto? Is this authentic or only a posture?

G.S.: Something should be hated.

M.C.: Thus one hates what is larger.

G.S.: The Canadians suffer from the "tall poppy syndrome" . He should cut down the poppy when it becomes too large. The Americans do not have the same attitude, at least not in the world of television. In the United States, where I worked sometimes, you can make things completely different from the status quo. You become somebody different and one accepts you without problem. In Canada, it is much more difficult. You will always be that which you were at the beginning. One does not like what is too large. That's why people do not like Toronto. * * *

M.C.: What recently revived the competition between Toronto and Montreal, it is a declaration of the mayor David Miller who said to want to charm within ten years in Montreal his title of capital of the festivals. He approached the owner of F1 so that they move the event to Toronto, He approached the president of Just for laughs...

G.S.: He said that publicly?

M.C.: Yes. With a Montreal journalist , before coming to give a press conference here. The mayor Tremblay was criticized much because he did not react. He said that he wanted to work in collaboration with Toronto.

G.S.: I don't believe that Toronto can become the capital of the festivals. Just For Laughs will be never be as large on our premises. F1 does not interest Toronto as it interests Montreal. Toronto will never manage to organize a Jazz Festival as interesting as that of Montreal. The Ontarian laws with regards crowds or alcohol consumption in a public place are much more strict. The Ontarian government does not especially want to make it as much fun as it is in Montreal! Our film festival took years before having its take-off. In 1987, I was a promoter for the festival. I do not know if Mayor Miller really wanted his declaration interpreted in this way.

M.C.: I had the impression that he wanted to show that he has a vision for his city.

G.S.: Toronto improves. For a long time, the city was badly managed. I was afraid it would ruin the city that I love. It's nice if one wants to make better festivals. But the priority should especially be to make a better city, with social housing, better living conditions for the least fortunate, actions of this kind. To make a better city, it is not the job of public relations.

M.C.: I agree. What do you think of the stereotype that Toronto is a boring city? That it is a sleepy town where large quantities of commuters come to work . I like Toronto a lot. It is a rather different city than Montreal, larger, North-American perhaps. One eats there very well. Culturally, it is very rich. However, Montrealers have the impression that nothing happens there and that everyone goes to bed early.

G.S.: It's changed. When the bars closed to 1 a.m., people preferred to come to have fun and party in Quebec. But since the bars close to 2 a.m. on our premises, the city is animated. Obviously, Toronto is not New York. It remains a small city. From the Toronto-native point of view, the stereotype on Montreal east which one changed the license plates of "I remember" with "Allouettes!". For a long time had the impression that the city was emptied of its work force and its industry. It is not true any more. I have several Toronto-native friends and new Yorkers who live now in Montreal. And then Montreal will always have a better team of hockey than Toronto!

Congrats goes to Jian not George

There was a weird little rumour started by a comment on Strombo.com that got everyone concerned for about two minutes. Some woman names Mary was listening to what a little bird told her about George having a baby.... now birdsong can be sophisticated and sometimes misunderstood (ie the killdeer) but we are wondering where she got that idea. Maybe he is putting on a bit of weight this summer and looks a little pregnant? Not sure. Maybe you could cut out the poutine G! No don't worry about it. Enjoy Montreal and all it offers, including poutine.
George answered that question about babies once a for all on his facebook page. No babies for him. No Mrs. Stroumboulopoulos' either despite the t-shirts that Much Music sold .

But Jian Ghomeshi is to be congratulated for becoming a new uncle. He has a picture of the little darling Kiana on his facebook page. If you can't get to his facebook page... take my word for it she is really cute.

Miss A. also gave us a link to an article about Jian's home, featured in the Toronto Star.

Our interview with Jian and Nile Seguin are still in post-production and we hope to be posting them in August.

What's on this week on CBC? More of your favourite The Hour episodes weeknights at 11pm.

Monday: Muhammad Yunus, Billy Connolly, Catherine O'Hara and the Foo Fighters.
Tuesday: Gore Vidal, Ivan Reitman, Debbie Travis and Romeo Dallaire.
Wednesday:Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nickelback, Mia Farrow and Stephen King.
Thursday: Terry Tamminen, Howie Mandel, BNL and Rachel Weisz.
If you don't remember who these people are, it's time to watch 'em again.

Sunday's The Strombo show will be hosted by Ryan Doyle, last I heard...
That's all.

Barbara W

what's up?

I love the CBC but good people are leaving

Tony Burman, Editor and Chief of CBC News says his farewell.

This week on The Hour most of your favourites... we just don't know what they are yet...

On the Strombo show our good friend Ryan Doyle will be hosting in George's and Bob's absence this Sunday.

What's your boyfriend George up to now?

George reports that he had rented a GSXR to get around L.A. and he is enjoying it!

He is working hard in California on other projects and will be leaving L.A. for Montreal in about a week. If you live in, or are visiting Montreal you may spot him at the Just For laugh Festival on the last weekend of the the English shows. Sometime between July 19 to 22 ish.

Tonight, Thursday July 12th you can check George out online on the Tom Green Show, it's at 11pm ET / 8PT on tomgreen.com..

If you missed the live show you can still watch it by following the Tom Green Link.

The last Strombo Show before summer break.

This will be the last live Strombo show this Sunday...Possible theme may be summer travel.

Bob Mackowycz jr. will interview the guy behind the Vice Guide to Travel.

One more subject that they may be talking about is the Live Earth concert.

Another question The Strombo show wants to ask you: Is eco-awareness a fad, or is a new way of living around the corner? Maybe you are an Ecoholic like our friend Brooksie or a rock band like the Arctic Monkeys who blast Eco 'Hypocrites'

Myspace message from Alex

Hi ya'll.. Alex posted this bulletin today on myspace.

Hey Everyone!

The Hot Dog Log Jam Podcast Episode 6 is up. Part 1 went up last week and now (or else very soon) you can hear part 2. Both parts features our friend Peter from Moneen as our in studio guest and a crap load of other guest who phoned in.Check it out!

www.hotdoglogjam.com

Alex