Your 'Hour-pod' on shuffle:

Check out The Strombo Show, every Sunday, on your local Corus radio network & join in on the group chat @ www.justin.tv/thestromboshow

This week on The Hour.....

Mon, April 27
++
Malcolm Gladwell, Jamie Kennedy, Charlie Kauffman

Tues, April 28
++
David Frum, LeVar Burton, Margaret Atwood

Wed, April 29
++
Joe Clark, Kat Von D, Eugene Levy

Thur, April 30
++
Richard Florida, Colin Mochrie, The Killers

Fri, May 1
++
Shai Agassi, Joshua Jackson, Chris Noth

Seeing as how my hockey team's no longer in the playoffs, I for one, am really looking forward to some new shows starting next week....Grrr & Yay!

Oh, and P.S,
www.onemillionactsofgreen.com

Coming this Fall to the CBC...

Yesterday the CBC announced its fall-winter line up yesterday, and we are happy to announce that The Hour is among the shows returning to the CBC next fall. This will be The Hour's sixth season on the CBC.

Other shows returning to CBC this fall include: The Mercer Report, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Tudors, The Border, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Dragon's Den, Heartland, Coronation Street and last season's breakout hit Being Erica. Four of these seires (Little Mosque, Being Erica, 22 Minutes and The Border) will return with shorter seasons.

The CBC also announced three new shows that will premiere in the fall:

The Ron James Show, which is set up as a showcase of the famous comedians observational humour.

Super Speller: a spelling competition hosted by CBC personality Evan Solomon.

Battle of the Blades: which teams up Canadian figure skaters with Canadian hockey players in an elimination style contest.

Two more shows will debut in the winter:

18 to Life: a comedy about a couple who marries at 18.

The Republic of Doyle: a dramatic comedy following a dysfunctional father-son private investigator team set in St. John's.

Show that are not returning to the CBC in the fall season include Wild Roses, Sophie, Fashion File and The Steven and Chris Show, which is currently on indefinite hiatus. CBC also reports that there are no plans for a third edition of The Week the Women Went or new editions of Test the Nation.

The CBC says that its summer schedule will not be change at this point and that further announcements are coming.

We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment and let us know what you think about the new season...

Earth Day 2009: Ten Actions To Help the Environment

In preparation for Earth Day on Wednesday, April 23, the Earth Day Canada website recently published a list of the Top Ten Actions you can do to help the environment:

Smart Shopping

* Consider renting or borrowing rather than buying something that will be rarely used

* Buy or trade used items

Simple Savers

* Use aerators on faucets and low flow shower heads

* Weather strip windows and doors

* Use energy efficient bulbs

Transportation Alternatives

* when you drive, reduce idling

* keep your car in good shape

* think of alternative transport: walking, cycling, public transportation

Food Shares

* choose local, seasonal produce to support local food producers

* eat less meat

Washing and Drying

* wash full loads in cold water

* air dry clothes

Heating and Cooling

* in the summer, set your thermostat to 24 or 25 degrees

* in the winter, set your thermostat to 19 or 20 degrees

* install ceiling fans and programmable thermostats

Close to Home

* work and vacation as close to home as possible

Bathroom Basics

* take short showers instead of baths

* turn the faucet off while brushing your teeth

Careful Cleaning

* chose natural, non-toxic cleaners

* make your own cleaners with baking soda, vinegar, lemon and other household products

Don't Discard

* don't throw everything out, consider if it can be donated, reused or recycled

* take items like batteries and chemicals to proper hazardous material depots instead of throwing them in the garbage

Get out and do something for your own little corner of the world. Everyone can make a difference in the world with just a few of these little acts. You can find many of these acts and more on the One Million Acts of Green website. If you haven't already signed up, do it this week. We passed the One Million act mark at the beginning of March and now we're closing in on 1.5 million acts. Let's see if we can break that next milestone for Earth Day!

Starting today, One Million Acts of Green is going global with a website and challenge starting in the United States. On their first day, they've already got over 38 thousand acts of green. How long do you think it will take them to reach the One Million mark?

And the playoffs roll on... What's up April 19-April 24

Don't forget to tune into the Corus Radio Network for The Strombo Show, Sunday night 5-8 EDT, 2-5 PDT.

We're in the second week of the NHL imposed hiatus, but you can catch a lot of the great interviews from this season on The Hour this week...

 

Monday, April 20

Former American President 

Jimmy Carter

Spiritual Leader 

Eckhart Tolle

Tuesday, April 21

Activist 

Erin Brockovich

Musician 

David Byrne

Wednesday, April 22

"I Love You, Man" stars 

Paul Rudd and Jason Segel

 Canadian Rockers 

Nickleback

Thursday, April 23

Comedian 

Howie Mandel

Canadian Music Icons 

Rush

Friday, April 24

British Pop Star 

Lily Allen

 

Hollywood Director 

Garry Marshall

UFC President 

Dana White

Don't forget to log your acts on the One Million Acts of Green website. We're just over 1.4 million acts.  Let's try to get it over 1.5 million in celebration of this week's Earth Day. 

Finding your music mojo

I have a confession to make. I have a gift certificate for iTunes that I can't spend... and it's driving me crazy. I've tried hitting the "buy" button many times, and I just can't do it. My music mojo is gone! Usually I go through iTunes gift certificates like they are going out of style... but lately, I just can't. Maybe I'm going through album withdrawl. I recently got a CD copy of The Tragically Hip's new album "We are the Same" and I felt like a kid in a candy store. There's just something about holding that album in your hands that the immediate gratification of iTunes doesn't have.

And I've missed that. So I'm happy to say that tomorrow, April 18th, is Record Store Day. I've already decided that I'm going to check out a few of the places listed below. I'm not a big vinyl person, but this little voice in my head has starting saying lately that it's time to change that. So tomorrow I'll embark on an adventure and who knows what I'll find. Maybe after a few albums, I'll find my music mojo again.

Record Store Day celebrates vinyl and the many independent music stores all over the world. Hopefully it will remind people that there's more to music than iTunes. It's more than a blast from the past, we're seeing more and more new releases coming out on vinyl along with their CD and online counterparts. Record Store Day celebrates the independent shop and that feeling you can't find anywhere else when it comes to finding new music.

These are the participating stores across Canada (according to recordstoreday.com/canada):

Atomix Records St.Catharines
Argy's Collectables Winnipeg
Audiopile Vancouver
Aux 33 Tours Montreal, QC
Backstreet Records Fredericton, NB
Backstreet Records Saint John, NB
The Beatmerchant Richmond
Beatnick Music MONTREAL
Blackbyrd (myoozik) Edmonton
Aux 33 Tours Montreal, QC
bluestreak records peterborough
Blueprint Lethbridge, Alberta
Compact Music Ottawa, Ontario
CD Warehouse Nepean, Ontario
Cosmic Dave's Vinyl Emporium Sudbury
Criminal Records Toronto
Ditch Records & CDs Victoria, BC
Dandelion Records Vancouver
Dixie Records Mississauga
Dr. Disc Hamilton, ON
Encore Records Ottawa
End Hits Hamilton, ON
Encore Records Kitchener, Ontario
Freecloud Records Edmonton
FrÈquences Le Disquaire Saint-Hyacinthe
Grooves London, Ontario
Into The Music Winnipeg
Le Pick Up Montreal
Listen Records & CDs Edmonton
Melodiya Records Calgary, Ab
Meow Records Prince George, BC
Neptoon Records Vancouver
Penguin Music Toronto
Phonopolis Montreal
Planet of Sound Winnipeg
Records on Wheels Sudbury
Records on Wheels Dundas
Ric's Recollections Vancouver
Red Cat Records Mississauga
Salt Spring Sound Salt Spring Island
Scratch Records Vancouver, BC
Secondspin Saint John , New Brunswick
Sloth Records Calgary, Alberta
Sonic Boom Records Toronto
Sound Connection Edmonton
Soundscapes Toronto
Speed City Records London
Spinners Sound Centre Kamloops
Spin-It Records Moncton NB
Star Records Oshawa,ONTARIO
Sunrise Records Scarborough
Taz Records Halifax
The Danger Room Regina
The Inner Sleeve Calgary, Alberta
The Record Works Woodstock
Vinyl Encore Records Mill Bay
Vertigo Records Ottawa
Vinyl Records Vancouver

So how's your music mojo? What song's kills you every time you hear it? Are you an iTunes person or do you still check out the local (and quickly disappearing) music shops for the latest and greatest? Post a comment and let us know!

Cheers!

It's an 'eggcellent' week ahead starting April 12th

Well it's Easter Sunday. By now most of the Easter Eggs have likely been found and the celebratory meals have taken place. If you are ready to sit down and relax, or perhaps in need of escaping your family or inlaws, why not tune into The Strombo Show? Listen live here starting at 5 pm EST.

Over the next few weeks, the schedule for The Hour is going to be somewhat wonky due to the NHL Playoffs. When in doubt check your local listings!

Monday, April 13th

NHL Commisioner Gary Bettman.

Actor Jason Mewes.

Tuesday, April 14th

Economist, journalist and author Joshua Cooper Ramo.

Polar Explorer and adventurer Tom Avery.

Wednesday, April 15th

Actor Malcolm McDowell.

Either you love him or hate him...a master of reinvention...Gene Simmons.

Thursday, April 16th

The Smashing Pumpkins.

Kapuskasing, Ontario native, film director James Cameron.

Friday, April 17th

Alaskan Governor and former US Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Actress Marlee Matlin.

Musician John Legend.

In other news...

Looking to attend a taping of The Hour? Just a reminder that the show will be on hiatus from April 10th-May 3rd during the playoffs. Tickets for the first available tapings in May will be available starting April 20th.

Are you Twittering? If so, are you following The Hour?

For the most part, Spring has sprung! Perhaps you are working some home improvement projects that can be registered for One Millions Acts of Green!

Extreme Hockey on Easter Weekend

Speaking of springing into action...
The Hockey Summit of the Arts is having a food drive (to support the Daily Bread Food Bank) at their annual Easter weekend hockey Tourney.
The Teams playing are in the Good Times Hockey League Of The Arts which is mainly made up of hockey enthusiasts from the Arts and Entertainment fields. People you may know such as George Stroumboulopoulos, Sean Cullen who is sometimes joined by the Barenaked Ladies' Tyler Stewart and Kevin Hearn, Comedian Mike Takacs and Chris Murphy of Sloan... and many talented people that work on stage and behind the scenes and who just want to play hockey and have fun and do something good for charity at the same time.

Sean Cullen can tell you more about it here on this POV sports video.

If you are in the GTA from April 10th to 12th and want attend the games to support these teams you may drop off canned good at the York University's Canlan rink entrance. You can also buy your favourite teams jerseys and souvenirs as some proceeds also go to various charities. Please check out the Hockey Summit website for details.

Happy Easter and Passover to those that celebrate and to everyone have a safe and healthy and happy long weekend.

Spring into action and keep the food flowing...

As we sit down to our Easter Feasts and Passover Seders this week, we need to remember those who are not so fortunate. There are millions of Canadians who have a hard time putting a basic meal on the table and Food Banks across the nation need our help to stock their shelves.

With the current economic downturn, Food Banks are seeing an increase of clients accessing their services. Over the last quarter of 2008, the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto saw a tem percent increase in requests for their services and in February, the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank saw 43% more people access their services, This increase in need means that some Food Banks across Canada are getting dangerously low on the basic items they put in the hampers they give out. Some of the basics that the food banks need are:

Peanut butter

Rice

Cans of beans

Lentils

Dried pasta and tomato sauce

Macaroni and cheese

Dry Pasta

Canned fruit or vegetables

Canned stew or hearty soup

Canned fish or meat

Powdered or tetra pak milk

Baby formula and food

Personal hygeine items

Most major grocery chains are collecting for their local Food Banks. They even make the process easy by offering pre-packed kits for sale (usually under 10 dollars, depending on the contents). You can also drop donations off at the Food Bank itself or, in some communities, at a fire hall or police station.

Financial donations are also accepted, as it will help pay for additional food items to put in the hampers.

I hope everyone has joyful and safe celebrations in the coming days.

Last week of The Hour before Playoff Finals

It's a really busy week for George Stroumboulopoulos

Saturday night he will be presenting in Ottawa at The Genies
Enjoy Canadian funny man Dave Foley who will be hosting the 2009 Genie Awards, alongside an A-list roster of presenters.

Then you can hear George with Alex on the Strombo Show this Sunday. You can listen live here also you can participate in the radio show with this justintv chatroom link

Monday George will be in Kingston Ontario with
The Tragically Hip
Live and Intimate from the Bathouse Studio comes to a Cineplex Theatre near you. This Big Screen event will feature live performances, Q & A and exclusive footage of the band's studio and home base, The Bathouse. George Stroumboulopous will host the event and interview the band between live cuts from We Are The Same and a few chestnuts from their catalogue.

On The Hour this week

Monday April 6. 2009
- environmental advocate and economic consultant - Majora Carter "She started 2007 as one of Newsweek’s “25 To Watch”, ended the year as one of Essence Magazine’s “25 most Influential African Americans”. She has been named one of the “50 most influential women in NYC” by the NY Post for the past two years, and "NYC's most influential environmentalist" by the BBC World Service."
Plus Jazz superstar - Diana KrallDiana Jean Krall, born November 16, 1964, is a Grammy Award-winning Canadian jazz pianist and singer. She is a mother of twins now. In the picture (from AP) she is standing with her husband Elvis Costello

Tuesday April 7, 2009
- US economics expert and media labeled "Dr Doom"- Nouriel Roubini

& former professional boxer, imprisoned for murder - Rubin 'Hurricane' CarterThis Prizefighter was born May 6, 1937, in Clifton, New Jersey. In 1966, at the height of his boxing career, Carter was wrongly convicted—twice—of a triple murder and imprisoned for nearly two decades. You may have enjoyed the movie The Hurricane based on his life.

Wednesday April 8, 2009
- Canadian Minister of Industry - Tony Clement has something to say about our economy and jobs.
& world famous illusionist - Ricky Jay
I found this clip from the Myth Buster featuring Rick Jay's ability to throw cards...

Ricky Jay On Mythbusters - The top video clips of the week are here

Thursday April 9, 2009
- Ford Canada CEO - David Mondragon talks to George about cars?
Or talks about the big three and what Ford is facing ...
& Hockey Night In Canada Radio's on air talents- Kelly Hrudey
and Marc Crawford
Friday April 10, 2009
Is interviews you want to see again
Actor - LeVar Burton,
Republican advisor/commentator David Frum & writer - Margaret Atwood