World AIDS Day 2009

When we think of December 1st, many of us think of it as just 24 days until Christmas. For those living with HIV/AIDS, it's a day to remember, promote and work towards finding a cure for the devastating disease. 2009 is the 21st annual World AIDS Day and the crusade towards a cure struggles on.

World AIDS Day began in 1988 and from the beginning it has focused attention on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. The movement's ultimate goal is to bring attention to the ongoing fight to find a cure and bring attention to the care and support AIDS patients need.

An integral part of World AIDS Day is the bringing together of people in the community to celebrate and remember the victims of the disease. The Canadian AIDS Treatment and Information Exchange has an extensive list of events happening across Canada. Make sure you check out the World AIDS Day schedule, but here are a few of the events:

Vancouver - The Positive Women's Network is hosting a Condom Blitz
Edmonton - HIV Edmonton's annual candlelight vigil at the Citadel Theatre, 7pm
Saskatoon - AIDS Saskatoon has a Glimmer of Hope Party from 1:30-3:30 to celebrate success stories.
Thunder Bay - AIDS Thunder Bay is hosting their Second Annual AIDS Day Breakfast
Montreal - La Maison du Parc's Voices of Hope World AIDS Day Concert at St. Andrew and St. Paul Church
Halifax - the Micmac Native Friendship Centre is hosting a candlelight vigil, 7pm

These are just a few events happening across Canada, please leave us a comment on this post if you know of any others.


Stephen Lewis, a frequent guest on The Hour and a champion to bring an end to the rampant epidemic in Africa has posted a World AIDS Day message on the Stephen Lewis Foundation Website:

Back in 2005, at the G8 Summit, all countries agreed unanimously to achieve “Universal Access” for AIDS treatment, prevention and care by the year 2010.

It’s not going to happen. We have slightly over four million people in treatment around the globe, but there are at least nine million who require treatment today, and millions of them won’t be reached by the end of 2010.

Prevention is not yet working. For every two people whom we put on anti-retroviral treatment so that they might live, there are five new infections. Prevention remains an elusive goal in the high-prevalence countries.

That leaves care. In this category, as well, the need greatly outstrips the response. Just think of the monumental numbers of orphans and grandmothers struggling to survive, let alone the vast host of people living with AIDS. ...

To read the rest of Lewis' message, check out the World AIDS Day pages on the Foundation's Website. While you're there, don't forget to check out the A Dare to Remember page and find out what other Canadians are doing with their dares. You'll remember that Stephen Lewis was dared by George to perform with the Arkells... and he came through with flying colours. Check out the video. If you're a regular viewer of The Hour, you'll know that viewers dared George to do three things: wear a Leafs jersey, wear something other than black and go figure skating with Kurt Browning. To relive the experience, rewatch Episode 28. Well, George came through his dare with flying colours and according to his Dare Page, he exceeded his goal of raising fundraising $3000.00!

Do you do anything for World AIDS Day? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Divas, Authors and Actors... Oh My! This Week on The Hour

If you're Canadian... perhaps you're watching the Grey Cup. If so are you already elbow deep in chicken wings? Or is pizza more your speed? No matter... if you want to multitask, perhaps you can watch football AND listen to some tunes at the same time. Since it IS Sunday, you can tune into the Strombo Show on CBC Radio 2. George. Bob. Music. Chat. Listen Live HERE.


Then there's the matter of a little program called The Hour.

Monday November 30th

Patrick Trahan

The team for The Hour is kind enough to ensure we get a heads up of the guests scheduled a touch in advance. Imagine my dilemma when Patrick Trahan was listed... I certainly hope it`s the Football hero who will be gracing the Red Chair! If it`s the Jazz musician Patrick Trahan... I apologize profusely. Destined for greatness as a football hero, Trahan was suspended from College ball for poor academic performance caused by learning disability, which is very prevalent in college athletics, Trahan has taken some stigma off this issue with his personal struggles...

Shawn Ashmore

Shawn Ashmore has enjoyed a prolific career in films and television including X-Men, Smallville and a million other projects in between. According to his IMDB, he has 4 projects currently in production notably the remake of Bonnie and Clyde. If you thought Iceman only dwelled in the land of Top Gun, you should catch The Superhero Squad Show.

Tuesday, December 1st

George Monbiot

As a writer for the prestigious UK newspaper `The Guardian`, Monbiot is highly involved with the Green Movement. A kinder, gentler type of activist, he lobbies for the right to access to greenspace in the UK for the citizenry. He is the author of `Bring On the Apocalypse: Six Argument for Social Justice.`

Anna Kendrick

Confession time. I had NO clue who Anna Kendrick was before I googled her. Yes, if you think you can get through your week without hearing about `Twilight`... think again. In her short career, Kendrick has been nominated for a Tony for her turn in `High Society`. In the Twilight films, she portrays Jessica in which she`s likely a vampire, human or werewolf. I have no clue, nor inclination to look into it much more as I have taken a vow to abstain from anything Twilight. ;)

Wednesday, December 2nd

Jully Black

I am sure many regular viewers of The Hour will look forward to Jully`s return to The Hour. Her last appearance saw this most powerful, confident and uber talented performer break down in tears at her excitement for being a featured guest. I have been a fan of Jully for a long time and `follow`her on Twitter. The common themes with Ms. Black you glean through her `tweets` centre on her love of performing, her awe at how amazing her band is and how much she loves her family - including her mom`s traditional cooking. The latter is perhaps why she also seems to be a workout fiend-- to balance out the goodies! The Jully Black promotion machine is in high gear as crisscrosses the country promoting her new CD The Black Book. She is an inspiring artist, immensely talented - a truly positive, delightful soul.

Dr. Julio Montaner

The Director for the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV Aids and President of the International AIDS Society is a researcher, clinician and tireless advocate for preserving aggressive treatment protocols for those with HIV. I was privileged to be in the audience last time Montaner visited The Hour and encourage anyone who missed him last time to tune in. His passion comes through loud and clear.

Thursday December 3rd

Lyle Lovett

Quick. Word - or more accurately - NAME association time. When you say `Lyle Lovett`... most people would chime back `Julia Roberts`. It was 1993 when the elopement heard round the world happened... though their marriage was but a blip, lasting less than two years, it`s a huge footnote in Lovett`s life. An introspective, quiet but powerful performer, Lovett has been recording for decades as well as acting from time to time. His Annual `Cayamo`music cruise which he co-headlines with Emmylou Harris is a highlight for many devoted fans every February and provides the most captive audience imaginable to feature the best in Alt-Country and folk artists in North America.

Friday December 4th

Interviews so nice, you can watch them twice.

Shawn Ashmore

If you missed Monday`s show -- catch a replay of Shawn`s appearance...

Anika Noni Rose

Appropriately... Ms. Rose voices `The Princess` in Disney`s latest mega hit `The Princess and the Frog`.

Stephen King

Horrormeister and frighteningly photogenic author Stephen King`s interview takes another spin this day... enjoy!

Just an FYI that if you might like to take in a taping of The Hour, that the last taping before Christmas break is December 17th. So... don`t hesitate to go on down... the warm up, rock paper scissors and fire safety instructions are sometimes almost as entertaining as the actual celebs. They`ll treat you right. Promise! Visit The Hour`s website to request your seats.

This Week's Eclectic Line-up: Roses > Rodeos > Crosses..

The 3rd installment of The Strombo Show starts at 8 pm tonight up until Midnight on CBC Radio 2 http://www.cbc.ca/radio2 (To listen online) . So far, for anyone unable to catch the show, they have been posting their songs played, on their Strombo Show Facebook Page, here: The Playlist

This week on The Hour:

Monday, 23rd

Michael Chabon - Pulitzer Prize of Fiction Award winner with his new book: 'Manhood for Amateurs'.
Aren't they all?! (Hee hee)


Eugene Levy - Starring in a soon to be released: 'American Pie Presents: The Book of Love'.
Oh lordy, what teachings will his character bestow in this one?

Tuesday, 24th

Steven Levitt - A 'rogue' American economist & chosen by Time magazine as one of 2006 '100 People Who Shape Our World' with his second book: 'Superfreakonomics'.
Personally, I'm a huge fan of super freaks...so should be good.


Anika Noni Rose - An award winning actress & performer, creating history by becoming Disney's 1st black princess, as the lead voice in the upcoming animated feature: 'The Princess and the Frog'.
Granted, Disney brought forth the cultures of Mulan & Pocahontas, but I mean, really....could this not have happened before Obama came into office? Just sayin'.

Wednesday, 25th

Naomi Klein - the author & activist regarding global profiteers & deregulated Capitalism in her books: 'The Shock Doctrine' & 'No Logo' visits The Hour for her 2nd appearance on the show.
Really looking forward to this interview!


Blue Rodeo - Jim Cuddy & Greg Keelor, promoting their new album: 'The Things We Left Behind'.
OMG, OMG, OMG....I have a concert ticket to see them on Thursday! I'm totally hoping Jim Cuddy will be sporting his HABS jersey to make my experience complete!

Thursday, 26th
Not sure why, but it looks like our Canadian late night show will not be live and will be observing the American Thanksgiving......so anyhoo, in it's 'absence' they are offering us some great recent interviews with the following:

Michael Moore, Peter Sarsgaard, Juliette Lewis.

Friday, 27th
And to round off the week.....

Morgan Freeman, David Cross, John Irving.

Have a good week, all.......and Happy Thanksgiving to our neighbours of the South!

It's guaranteed to be a wild and crazy week, as always, so let's get down to the facts...

Sunday, November 15th

Don't forget to tune in to CBC2 for the second edition of the newly reincarnated Strombo Show. With a mixture of the best music, the show will help you start your week off on the right note.
Check out the CBC2 website to listen live online or to find out the frequency of your local CBC2.

Monday, November 16th

George kicks off the week with the return of author Alex Caine, a former biker gang infiltrator, to discuss his book, The Fat Mexican, which gives an inside look at the Bandidos biker gang.

Tennis phenom Andre Agassi drops in to discuss his new book
Open: An Autobiography

Tuesday, November 17th

She can operate the Canadarm with ease... Canadian astronaut Julie Payette

Star of the hit TV Show Glee and Canada's own Cory Monteith

And of course, George will talk with the winners of CBC's unexpected hit Battle of the Blades!

Wednesday, November 18th

Canada's Auditor General Sheila Fraser

One of Canada's funniest... Andrea Martin

Thursday, November 19th

Novelist Stephen King drops by The Hour studios to discuss his latest book
Under the Dome.

Friday, November 20th

And of course Fridays always mean that we get to see some of the best interviews from the past season. This Friday, the line up includes:

Isabella Rossellini

Perry Farrell

Bradley Cooper

Cheers...

Gemini Awards Tonight

Rehearsals are going on as I write this according to the tweets of Rick Mercer and George Stroumboulopoulos ... and the parties have already started!

The Gemini Awards are Live from Calgary tonight!

Here is a list of presenters for tonight's Broadcast Gala.

Adding to the list of previously announced Gemini presenters, such as Cory Monteith (Glee), (The Rick Mercer Report), Rick MercerHugh Dillon (FlashPoint), Jessica Lucas (Melrose Place), Erin Karpluk (Being Erica), George Stroumboulopoulos (The Hour), Amber Marshall & Graham Wardle (Heartland) and Mark McKinney (Less Than Kind), the Academy is thrilled to announce another round of celebrities presenting at this year’s gala, including Arlene Dickinson and W. Brett Wilson (Dragon’s Den), Brandon Firla and Zaib Shaikh (Little Mosque on the Prairie), Gabrielle Miller (Corner Gas) and Alex Lifeson of Rush.


Not only is George a presenter at the Geminis, he is up for an award against these four men for Best Host or interviewer in a general/human interest or talk program or series.


1) George Kourounis
Angry Planet, Island Caving

2) Austin Stevens
Austin Stevens Adventures in the Shadow of Armoured Giants

3) Les Stroud (has been a guest on The Hour)
Survivorman Third Season

4) Matt Wells
Where You At Baby? Huey Lewis

Maybe this will be the picture again later tonight...
May the best Host win!

in this picture from The Hour's blog, George and Exec Producer Jennifer Dettman just won the Gemini for Best Talk Series earlier this year.
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Good luck to all the nominees!
This just in
And the Gemini goes to.... George Stroumboulopoulos!!
Oh and one for Rick Mercer too!

How will you remember?

"We must remember. If we do not, the sacrifice of those one hundred thousand Canadian lives will be meaningless. They died for us, for their homes and families and friends, for a collection of traditions they cherished and a future they believed in; they died for Canada. The meaning of their sacrifice rests with our collective national consciousness; our future is their monument."

Heather Robertson,

A Terrible Beauty,

The Art of Canada at War.

Toronto, Lorimer, 1977.

The Hour has hosted several guests who have witnessed war from various perspectives...a "leader", Ret. General Rick Hillier, "a wounded warrior", Master Corporal Paul Franklin and a "storyteller", embedded journalist Scott Kesterson. As television viewers we gain insight from their reality...one that is often harsh and painfully sad. As Canadians, on November 11th, we are afforded the opportunity to acknowledge and reflect upon the sacrifices made, both past and present, of our military.

How will you remember?

Often the individual act of remembrance is a personal one. For some it may simply involve wearing a poppy over the heart. For others it may mean attending a local Remembrance Day ceremony. Each year part of my Remembrance Day involves sharing a story with elementary school age children. Sometimes the story is to share a significant historical fact, while others have been designed to encourage empathy. This year the theme is simple...returning home. Attention will be paid to the now, all too familiar, Repatriation Ceremony.

Although not evident unless you look closely, the photograph above involves such a ceremony. The gravemarker is located at the Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez. This particular grave once contained the remains of a Canadian soldier killed during WWI. In 2000 the grave was exhumed and the remains entrusted to Canada in a ceremony that took place in Vimy, France. The remains were returned to Canadian soil in the most well-publicized Repatriation Ceremony ever. These are the remains that have been laid within the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in a sarcophagus placed at the foot of the National War Memorial in Ottawa. I vividly recall watching this event on television. I thought about that fact that to us, this soldier was an unknown victim of war. But at that one time he was a son and perhaps a brother, husband or father...he meant something to someone. Now he means a great deal to an entire nation.

Unlike the ceremony that surrounded the 'unknown' one, we now know the names of our fallen. We watch the grief on the faces of their loved ones, as a flag draped casket comes home. In recent years, the Repatriation Ceremony has taken on a new dimension. It simply started with everyday folks lining the overpasses of Highway 401 between Trenton and Toronto. They stood, with Canadian flags in hand, to await the motorcade of a fallen Canadian soldier on the way to the Coronor's Office in downtown Toronto. The movement grew and eventually led to this portion of the route being renamed the "Highway of Heroes". The impact of this simple gesture has been tremendous. The event even has its own song, aptly named Highway of Heroes.

Written by Newstalk 1010's Bob Reid (host of Rock Talk), the single was released on CD/itunes last week. A portion of sales will be donated to Wounded Warriors, a charity that "delivers quality of life, financial, benevolent and moral assistance" to Canadian soldiers. This is another way one can participate in an act of remembrance and support a very worthy cause.

A new radio show kicks off the week of November 8th!

The moment you have been waiting for is finally here!! Tonight, the launch of The Strombo Show on CBC Radio 2, from 8 pm to midnight EST. Click here for a preview of what you will hear tonight. Don't forget to check out the radio program's Facebook page. Happy listening...

Coming up on The Hour:

Monday, November 9th

Bestselling author and editor-at-large of Esquire, A. J. Jacobs.

Actress, filmmaker and activist, Isabella Rossellini.

Tuesday, November 10th

British journalist and author of McMafia: Crime Without Frontiers, Misha Glenny.

Making her return visit to The Hour, actress and author Valerie Bertinelli.

Wednesday, November 11th

Remembrance Day...please observe 2 minutes of silence at 11 o'clock. Also, look for a special Remembrance Day post later this week.

The Hour has some terrific repeat interviews today: actors Patricia Clarkson and Clive Owen as well as Canadian music icon Michael Bublé.

Thursday, November 12th

Perhaps in your travels on the internet, you have come across the site boingboing.net. One of the people behind it it Toronto born Cory Doctorow, a science fiction author, blogger and journalist. His new book, Makers, is being released this week.

I have always been a fan of Morgan Freeman. My favourite of his films is a 1997 suspense/thriller, Kiss the Girls. If you've not seen it, check it out...the ending will surprise you! I am eagerly looking forward to his latest project with Canadian filmmaker Paul Saltzman (a previous guest on The Hour). Prom Night in Mississippi is a documentary that follows the events surrounding the first ever integrated prom at Charleston High School. The year of this history making event? 2008.

On November 13, Freeman and Paul Saltzman will be participating in a special opening night benefit screening at the Varsity Cinema in Toronto. The benefit is in support of Saltzman's Moving Beyond Prejudice educational DVD package. Proceeds will be used to donate the DVD packages to Canadian schools who would otherwise be unable to purchase the learning tool. Ticket information can be found here.

Friday, November 13th

[Are you superstitious???]

This week's 'best of' show includes Bill Maher, Hugh Dillon and Vivica Fox.

George links that may be of interest

I just wanted to share with everyone some links people send us of Strombo news.

This is an interview on September 27th with George Stroumboulopoulos by a blogger in Vancouver Miss 604 Rebecca Bollwitt.
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Then there was the golfing pictures found on WireImage.com This features both George Stroumboulopoulos and Jian Ghomeshi at the launch of The Canada California Business Council Golf Tournament. These images may be disturbing to some.
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But what I would like to draw your attention to, if you live in or near the GTA, is an Environmental Dinner that George will be chairing on the 12 of November.

Honourary Event Chair George Stroumboulopoulos invites you to the 16th Annual Charles Sauriol Environmental Dinner for The Living City at Pearson Convention Center, Brampton, on Thursday, November 12, 2009.
This event celebrates the great conservationist and visionary Charles Sauriol C.M. featuring Gord Downie and Mark Mattson from Lake Ontario Waterkeeper who will present Heart of a Lake: an evening of song, dance, poetry and conversation.

Tickets are $150 each. Reservations are required.

Contact Helen Lee at 416-661-6600 ext. 5276 or visit www.charlessauriol.ca

All proceeds support The Conservation Foundation and Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust.

AND one more link for you... Just found this on Chartattack about The Strombo Show

Strombo Reveals Details Of New CBC Radio Show | CHARTattack