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October 2010 Archives

All in a Day Music - Friday Oct 29

Between 3 & 4:

  • "Under Your Spell" by Timber Timbre, from the album Medicinals
  • "Variatsii Ha Temu Chaikovskogo (Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky)" by Anton Arenksy and performed by the English Chamber Orchestra, from the album Russian Favorites For Strings
  • "Teenage Love Made Me Insane" by High Dials, from the album Anthems for Doomed Youth

Between 4 & 5:

  • "Creepy Butler" by the Sadies, from the album Tremendous Efforts

Between 5 & 6:

  • "Lion Heart" by Ras Lee, from the album Who Killed the Lion
  • "Nibarize" by the Mighty Popofrom the album Gakondo 
  • "Gakondo" by the Mighty Popo, from the album Gakondo

A Homemade Hallowe'en, plus Non-spooky Candy...

IMG_1212.jpegWhat Friday before Hallowe'en on All in a Day would be complete without a dash of orange and black?

Coming up today on the show...the emphasis on real, unprocessed food these days is undoubtedly good for everybody's bellies. But has it taken all the fun out of candy? We'll hear why sugary sweets shouldn't be donning a devil costume this Hallowe'en.

Plus, we put out the call for listeners who are picking up the sewing needles for the first time and putting together a homemade costume. We heard from Martha Farquhar-Doyle about her attempt to transform into Little Red Riding Hood -- that's her very impressive attempt in the photo.

Finally, you probably have one in your neighbourhood -- the house that always goes all-out on October 31st, with creeping ghouls and fake blood and more jack-o-lanterns than you can count. Well, we bet you can't top a particular house in Winchester. Tune in between 4:30 and 5 today to find out what makes the Creepy Creek Camp so spooky.

 

And if you've got a great costune to share, send it to us at allinaday@cbc.ca and we'll stick it here on the site.

Karen Leggett, for example, thinks this was the best costume at her Hallowe'en party last year:

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And here's a submission from Lee Rose -- check out his "long form census" costume from the front, and from the back.

 

Andrea Hook has also been busy -- here are her most excellent Star Trek costumes.

Thumbnail image for 2010-10-29 Star Trek 3.jpg

Robert on Lennon, with a spooky bonus

Robert Fontaine split his review time this week -- first, he gave praise to Sam Taylor-Wood's first directorial effort, Nowhere Boy.

And then no 3-days-before-Hallowe'en review would be complete without some scary movie suggestions -- so listen in to find out what makes Robert shiver in his boots.

 

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Councillor Boot Camp

There will be 11 new faces around the council table at City Hall when the new municipal government starts to get their hands dirty in December.

And of those 11, most haven't worked in city politics before. So how do they get a leg-up on meeting procedures, municipal policy and the insider gossip on the inner workings of City Hall?

Well, they call Leslie Donnelly. She's the deputy city clerk, and she's been showing the new recruits the ropes. We heard from her on the show on Thursday about the kinds of questions she's been getting from the newbies.

 

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BMD -- Deja Vu All Over Again

bmd book.jpgBack in the 80's, Ronald Reagan gave a whole new meaning to the term Star Wars.The Reagan administration is long gone now, but the U.S. has forged ahead with its ballistic missile defence system.
And then there's Canada, which, according to James Fergusson, has consistently failed to protect our interests in missile defence policy.

James Fergusson is a national security expert and the author of Canada and Ballistic Missile Defence, 1954-2009: Deja Vu All Over Again
Fergusson visited our studios to talk about his new book on Thursday.

 

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A Telecom Rage Solution

Feeling burned by your Bell bill? Think you're getting ripped by Rogers? You may not know that we have a complaints commissioner for the Telecommunications industry.

It's Howard Maker's job to help you resolve any problems  with your cellphone, Internet, and long distance services. And this week he released a report about the number of complaints he's been receiving, and suggested guidelines for the industry.

If you'd like to make a complaint, Howard Maker first suggests trying to resolve it with your service provider. But if that's getting you nowhere, give the Commish a call. He can be reached on his web site.

We spoke to Maker Thursday on the show -- listen in below to hear more tips. 

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All in a Day Music - Thursday Oct 28

Between 3 & 4:

  • "Mean Old Man" by Jerry Lee Lewis, from the album Mean Old Man
  • "Wicked Wind" by Kyrie Kristmanson, from the album Origin of Stars

Between 4 & 5:

  • "Miles" by Ron Leary, from the album Dependent Arising
  • "Hot Toddy" by Julie London, from the album Julie is Her Name
  • "Listen" by Shad, from the album TSOL

Between 5 & 6:

  • "Reefer" by Harlan Pepper, from the album Young and Old
  • "Brulee" by General Elektrik

Today On The Show...

When it comes to your phone bill, your contract for yoru cellphone or your relationship with your internet provider...

apparently, you like to complain.

We'll hear from the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services about why complaint numbers are up.

And a man who never complains about anything... Robert Fontaine... is back in the chair,

looking at the new movie about John Lennon plus a few flicks for Hallowe'en.

All in a Day Music - Wednesday Oct 27

Between 3 & 4:

  • "House of the Rising Sun" by Gregory Isaacs, from the album Planete Caraibe
  • "Pa Pa Power" by Dead Man's Bones, from the album Dead Man's Bones
  • "Lovesick Blues" by Andrea Ramolo, from the album Thank You for the Ride

Between 4 & 5:

  • "Reine" by Coeur de Pirate, from the collection of CBC Great Canadian Songquest songs

Between 5 & 6:

  • "Oh My God (It Still Means a Lot to Me)" by Wooden Sky, from the album If I Don't Come Home You'll Know I'm Gone
  • "If I Were a Tree" by Forest City Lovers, from the album Carriage

D is for Dinner - Pumpkin "Ghoulash"

Just in time for Hallowe'en, Angela Grant-Saunders from Saunders Farm visited our studio with a recipe for Pumpkin Ghoul-ash....

 

Serves 6

  • 6 pie pumpkins, each about 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons (135 ml) olive oil, divided
  • salt and pepper
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 medium-size onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups (500 ml) pumpkin, diced to 1 inch (2.5 cm)
  • 2 cups potato, diced to 1 inch (2.5 cm)
  • 1 cup (250 ml) carrots, diced
  • 1 cup (250 ml) parsnips, diced
  • 1 cup (250 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
  • one 14-ounce (398 ml) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons (25 ml) fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). To prepare pumpkins, cut off the tops and scoop out seeds and pulp. Rub olive oil inside cavity and season with salt and pepper. Place pumpkins with their tops right-side up on baking sheets and roast 25 minutes. Remove tops and remove. Turn pumpkins upside-down and roast another 25 minutes, until flesh is tender and firm. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper and saute in Dutch oven until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove chicken; set aside. Add onions, garlic, curry powder, cumin, cinnamon; saute 1 minute. Return chicken to pot and add diced pumpkin, potato, carrots, parsnips, broth and tomatoes. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

3. Uncover and simmer until chicken and potatoes are cooked through and liquid is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

4. Divide the stew among pumpkin shells. Place on baking sheet (without pumpkin tops) and bake until pumpkins are soft, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and replace pumpkin tops to serve.

 

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Ninjas vs Pirates

A pirate washed up on shore at Petrie Island this week. He was scouring Orleans for buried treasure, you see, when suddenly a ninja jumped out of a tree and attacked.

Believe it or not, pirates versus ninjas is an age-old battle -- well, on the Internet, that is. Amateur filmmakers remake their own versions of the "classic" battle and post them on Youtube -- like this one, or this one, or countless other so-bad-it's-good examples.

Well, here in Ottawa, a professional production company, with real-life, honest-to-goodness martial artists, is recreating the battle for themselves. CBC Reporter Ashley Burke visited the set, and and you can hear the result on All in a Day today.

But first, a Pirates vs Ninjas teaser:

And you can find the company, IMX Productions, here.

 

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Elizabeth Hay's Bookmark

Tuesday on the show, we heard from Ottawa writer Elizabeth Hay. She's been honoured with many awards for her excellent books -- a Giller Prize and a couple of nominations for a Governor General's award, to name a few -- but now she has a different sort of honour. A plaque in Old Ottawa South, featuring a few paragraphs from her book Garbo Laughs.

It's part of a cross-Canada project called Project Bookmark Canada, which aims to mark the real-life places in this country that serve as settings for fiction and poetry. And Garbo Laughs, of course, takes place right here in Ottawa.

You can find Elizabeth Hay's plaque on the west side of Bronson Place, near Fulton. And you can hear Elizabeth's thoughts on the project right here.

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All in a Day Music - Tuesday Oct 26

Between 3 & 4:

  • "Arrows" by Rah Rah, from the album Breaking Hearts
  • "Hard Times in New York Town" by Bob Dylan, from the album Witmark Demos: 1962-1964
  • "Something Else" by Diamond Rings, from the album Special Affections
  • "Pour Ton Sourire" by Jorane, from the album X

Between 4 & 5:

  • "At the Roncies" by Jully Black, from the unreleased collection of CBC Great Canadian Songbook songs
  • "Strollin'" by Joey Wright, from the album Hatch

Today On The Program...

It's the day after the election, with eleven new faces on council...
We'll talk to two of them: Tim Tierney and Scott Moffatt,
plus check in with our voters' panel...
and find out from Clive Doucet, if this means the end of his career in politics.
Also...  what was really behind the televoting problems in communities including Arnprior, Almonte, and Mississippi Mills.
That and more, coming up, on All In A Day, from 3-6.

All in a Day Music - Mon Oct 25

Between 3 & 4:

  • "Cold Ottawa Wind" by North Lakes, from the album Cobra
  • "Un Millionnaire" by Michel Louvain, from the album Toi et Moi
  • "Napoli" by the Bad Examples, from the album Slow Music
  • "In Between" by Erik Truffaz, from the album In Between

Between 4 & 5:

  • "Basmati" by Gonzales, from the album Solo Piano
  • "Tina's Glorious Comeback" by Dan Mangan, from the album Nice, Nice, Very Nice

Between 5 & 6:

  • "If I Lose My Head" by Emm Gryner, from the album Gem and I
  • "Be My Man" by Asa, from the album Beautiful Imperfection

Sochi, Here they Come??

SEMPLEBIGGS_FR.pngRemember the glow of Vancouver last winter? Recall the flush of pride you felt watching all those Canadian athletes ski, sled and skate their way to the top? What do you think those athletes are up to now?

Well, if you're Olympic quality but not quite a podium-finisher, you might find yourself asking for a little spare change.

Patrick Biggs and Ryan Semple are very good skiiers. Ryan, for example, came away from the Olympics ranked 22nd in the world in his main event, the Super Combined. But neither Ryan nor Patrick quite make the cut when it comes to having a funded spot on Canada's national ski team.

They can compete with the team, but only if they pay their own way. And so both Ryan and Patrick are busy raising almost $80,000 each to keep competing. Part of that fundraising effort is an evening at Tommy & Lefebvre this Wednesday (Oct 27th), and the hopeful skiiers will be stopping by our studio today to talk about the stresses of fundraising and the joys of making the national team.  

If you'd like to attend tonight's fundraiser or donate to Ryan and Patrick, email darcy.walsh@hillandknowlton.ca .

  

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If you haven't done it yet...

http://www.cbc.ca/ottawa/features/ottawavotes2010/voter-toolkit.html

 

Get out and vote!

Today On The Show...

As candidates sweat today about your votes at the poll...

there's one guy who won't be perspiring so heavily.

That's Gord Hunter, outgoing councillor for Knoxdale-Merivale, who

is leaving his post after more than 30 years in the political game.
We'll see how he's feeling today...

Plus, the art of 4-word film reviews and more, coming up from 3-6.

 

Political Panel - Oct 22 2010

A crackdown in illegal immigration; a shakeup in the top ranks of the RCMP; and the sale of a major employer in Saskatchewan. Our political panel discusses what's been preoccupying Parliament this week.

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All in a Day Music - Friday

Between 3 & 4:

  • "Ronnie Hawkins" by the Gertrudes, from the album Dawn Time Riot
  • "Under the Umbrella" by Company of Thieves, from the album Ordinary Riches (LONG SONG)
  • "I am the New Number Two" by Reverb Syndicate, from the album Operation: Jet Set!
  • "Take it Slow" by Grand Analog, from the album Metropolis is Burning

Between 4 & 5:

  • "Beautiful" by Danny Michel, from the album Tales from the Invisible Man
  • "Wild Folk" by Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans, from the album Falcon Lake Incident

Between 5 & 6:

  • "Little Voice" by Rebekah Higgs, from the album Little Voice
  • "Save Me" by OMD, from the album History of Modern

Coming up on All in a Day

A crackdown on illegal immigration and a shakeup in the top ranks of the RCMP...Our political panel will be in to discuss what's been preoccupying Parliament this week.

Plus, the Ottawa Ski Club turns 100, an even older fortepiano is ripe for a tuning, and the brilliant and hilarious David Rakoff -- whose latest book ties together erotic fairs, the Jewish museum, and getting let go from a Bette Midler film -- will visit our studio before his Ottawa International Writers Festival event tonight.

All that and more, from 3-6 today on 91.5FM in Ottawa.

An old, old piano

fortepiano-web.jpgFor Heaven's Sake! Let's Fix this Fortepiano!

That's the message of Carleton University's music program in the School for Studies in Art & Culture. And it's also the title of a fundraiser taking place tonight.

Tucked away in a music department classroom lies a fortepiano made built in 1777. Needless to say, it's pretty old. It's also pretty out of tune.

But hold on -- we know some of you must be asking, what the heck is a fortepiano anyway? It's a special kind of early piano that's smaller, quieter, has no pedals, and possesses a more intimate sound than the piano we know and love today. We're also told it fits nicely into the back of a Volvo.

Here's a video that shows a performance of a tuned fortepiano. As for the slightly broken version at Carleton -- well, tune (ha!) into All in a Day at 5:40pm today to hear what it sounds like right now. But after tonight's fundraiser to gather up $10,000 to restore the fortepiano, hopefully it will be sounding much better soon.

Full details about the fundraiser are available here.

 

(Fortepiano photo by James Park)  

Limbless Tree Art

100footline1.jpgBy now, you've probably seen or heard of Roxy Paine's One Hundred Foot Line. It's the National Gallery of Canada's newest outdoor work of art, and as of today you'll find it standing, yes, 100 feet tall between the gallery and Nepean Point. 

What place does a limbless metal tree have in our Ottawa skyline? Well, there's been a lot of response to that question. Controversy, even. But today on the show we heard from the artist himself, as well as director Marc Mayer. And now you can go have a look for yourself.

After seeing the work, and hearing from its creator, what do you think of One Hundred Foot Line?

How To Block Tweets

Earlier today, Canadian Press reporter Jennifer Ditchburn (who I follow on Twitter) tweeted asking how to block tweets with details about the Col. Russell Williams piece... as the details that were being tweeted from the courtroom were getting to be too much to see on her screen.

Web developer and All In A Day listener Jamie Calder tweeted back with advice, and then offered up this little tutorial on how to do it. If you're interested in doing the same thing, here you go...

http://jamiecalder.com/twitter.php

Thanks Jamie and Jennifer.

 

Nucleic Acids, the hottest new dance...

A few weeks ago on the show, we checked in with Maureen McKeague. She had managed a pretty impossible feat: depicting her doctoral thesis in chemistry through dance. Yup, dance.

It was Maureen's entry in the "Dance Your PhD" contest, which awards prizes for theses expressed in choreographic form.

Well, this week in NYC Maureen picked up top prize for her "Selection of a DNA aptamer for homocysteine using Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment." Catchy-sounding, isn't it?

Maureen talks about her victory today on AIAD at 5:40. But you can watch her dance anytime.

 

 

 

Mac n' Cheese - Mom's Way

For good old-fashioned comfort food -- or simply a reminder or your college-years diet -- what's better than KD Mac & Cheese?

Well, how about a homemade version?

Christine Tea, of the foodie blog Tea for Two , grew up on Chinese food and mac & cheese -- her mom's special take. In fact, she didn't know as a kid that the KD version even existed. And these days, Christine is perfecting her own recipe.

Today on D is for Dinner, Christine shares that recipe with all of us. Perfect stick-to-your-ribs food for a cold fall night!

Christine Tea's Mac & Cheese

1 cup Macaroni, Rotini or Baby Shells

2 tsp butter

2-1/2 tsp flour

1/2 cup milk/water

1-1/2 tsp Chicken Bake

1/2 cup cheese (mild or old cheddar)

Sprinkle of black pepper

Note: measurements are approximate. The Recipe can be altered to your taste -- if you want more sauce, just add more butter, flour, milk, chicken bake and cheese. It's the proportions that matter here.

Boil some water and add enough salt to make the water taste like salt water. Cook the pasta to your liking. (My dad likes it a lot softer, so he leaves it to cook longer.) I cook it until it's al dente, which takes about 8 minutes. Strain the pasta and do not rinse.

While the pasta is cooking, bring out butter, flour, milk/water, chicken bake and slice/shred the cheese. Be sure to have more than enough of everything close by, in case you need to make adjustments.

Once the pasta has been strained, add the butter and flour into the pot over medium heat. Stir and cook the roux until it starts to turn golden.

Add milk to the roux and stir/whisk until there are no more lumps. This is bechamel sauce.

Turn off the heat and add half of the chicken bake. Stir and taste. If you need more, which you probably will, add a bit more, stir, taste and then add more if necessary. You don't want to have the chicken bake too strong, as the cheese will add more salt to the sauce.

Add the cheese and strained pasta. If, at this point, it looks like you need more sauce, just add a bit of milk/water. Season to taste with black pepper and serve.

Makes about 2 servings.   

 

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Japanese Animation, in words

 

Tuesday on the show we heard from the Ottawa International Animation Festival's Chris Robinson, who has just published a fascinating -- and extremely creative -- book on Japanese Animation.

Rather than just straight-up interviewing his subjects, Chris tries to embody their styles of animation in words -- leading to fanciful passages where he comes face to face with Keita Kurosaka's winged man-creatures, jumps above the rooftops of Tokyo with Ozamu Tesuka, and spanks a maid in Akihabara after pondering the psycho-sexual works of Yoji Kuri.

Robinson will be signing his book Thursday (October 21) at 4PM at the Arts Court Studio. And if you're intrigued by the animators he profiles in Japanese Animation: Time Out of Mind, then be sure to check out some of the animation festival's special Japanese programming.

Listen to Alan chat with Chris about his book here:

 

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Political Panel

Portugal beat Canada to a seat on the UN Security Council; a diplomatic row is getting us evicted from a middle eastern base, and will Omar Khadr be landing in Canada soon?

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Wine Panel

Fall Wine Recommendations:


Stacey's Picks:
Big House White 2009 (California) 173286 $9.95
Passion of Portugal Red (Portugal) 146449 $7.05
Trapiche Syrah (Argentina) 26898 $9.00

Rod's Picks:
White Remy Pannier Anjou 2009 (France) $12.10 (No. 5967)
Red Hob Nob Merlot 2007 (France) $11.95 (184077)
Red Folonari 'Verona' Rosso 2008 (Italy) $11.95 (191718)

 

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Another Fine Mess: a History of American Film Comedy

Robert Fontaine with something different today. He is not reviewing a movie ---instead,  a new book that explores comedy in film. It's called "Another Fine Mess: a History of American Film Comedy"

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You Will Meet A Tall, Dark Stranger

Robert Fontaine reviews the new Woody Allen film "You Will Meet A Tall, Dark Stranger"

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Political Panel - Oct 08 2010

Our political panel discuss the latest calls for Christian Paradis's resignation,the Department of Veterans Affairs has been a little too free with files containing private medical information, and Canada's shot at a seat on the UN Security Council.

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Matzo Balls

Auntie Lorna's Baked Matzo Balls
(from the memoir When My World Was Very Small by Ruth Rakoff)
 
"Auntie Lorna would painstakingly fill each delicious lump of divinely dense yumminess with fried onions, whereas I simply mix the fried onions into the batter. I like to bake them in mini muffin tins (kind of like Jewish Yorkshire puddings).
 
"For the batter I've provided basic proportions, though I have never in my life made only two eggs' worth of matzo balls. I usually factor about half an egg per person, rounding up of course and then just to be sure there will be enough add two more."
 
Onions:
Use at least one medium onion or more (never less) for every egg.
Chop and fry onions slowly on low heat until beautifully caramelized. Traditionally this would be done in chicken fat, but I use olive oil. Allow the onions to cool.
 
Batter (basic proportions):
2 eggs
2 tablespoons oil or chicken fat
½ cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon salt,
2 tablespoons soup or water
 
Lightly scramble eggs and oil together. Mix with matzo meal and salt until paste-like. Add water and stir out any lumps. Add generous amount of caramelized onions and stir into batter. Refrigerate for an hour or more.
 
Spoon ragged-edged lumps into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees Farenheit until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.
 
Try to wait until they cool before eating them.
 
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Book Panel - October 4

Ann Archer reviews:

- Girl Unwrapped - Gabriella Goliger, Arsenal Pulp Press 2010
- Gold Diggers: Striking It Rich In The Klondike - Charlotte Gray, HarperCollins Canada 201o

Randall Ware reviews:

-  Room - Emma Donoghue - HarperCollins
-  Is There Anything Good About Men?:How Cultures Flourish By Exploiting Men - Roy F. Baumeister - Oxford University Press

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Film Review - Wall Street

Robert reviews the film "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps"

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Political Panel

Oct 01 2010 - Political panel with Julie Van Dusen and Rob Russo. Topics: the economy and new GG David Johnston

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