Q

Buddy Guy on Q

2012-05-31T19:02:04Z

At 75 years old, the blues great is telling his story in a new memoir, "When I Left Home." Listen in for some pearls of wisdom on life and the blues in this feature chat with Buddy Guy.

Adam Lambert on Q

2012-05-30T18:42:02Z

Adam Lambert is back in the spotlight once again with his second record Trespassing. This time around, he's drawing back the glittery curtain of his rock star persona, exposing a more personal, emotional, and even socially-conscious side.

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This is how

2012-05-30T14:52:29Z

The bestselling memoirist offers some unflinching advice in his latest, This Is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More for the Young and Old Alike. He joined Jian today on Q.

Is this the end of libraries as we know them?

2012-05-30T14:31:22Z

A heated debate is raging over a $300 million proposal to renovate the iconic Fifth Avenue branch of the New York Public Library.

The "Central Library Plan" includes shipping millions of reference titles to a storage facility to make room for more lounge-like spaces and maybe even a cafe.

These proposed changes are actually part of a larger trend among libraries across North America that are revamping their identity beyond books but as community hubs.

Is this transformation helping libraries maintain their relevance in the digital age, or are libraries just "carpetbombing themselves into oblivion" as one guest put it?

Join the Q debate and tell us what you think.

Mio on the Down-Lo: Hack Your Body

2012-05-30T13:45:35Z

Until now, the only help I'd ask of a computer geek would be with my...computer. When it comes to wellness, nerds aren't exactly paragons of healthy living but Craig Engler makes a compelling case for applying the concept of "hacking" to weight loss. Would you consider "weight hacking"?]]> If Craig Engler is to be believed you need to drop the diet gurus and become a WEIGHTHACKER by applying the nerdish principles of computer hacking to your weight loss plans. Much of it seems to start with re-training your mind versus re-training your body, using scientific data. But will neurolinguistic exercises like saying "I don't" instead of "I can't" or looking at images of fatty steaks while chomping on broccoli make the difference for you?

I'm kinda over Facebook...except...when Mark Zuckerberg's wealth takes a relative nosedive from an initial IPO high of 20 bil. If, like me, you enjoy a bit of "stockenfreude", keep track of the shrinking billions with the ZUCK WEALTH-O-METER.

I'm kinda over the TED Talk thing...unless...they let REGGIE WATTS poke a little fun.

I'm kinda over bacon (well, not really)...but RHETT AND LINK's bacon advice makes sense.

Everyone is over that irritating Microsoft paper clip icon, but now you can add CLIPPY to any website.

I'm kinda over websites that try to gauge the "sound of the internet"... however...THE LISTENING MACHINE emits a pleasing soundtrack based on the "emotional content" of British-based tweets.

Down with Standing Ovations

2012-05-29T14:14:17Z

Ben Brantley, chief theatre critic for the New York Times, says we're in an age of "ovation inflation." Listen to his impassioned plea for the sitting ovation's return, and share your thoughts in the comments below.

Where do you stand on "hopefully"?

2012-05-29T14:06:00Z

When the Associated Press's new 2012 Stylebook comes out tomorrow, the word "hopefully" (as in "it is hoped") will be included for the first time.
Today, we hosted a Q Debate with two notable grammarians. Bryan Garner says he's disappointed by the new addition, while Patricia O'Connor is thrilled by the AP's legitimization of the modern use of "hopefully".

Where do you stand on the issue of "hopefully" being added to the AP's new Stylebook? Is it a step forward? Or have the grammar barbarians won a round? ]]>

To pee, or not to pee

2012-05-28T14:29:37Z

Sure it's a summer tradition -- the surreptitious pee while lake swimming -- but scientists are beginning to warn that for the fish, it's a different story. Jian contemplates the summer conundrum.

So, what will you do next time the opportunity presents itself?

This Week On Q - May 28-Jun 1/12

2012-05-25T20:11:16Z

]]> Monday: The story of ex-convict named Alex Friedmann who bought stocks in a prison in order to bring attention to his cause: sexual assault in jail. Reporter Geoffrey York explains the political and cultural reasons for the controversy surrounding a satirical painting of South African president Jacob Zuma. Q's Sports Culture Panel with Stephen Brunt and Mary Ormsby.

Tuesday: Guardian correspondent Kate Hodal on the story of an Indonesian atheist who's been jailed and beaten for posting his beliefs on Facebook. Two notable grammar enthusiasts discuss the addition of "hopefully" to the new AP style guide and the state of grammar today. Ben Brantley, theatre writer from the New York Times, argues that standing ovations have become too predictable and frequent.

Wednesday: Libraries - should they evolve into community centres for knowledge, or are books the thing? A Q debate. Glam-rock musician Adam Lambert on his new album, Trespassing. Bestselling dysfunctional family memoirist Augusten Burroughs on his new anti-self-help book, This is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More.

Thursday: A look at the most-discussed political presence in Italy these days - a comedian who's making his fellow citizens laugh in the wake of the Berlusconi years. Blues musician Buddy Guy talks about his memoir, When I Left Home: My Story, which traces his journey from humble roots in Louisiana to the Chicago music scene. UNZIPPED: fashion writer Lizzie Garrett Mettler on the enduring appeal of tomboy style. Mio Adilman's Download Downlo column.

Friday: Juno-nominated Jazz musician Michael Occipinti and some of his musical friends - including vocalists Elizabeth Shepherd and Dominic Mancuso -- perform songs from the new album Shine On: The Universe of John Lennon. Maeghan Smulders on being a super intern. J.A. Wainwright on his new opera about the Robert Dziekanski tragedy. Barry Michels -- a Hollywood therapist who specializes in screenwriters facing writer's block -- has written a new general guide to overcoming barriers called The Tools. Elvira Kurt's Cultural Hall of Shame, and more.

Audio is available the day following the broadcast.

Montreal Media Panel

2012-05-25T15:37:59Z

A specially convened panel on coverage of the student demonstrations, with National Post contributor Adam Daifallah, La Presse columnist Tele-Quebec TV host Patrick Lagacé, and author and activist Judy Rebick.

This Week On Q

2012-05-25T15:30:00Z

This week on Q

Monday: Geoffrey York
Tuesday: Ben Brantley
Wednesday: Adam Lambert
Thursday: Buddy Guy
Friday: Barry Michels

See the full lineup »

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Q launches Redesigning America series

2012-05-25T15:03:12Z

Studio 360 host Kurt Andersen joined Jian on the show today to launch our new, joint project. We'll be "Redesigning America" throughout the month of June, while WNYC's Studio 360 "Redesigns Canada." Get a jump on the series with our contest: Redesign America in six words and win a trip to Ottawa. And check out the Redesign site for more of what's to come.

Redesigning America

2012-05-25T13:31:48Z

Coming next month, Q has taken on the daunting task of Redesigning America. It's a special co-production with our friends at Studio 360.

Over the month of June, we'll be bringing together special guests to re-imagine various aspects of American life. We'll be looking at Hollywood and the media; manner and morals; and in a full show special on the 4th of July we'll be redesigning the American Dream.

As our first task, we'll be looking at America's international image. President Barack Obama promised a reboot. We'll be looking at the state of Brand USA and asking what image America should be cultivating in 21st century.

We want to crowd-source this as much as possible, so we're looking for your help. Is America still seen as the land of the free or a global bully? With China and other emerging economies on the rise, is it time for the United States to let go of its superpower status?

(And don't forget to enter our contest: redesign America in six words for a chance to win a trip to Ottawa.)

Edie Falco's addiction

2012-05-24T17:07:44Z

Actress Edie Falco has earned critical praise for her bold portrayals of mob wife Carmela Soprano on The Sopranos, and Officer Diane Whittlesey on Oz. The multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winner's latest labour of love is the tragi-com series Nurse Jackie, in which she plays a drug-addicted medical worker who enters rehab in the show's latest season. It's a character Edie can particularly relate to, given her own past struggle with alcohol addiction. She talks to Jian about the delicate act of portraying an addict on TV, and reflects on her career to this point.

Toni Morrison on her two selves

2012-05-24T13:48:48Z

African American author and academic Toni Morrison speaks openly about the division between her celebrity and true self. In her latest book, titled Home, the Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist subverts the often sunny and nostalgia-driven clichés about the 1950s to reveal the racist and often-violent reality faced by many African Americans.

Terms and Conditions - Redesign America in Six Words Contest

2012-05-24T12:01:50Z

CONTEST RULES

Redesign America in Six Words ("Contest")

from 9 a.m. EDT on May 24, 2012 to 11:59 p.m. EDT on July 3, 2012 ("Contest Period")

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ("CBC")
and Ottawa Tourism

1. HOW TO ENTER

No purchase required. To enter the Contest, visit http://www.cbc.ca/q/redesign/2012/05/22/contest-redesign-america-in-six-words/ on CBC's Q website, and submit your six-word pitch for a slogan to "Redesign America" during the Contest Period.

Submit your slogan in the comments section at http://www.cbc.ca/q/redesign/2012/05/22/contest-redesign-america-in-six-words/ using your CBC Member Centre account no later than July 3, 2012 at 11:59 pm EDT.

2. ELIGIBILITY

Contest is open to all residents of Canada and the United States of America who have reached the age of majority in their province, territory or state of residence before July 3, 2012

Employees of CBC, Ottawa Tourism, New York Public Radio, Public Radio International and/or their respective agencies, affiliated companies or the independent contest organization, as well as such employees' immediate family (father/mother, brother/sister, son/daughter), and persons living under the same roof are not eligible to enter this Contest.

3. PROCEDURE FOR AWARDING PRIZES

On July 4, 2012, at 9 a.m. EDT, a subjective selection will be conducted by CBC's Q from among all eligible entries received during the Contest Period. The first selected contestant to correctly answer the mandatory mathematical skill-testing question shall be declared the winner, subject to meeting all the conditions described in these rules.

Winner will be contacted by telephone or by e-mail the same day as the selection and should claim its prize as instructed by CBC by no later than 2 days after the date they are initially contacted. If a winner cannot be reached within 2 days following the first attempt of contact, incorrectly answers the mathematical skill-testing question, declines the prize, or fails to return the required release form, the prize shall be forfeited and CBC has the right, at its sole discretion, to select another winner.

4. DESCRIPTION OF PRIZE(S)

The winner will receive a trip for two to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, which must be taken by July 4th, 2013*, including:

- return economy airfares for two people from the international airport closest to the winner's residence; 

- accommodation for two nights at ARC The Hotel or, if accommodation is unavailable during Winner's desired occupancy, a hotel of equivalent monetary value to be chosen by Ottawa Tourism in its sole discretion (double occupancy).

The prize includes only what is specifically described and no other allowance will be granted. The winner and his/her travel companion will have to pay all other expenses including, but not limited to:

- meals and beverages; 

- transportation costs, including round-trip transfers between the winner's residence and departure airport; round-trip transfers between the destination airport and hotel; ground transportation in the winner's origin city; ground transportation in the city of the winner's departure airport; ground transportation in the city of the destination airport; and ground transportation in the destination city 

- excess baggage fees

- transport and/or airport fees

- taxes

- communications charges

 - travel and health insurance (cancellation, medical, etc.);  - gratuities, tips, taxes of any kind; 

- all other incidentals

 - personal expenses

The winner and his/her travel companion, if applicable, are responsible for obtaining a valid passport and/or other required travel documentation at their own expense. If the winner and his/her travel companion are unable to travel because they lack proper documentation, the prize will be forfeited without compensation, and a new draw may be held. Winner may be required by hotel to provide a valid credit card to cover incidental expenses.

The winner must be available to travel on the dates mentioned in the prize description. If the winner is unable to travel on the designated dates, the prize will be forfeited without compensation and a new draw may be held.

Approximate value of the prize is dependent on the international airport from which the Winner departs.

*Seasonal operations. Only available if travelling during operational period. Not all dates will necessarily be available for travel. No changes will be permitted to travel dates or passenger names once the travel portion of prize has been booked. Additional detail will be provided upon winner selection.

5. GENERAL RULES

5.1. To be declared a winner, the selected contestant must first correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question.

5.2. The winner shall sign a release declaring their eligibility as stipulated in Section 2 of these rules; agreeing that their name, image and/or voice may be used for advertising purposes related to this Contest free of charge; and releasing CBC, and Ottawa Tourism as well as their respective directors, officers and employees (the "Contest Parties") from all liability for any damage or loss arising from participation in this Contest or from the awarding, acceptance or use of the prize.

Anyone accompanying the winner in connection with the trip to Ottawa shall sign a release agreeing that their name, image and/or voice may be used for advertising purposes related to this Contest free of charge, and releasing the Contest Parties from all liability for any damage or loss arising from use of the prize.

5.3. The prize shall be accepted as is and may not be exchanged or refunded for an amount of money, sold or transferred. No substitutions will be allowed. Any unused portion of a prize will be forfeited.

5.4. Two (2) weeks notice are required to make travel arrangements.

5.5. If the prize cannot be awarded as described in these rules, CBC and Ottawa Tourism reserve the right to substitute a prize or prize component with another of comparable value, as determined in their sole discretion.

5.6. Refusal to accept the prize releases the Contest Parties from any obligation toward the winner.

5.7. If a contestant makes any false statement, (s)he will be automatically disqualified from the Contest.

5.8. All entries become property of the Contest Parties.

5.9. The Contest Parties assume no liability for any loss, damage or injury, including without limitation: (i) lost, stolen, delayed, damaged, misdirected, late, destroyed, illegible or incomplete entries; (ii) loss, theft or damage to software or computer or telephone data, including any breach of privacy; (iii) fraudulent calls; (iv) inability of any person to participate in the Contest for any reason including mistaken addresses on mail or e-mail; technical, computer or telephone malfunctions or other problems with computer on-line systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment, or software; congestion on the internet or at any website, or any combination of the foregoing; (v) damage to any person's computer, including as a result of playing or downloading any material relating to the Contest; (vi) any delay or inability to act resulting from an event or situation beyond their control, including a strike, lockout or other labour dispute at their location or the locations of the organizations and businesses whose services are used to administer this Contest; or (vii) prizes that are lost, damaged or misdirected during shipping.

5.10. CBC reserves the right to cancel or suspend this Contest should a virus, bug or other cause beyond their reasonable control corrupt the security or proper administration of the Contest. Any attempt to deliberately damage any website or to undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such an attempt be made, CBC reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by law, including criminal prosecution.

5.11. All personal information, such as name and contact information, is collected by CBC solely for the purposes of administering this Contest and shall not be used for any other purpose without your express consent. By providing this information, you consent to it being used for the stated purposes. Please see CBC's privacy policy at http://www.cbc.ca/aboutcbc/discover/privacy.html.

5.12. If the identity of a contestant is disputed, the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry will be deemed to be the contestant. The individual assigned to the e-mail address for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address is considered the authorized account holder. A selected contestant may be required to provide proof that (s)he is the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with the selected entry. All entries must be submitted from a valid e-mail account that may be identified by reverse domain name search. The sole determinant of time for the purposes of receipt of a valid entry in this Contest will be the Contest server.

5.13. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries. All entries that are incomplete, illegible, damaged, irregular, have been submitted through illicit means, using any robotic, automatic programmed method that artificially increases the odds of winning or do not conform to or satisfy any condition of the rules may be disqualified by the CBC. CBC is not responsible for any errors or omissions in printing or advertising this Contest.

5.14. CBC reserves the right to amend the Contest rules or to terminate the Contest at any time without any liability to any contestant. Any amendments to these Contest rules will be posted on www.cbc.ca/q

5.15. By entering, you agree to abide by the Contest rules and the decisions of CBC, which decisions are final and binding on all contestants.

5.16. Contest rules are available on www.cbc.ca/q

5.17. Other restrictions may apply.

5.18. Terms and conditions of prize are subject to change without notice.

The dark side of Eurovision

2012-05-23T16:00:44Z

A spotlight is shining on Azerbaijan this week as it hosts Eurovision, the annual European song contest known for its outlandish performances, and viewed on TV by more than 100 million people. But it's not all glitz this year. While Azerbaijan attempts to show off its strength to the world, it's also come under scrutiny by activist groups for its unsavoury human rights record, and its crackdown on anti-government protestors and journalists leading up to the contest.

Karen Fricker is co-founder of the Eurovision and 'New' Europe academic research network who is covering the contest for the Irish Times. She returns to Q to report on what these negative reports mean for the competition and Azerbaijan.

Do child actors deserve more credit?

2012-05-23T13:24:12Z

Has child acting grown up into something truly noteworthy?

For years the well-earned stereotype of child acting was that it delivered reliably bad performances. But cultural journalist Michael Barthel argues child and teen acting has surpassed that stereotype and gotten really really good.

In fact, he says, we've entered a new golden age of child acting in which the performances are increasingly holding their own against the adults in the cast.

Do you agree? Is it time to better appreciate the great performances kids are giving on screen? Or are you seeing just as many clunky cuties on screen as ever?

Plus, name your picks for best (and, ok, worst) performances by young actors.

Stephen Merchant stands up for himself

2012-05-22T14:33:32Z

Comedian and man of great height Stephen Merchant is well known for collaborating with Ricky Gervais on the hit TV shows The Office, Extras, Life's Too Short and An Idiot Abroad. He's also co-host of The Ricky Gervais Show, the most downloaded podcast of all time. He talks to Jian about recently returning to his stand-up comedy roots, whether there are taboos in comedy, and more.

Vanilla Ice on "Ice, Ice, Baby" and his new career in TV

2012-05-22T14:08:24Z

On today's show, Jian spoke to Rob Van Winkle AKA Vanilla Ice. He rose to fame as a rapper in the early 1990s, with more than 11 million in sales for his debut album, To The Extreme, which featured his hit, Ice, Ice, Baby. He's now a successful real estate entrepreneur and remodeling expert, as seen on his hit DIY Network series The Vanilla Ice Project, as well as judge on the TV singing competition, Canada Sings.

Take a listen to the interview, in which he reminisces about his pet kangaroo Bucky, break-dancing in the '80s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and why he continues to embrace the hit single that launched his career.