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But you might not know that Norwegian Cruise Line and Atlanta-based Sixthman have been partnering for years now to create some of the best music-themed festivals at sea that explore the Caribbean each and every winter.
With sailings ranging between three and seven days, Sixthman is celebrating its 15th year creating specially designed music festivals at sea, most of which utilize two of Norwegian's best ships: Norwegian Jade and Norwegian Pearl.
Carrying just over 2,000 guests apiece, these ultracool ships are humanly sized compared to some of the ultra-megaships out there. They've got wide-open pool decks for performances out at sea, and state-of-the-art, multi-storey theatres for evening performances with all the bells and whistles. It doesn't hurt that there are more than a dozen different restaurants and lounges aboard each ship, either, or that you can try your hand at bowling at sea aboard Norwegian Pearl.
The talent roster of past Festival at Sea artists reads like a who's-who of the music industry, from country band Alabama to the Barenaked Ladies, John Mayer, Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd and others. And this coming winter, Sixthman and Norwegian Cruise Line have a whole lineup of sun-drenched oceangoing concerts.
If you're in Miami on March 10, 2017, you're probably want to hop aboard Norwegian Pearl's three-day jaunt to the Bahamas with Pitbull. It doesn't hurt that this quickie weekend voyage also calls on Norwegian Cruise Line's private Bahamian island paradise, Great Stirrup Cay.
If you can't wait until March to get away, there's also the Kiss Kruise VI (Nov. 4-9; round-trip Miami aboard Norwegian Pearl), featuring performances by Kiss, The Dead Daisies, Magnetico, Cleveland's Breakfast Club, Teaze, Sophie Simmons and Evan Stanley. This one always sells out.
Of course, if you're looking for something a little more subdued, there's the very-cool "Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea III" voyage that departs Tampa on Feb. 6, 2017 aboard the 2,402-guest Norwegian Jade. Bound for Costa Maya, Mexico, this four-day cruise packs real punch, with performances by Gregg Allman, Joe Bonamassa, King Solomon Hicks, the Honey Island Swamp band and more.
The band Train is also sailing aboard Norwegian Jade from Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 15, 2017, as part of the "Sail Across the Sun" festival at sea. They're joined by the talented Matt Nathanson, Natasha Bedingfield, Glen Phillips, Arrested Development and others — as they, too, sail for Costa Maya.
All told, 10 different theme voyages are on offer between now and April 2017, ranging from heavy metal to country. There's even a full-blown Walking Dead-themed voyage known as the "Walker Stalker Cruise." That one departs from Miami aboard Norwegian Pearl on Feb. 3, 2017 and includes the opportunity to meet and mingle with members of the cast and crew of the hit television series.
For Sixthman CEO Anthony Diaz, the whole idea is about giving cruisers more than they would expect with world-class artists that truly love the idea of a shipboard performance.
"Passion trumps everything", he says. "Our artists love performing onboard. Kiss might do an unmasked, unplugged set on the pool deck one afternoon, and then go into the Stardust Theatre for a more elaborate show."
Diaz also notes that more than half of the guests on any given sailing are repeat visitors who have previously cruised on at least one festival at sea, with 44 per cent of all guests hailing from Canada.
He says that passengers tend to form long-lasting friendships on these voyages because they arrive on the ship already united by a common interest: the on-board performers. Guests aren't all young kids, either: the average Festival at Sea passenger is between the ages of 28 and 53, and most of these guests tend to be female.
If you've always wanted to cruise the Caribbean, sailing off into the sunset while listening to your favourite band perform live out on deck might be a great reason to do so.]]>
Every year from about Nov. 25 until Dec. 24, Europe's traditional Christmas markets are in full swing. This is particularly true of countries like Germany and Austria, which have elaborate markets set up in nearly every city and town. The Christmas markets are a social thing, where locals go out to sip glühwein (hot mulled wine) and eat traditional lebkuchen, or gingerbread. There are also handmade crafts that run the gamut from fragile ornaments to the Zwetschgenmännle — literally small figures of people made out of prunes — that are typically found in markets in Nuremberg.
A river cruise is, without a doubt, the best way to see these markets in all their glory. You unpack once, and in a week you can see five to seven different ports of call, all without the need for long motorcoach rides or early wake-up calls. While Christmas Market river cruises are more popular now, they still showcase the off-season in Europe. Flights tend to be cheaper, as are hotels. Key attractions don't suffer from the same kinds of crowds that July brings, and the temperatures are chilly but not unbearable. In fact, it's more likely to rain than snow on most December departures, though some well-timed snow isn't uncommon.
So why are we talking about all of this in July? The fact of the matter is that, even with river cruises experiencing softer demand this year, these Christmas Market sailings (offered between late November and late December) fill up fast. The best time to book one is right now.
Viking River Cruises is one of my favourite go-to lines for Christmas Market voyages. Its programs — both on-board and off — are superb, and the line rejigs panoramic city tours and walking excursions to visit markets in every port of call. Want to do your own thing? Not a problem: Viking will arm you with a map and a plan, or — in the case of cities like Vienna — the line even offers a guided excursion that teaches you how to get around on the city's underground U-Bahn subway system.
If you've never done a Christmas Market river cruise before, I'd recommend Viking's 10-day Bavaria-to-Budapest cruise that runs between Budapest and Nuremberg, or the reverse of that. An elongated version of Viking's week-long Romantic Danube itinerary, the Viking cruise includes two full days in both Nuremberg and Vienna, and one full day and two nights in Budapest. The days in Vienna are particularly important: not only is this one of Europe's most beautiful cities, but it also plays host to nearly two dozen different markets, ranging from the most famous one held in front of the Rathaus (city hall) to small, artisanal markets that pop up in local neighbourhoods.
Other ports of call on this itinerary include Regensburg, Germany (with the beautiful 'Romantic Christmas Market' at Schloss Thurn und Taxis); Passau, Germany; Krems, Austria; and the little-visited Esztergom, Hungary.
Another great Christmas Market itinerary is Viking's eight-day Rhine Getaway. Sailing from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, this voyage offers a completely different look at Europe and its Christmas market traditions. It offers calls on Breisach, Germany; Strasbourg, France; Heidelberg, Germany; Koblenz, Germany; Cologne, Germany, and Kinderdijk, Netherlands — a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for its collection of historic windmills.
What makes this voyage particularly noteworthy are the small towns along the way — the ones that you've likely never heard of. Breisach, Germany, for instance, features a local market consisting of about seven stalls and still makes the best glühwein I've ever tasted. Then, there are bigger cities such as Strasbourg, with its intriguing mix of French and German cuisine and traditions, like Alsatian-inspire Spätzle.
There's only one problem with these Christmas Market sailings: it's a holiday tradition you're going to want to repeat again and again.]]>
Now, SeaDream is rolling out a number of new itineraries for 2017, including seven special wine-themed voyages. Sailing through the sun-splashed Mediterranean, these dedicated wine sailings provide guests with premium tastings from celebrated wineries such as Château Gassier, Tenuta San Guido and Taittinger Champagne.
The Taittinger voyage — departing Sept. 23, 2017 from Athens — sounds very appealing, as export manager Clovis Taittinger will be on board to conduct champagne tastings of his brand. SeaDream also offers a special degustation dinner with dishes created just for the occasion. This voyage will also features Burgundy's Maison Louis Jadot winery, and a special shore excursion to the Benanti Winery nestled at the foot of Mount Etna on the Italian island of Sicily.
Each wine-themed voyage has been designed with its own unique offerings, both on-board as well as ashore. At every port of call, guests can choose adventures such as wine tasting and truffle hunting, or cooking classes dedicated to the art of making traditional paella.
Don't know a thing about wine? Not to worry: SeaDream has designed these voyages to appeal to connoisseurs and novices alike. It's great news for those who, like me, tend to order "the red one."
"The best way to truly know a place is to experience it through its people, food and wine," said SeaDream Yacht Club president Bob Lepisto. "Through our innovative itineraries, high attention to detail, and impeccable service, we are constantly striving to provide the ultimate guest experience both at sea and ashore."
SeaDream's 2017 wine-themed sailings include April 27, departing from Lisbon and arriving at Barcelona; June 10 and 17, round-trip from Civitavecchia (Rome); Aug. 19, from Civitavecchia to Venice; Sept. 23, from Piraeus (Athens) to Civitavecchia; Sept. 30, from Civitavecchia to Nice, and the nine-day voyage that departs on Oct. 7, from Nice to Malaga.
One thing that truly sets SeaDream apart is the line's dedication to exploring the lesser-known ports of call in both the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Eschewing the overcrowded ports that the big ships go to, SeaDream prefers to call on the likes of Sandy Ground, Anguilla, White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, or Saint Florent, Corsica. Don't worry if you haven't heard of any of these locales before; that's precisely the idea.
The other reason you might want to sail with SeaDream — besides the wine-themed voyages and the unique ports of call — is to experience its distinctive brand of luxury. This is the cruise for people who think they don't want to cruise. With just 112 guests onboard SeaDream I and her sister, SeaDream II, these modest twins are some of the most elegantly luxurious ships afloat. Staterooms and suites are outfitted with Bulgari toiletries, Belgian linens, iPod docking stations, and mini-bars stocked with beer, soft drinks and water.
The on-board lifestyle is casually elegant, with plenty of open deck spaces and quiet, intimate lounges. Fares include gratuities and beverages, not to mention water sports equipment from the yacht's marina that's opened when conditions allow. Kayaking around a quiet bay in the Caribbean? Sounds like a good plan to me.
There's plenty of cool things to write home about: SeaDream lets you sleep out on deck, under the stars, on the ship's outdoor Balinese Beds; and a Champagne & Caviar Splash beachside event is a staple of every Caribbean voyage.
You know those pictures of uniform-clad crew members serving up bubbly in the surf? That's SeaDream.
It's just how the cruise line likes to explore the world.
"Guests have destinations they wish to check off their 'must-visit' list and the SeaDream Yacht Club crew enjoys helping them reach many travel goals," Lepisto said. "At the same time, we take greater pride presenting finely crafted itineraries that utilize our vessel size to call on hidden harbours that become instant favourites."]]>
He wasn't with a non-profit. In fact, as BP Australia's corporate social responsibility manager, Glazebrook worked for big oil. It might have been his company's fuel the kid was sniffing, so his first thoughts went to product design.
"I thought, 'why couldn't we turn our technical skills into a technical solution?'" he told us.
Today, people don't just want a job, they want a calling. Millennials hold out for jobs that satisfy personal values (moving back in with mom and dad in the meantime). And mid-career professionals delay retirement in favour of career makeovers with purpose. After years on the clock, who wouldn't want to help change the world at their day job?
Social intrapreneurs maintain job security and use the resources of large companies to tackle some of the world's biggest problems. They protest from within, while on the payroll.
At the same time, most workers can't risk their steady income to start a social enterprise, or renounce materialism and move to Calcutta to volunteer. Many professionals have mortgages or kids who insist on being fed regularly.
Social intrapreneurs like Glazebrook maintain job security and use the resources of large companies to tackle some of the world's biggest problems. They protest from within, while on the payroll. This is the best of both worlds at work—with personal, social and economic benefits.
Glazebrook and his team leveraged the core competencies of the business to solve an entrenched social issue. Engineers spent six months grappling with technical issues, and the result was Opal, a fuel low in aromatic hydrocarbons that made it impossible to get high from its vapours. Gas-sniffing plummeted by up to 94 per cent in the outback region. And in 2013, the Australian government voted to make the use of Opal fuel mandatory in remote areas across the country. In addition to saving lives, BP cornered the rural market.
Meanwhile, in rural Kenya, Vodafone executive Nick Hughes noticed that, although millions of people didn't have bank accounts, everyone owned a cellphone. Many small business owners simply carried wads of cash to distant suppliers, a dangerous practice.
Vodafone wasn't eager to gamble its R&D budget on an entry into Africa's banking sector, but Hughes pushed past the resistance to create M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer system. Subscribers store or send money via text message, make transfers, and even pay their children's school fees from remote areas. M-Pesa has been hugely profitable, and has even spurred small business growth in rural regions. In 2014, 87 per cent of Kenya's $55 billion GDP flowed through its services.
As social intrapreneurs gain traction, global support networks like the League of Intrapreneurs are popping up to teach you "How to Change the World and Still Pay Your Bills," according to one blog post.
Social intrapreneurship has crept into Canada more slowly than in Europe or the U.K., but nonetheless, it has arrived. The League of Intrapreneurs recently launched a Canadian chapter, a professional network to support agents of social change at the office. Several organizations offer fellowships for intrapreneurs with a social conscience, including Engineers Without Borders Canada and The School for Social Entrepreneurs Ontario.
Corporate social change can come from the bottom up, but if it still seems overwhelming try smaller gestures. A volunteer committee that gives back outside the office will improve the well-being of your colleagues. Ideas for energy conservation, recycling or improved efficiencies would be better managed with a dedicated green team, and would save the company money. Taking on leadership positions to tackle social issues will boost your job satisfaction and earn the respect of other leaders.
Become a social intrapreneur.
Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day.]]>
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," Bob Dylan sang. But these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what's on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week.
Big release on July 22: Star Trek Beyond.
Big picture: After two reboot films in which the crew barely made it out of Earth's orbit, Beyond could easily be a spa day on Pluto. But Capt. Kirk (Chris Pine) and company finally go "where no one has gone before" in their third cinematic voyage: uncharted space. A few standard Trek plot lines ensue: a rescue mission gone wrong, "millions of lives" at stake, and yet another Enterprise crashing or blowing up. (At this point, Starfleet must have a hanger of backup ships just waiting to be christened the next Enterprise).
Instead of a vengeful, super-human villain named Khan, this film offers a vengeful, super-alien villain named Krall (Idris Elba). As he warns Kirk, "This is where the frontier pushes back." It's also where the final frontier gets Fast & Furious. Justin Lin, a man largely famous for directing Vin Diesel and exploding cars, directs this franchise outing.
On the plus side, it's co-written by Simon Pegg (who knew Scotty had the time to be an engineer and a screenwriter!?). Fingers crossed that Lin stayed true to the source material. If it's all action and no intellect, he might as well have cast Vin Diesel as Spock. The Vulcan's new lines like, "We all find hope in the impossible" could have been replaced by eloquent grunts.
Forecast: My prediction? This film will lead to all-new James Bond casting rumours that Elba will play Bond … in his Krall makeup. Imagine an intergalactic spy with a licence to kill (with William Shatner as the new M)! Meanwhile, Star Trek Beyond will be a fitting tribute to the late actor Anton Yelchin, who returns as Chekov.
Honourable mentions: Ice Age: Collision Course; Lights Out. There's nothing like a heartwarming movie about a bunch of cute, talking animals about to go extinct! Am I right? Meanwhile, Lights Out (about a bogeyman figure haunting young children) gets an F for originality. But I can't wait for the sequels Sleep Tight, and Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite.
Big event: BoJack Horseman (July 22, Netflix).
Big picture: It's partially a testament to lazy summer TV scheduling that the "big event" this week is the season premiere of a largely unknown, very adult cartoon about a talking horse actor. In Season 3, BoJack is on the cusp of Hollywood superstardom — making him question why he's so unhappy and still a jackass (or at least a close relation). Will Arnett impeccably voices BoJack; it makes me hope the actor gets cast as Silver in the next reboot of the Lone Ranger. (Amy Sedaris, Aaron Paul and Alison Brie ably bring BoJack's animated co-stars to life).
Forecast: No horsing around, BoJack may be the best animated adult comedy in today's crowded field.
Honourable mention: Bones (July 21, Fox). Season 11 of this formulaic procedural closes its books. (I know, I'm surprised it's still on the air, too.) More importantly, Bones's title gives me an idea. Star Trek is back, sci-fi characters like Han Solo are getting origin stories, and CBS has announced a new Trek show to launch in January 2017. Isn't it about time for a spinoff project about the Starfleet med school exploits of a surly, young Doc. Leonard (Bones) McCoy. It would be a lot like Grey's Anatom in space, only with McGrumpy instead of McDreamy.MUSIC
Big release on July 22: Look Park (Look Park).
Big picture: Sure, the band name and album name sound painfully uninspiring. But they're not a random pairing of verb and noun; they're an actual park in Northampton, Mass. This is a new solo project from Chris Collingwood of Fountains of Wayne. The musical edition of Look Park is home to psychedelic rock, a rhythm section, harmonies, keyboards, reverb and plenty of mellotron. Most importantly, it's easier to dive into than Fountain of Wayne.
Forecast: Collingwood's solo path is on solid ground. Meanwhile, the album could inspire Drake to include even more Canadian references in his next output. With his Toronto tribute album, Views, behind him, I expect a five-song EP tribute to the Great Lakes — mainly as a poor excuse for the hip-hop star's label to film a parade of champagne and bikini-filled yacht videos.
Dishonourable mention: Ghostbusters (soundtrack). Sure, it came out earlier this month. But if you want true horror, listen to Fall Out Boy and Missy Elliott's atrocious cover of Ray Parker Jr.'s 1984 title track to the original film. Even if you're "not afraid of no ghost," the 21st-century rendition of this iconic song will make you scream. (I recommend that you buy earplugs, and play the new single on loop in your backyard to scare animals away from your garden.)
"Rowlf the Dog," she says. "It was one of my father's characters that he performed very early on. Even though Kermit the Frog was my father's actual alter ego, Rowlf represented a really great folksy-earthy side of my dad that maybe you don't see in Kermit."
Henson hopes that the characters in Word Party, The Jim Henson Company's new series for Netflix, will have a similarly memorable effect on the tots it's aimed at. Rooted in vocabulary building, the series features four suitably adorable baby animals singing, dancing and playing.
Bailey, Franny, Kip and Lulu use each episode to teach kiddies new words and celebrate with an onscreen party. The show is made through the Henson Digital Puppetry Studio, which lets puppeteers perform characters in real time, making for a more lifelike feel.
"We've never given up traditional puppetry, and all of our performers do traditional puppetry first before they do the digital puppets," says Henson, noting that they often share puppeteers with shows like Sesame Street and Mutt and Stuff on Nickelodeon.
"For Word Party, each character is performed by two people: One is the body performer in a motion-capture suit, and the other one is the hand puppeteer, puppeteering the face and doing the voice. It's all done at the exact same time."Staying true to its roots in traditional puppetry, The Jim Henson Company is also teaming with Netflix for Julie's Greenroom, a preschool series that celebrates the performing arts.
Julie Andrews is a co-creator and face of that show, with the cast of kid puppets mingling with real-life guest stars including Alec Baldwin, Sara Bareilles, Carol Burnett, Josh Groban, Ellie Kemper and Idina Menzel. It will begin streaming early next year.
"I think we're a rare independent in that we've remained independent for so many years and I think we're established enough that people know our brand and what we're stand for," says Henson, who's an executive producer of both Julie's Greenroom and the 14-episode first season of Word Party.
"We're actually a very small company and we've remained small and independent and that has allowed us to survive. We haven't been gobbled up by a bigger company that could swallow our library and we'd never be seen again."
'We haven't been gobbled up by a bigger company that could swallow our library and we'd never be seen again.'
It's also why it made sense to team up with Netflix. The online streaming service plays a video at the end of every episode to help parents keep engaging with their kids after the episodic shenanigans have ended. There's also an interactive Word Party experience for tablets.
This year alone, Netflix has doubled its investment in original series for kids, partnering with companies such as Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, Scholastic and Lego. To date, Netflix has launched more than 20 original kids' series.
"We love working with Netflix. They're willing to take chances creatively and in a very smart way because they're looking for properties that will stand out in the landscape of all the other shows and properties that they already have," says Henson.
"We like to think that we create good first friends for kids and that parents will embrace our shows because the characters are characters you would want your children to be friends with. Preschoolers have such a personal relationship with the characters they like on TV, and we take that responsibility seriously."
Word Party is now streaming on Netflix
This article appeared earlier with an inappropriate headline. Postmedia sincerely regrets the error.
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," Bob Dylan sang. But these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what's on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week.
Big release on July 15: Ghostbusters.
Big picture: Who you gonna call? More than 30 years after the original, the Ghostbusters are back from the dead. Yes, they have proton packs. But this time, they're also packing serious girl power in form of actors Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. The supernatural landscape has changed since 1984. After the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural and agents Mulder and Scully, who knew there were any spooks left to bust? Sexists be forewarned (yes, I am talking to you Donald Trump): phantoms don't discriminate on the basis of gender. Manhattan is again beset by swirling clouds of demons — not to mention a sticky green ghoul named Slimer.
While the female ensemble is a barrel of laughs, the genuine fear is that the heart-and-soul of the original will be usurped by modern-era special effects. Still, you can expect cameos from original Ghostbuster actors Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. My quiet hope is for a return of Zuul. C'mon, New York's gargoyle statues aren't going to possess themselves! I still think about that crazy demon every time I open a fridge. (BTW: Chris Hemsworth plays scene-stealer as the girls' nerdy-but-hunky receptionist.)
Forecast: First Wonder Woman finally made it to the big screen. Then Game of Thrones ladies practically took over Westeros. And now an all-women Ghostbusters? What's next in the pop-culture glass ceiling? I predict an all-female edition of Transformers in which pink Autobots battle purple Decepticons — while a shirtless Channing Tatum plays their token human companion!
Honourable mentions: The Infiltrator (July 13). If you've seen Netflix's brilliant series Narcos, you can probably skip this movie, which is based on a true story. But not if you're a fan of Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad). He plays a federal agent, Robert (Bob) Mazur, who heads deep under cover to infiltrate Pablo Escobar's Colombian drug cartel. His effort brings down untold narcos and a corrupt, international bank. It's The Departed meets Donnie Brasco, with a touch of The Big Short.
Big events: Vice Principals (July 17, HBO); Stranger Things (July 15, Netflix).
Big picture: No one plays a belligerent, ignorant man-child quite like Danny McBride. The co-creator of Eastbound & Down's endearingly despicable Kenny Powers now introduces us to Neal Gamby — or as I like to call him: "Kenny Powers if he became a vice-principal." The new comedy co-stars Walton Goggins as a rival vice-principal competing with Gamby to be the school's top dog. Bill Murray makes a cameo as the school's retiring principal (On a side note: Murray should have a cameo in EVERYTHING. Sitcoms. Dramas. Reality shows. Newscasts (as the weatherman, of course). Infomercials. My dinner parties. EVERYTHING.)
Meanwhile, Stranger Things is a 1980s-inspired supernatural thriller starring 1990s-inspiration Winona Ryder (and Matthew Modine). When a child goes unexplainably missing, the truth is out there — and it's probably a ghost, angel, monster or demon. (For the record: My money is on "ghost alien.")
Forecast: Above-average summer escapes for laughter and creepy thrills. Stranger Things, in particular, can't go wrong. It's a combination of E.T., The X-Files, Stephen King's It and Ryder suffering flashbacks of when she used to be an A-lister.
Honourable mention: Mr. Robot (July 13, Showcase). One of TV's greatest returns. This hacker drama's full of more twists and turns than a game of snakes and ladders.
Big releases on July 15: Steven Tyler (We're All Somebody From Somewhere); Good Charlotte (Youth Authority).
Big picture: Tyler's album title rings true. That said, I spend a lot of time wishing the Aerosmith singer was somebody somewhere other than on my TV or radio. Tyler's debut solo effort finds him putting on a cowboy hat (and wearing it surprisingly well). With tracks like Red, White & You and Sweet Louisiana, how can he go wrong? Who knew this leather-skinned rocker and American Idol was a country boy at heart? (Kid Rock is going to be jealous.)
Meanwhile, the faded punk-pop outfit Good Charlotte, is getting a bit long in the tooth to consider themselves a "youth authority." But, hey, a little wishful thinking never hurt anyone (except for that poor guy from I Dream of Jeannie). The group's first album since 2010's Cardiology will determine whether they still have a pulse.
Forecast: For his next solo album, I predict Tyler will embrace hip-hop with an effort titled Straight Outta Somewhere.
Honourable mention: Amanda and Jack Palmer (You Got Me Singing). The Dresden Dolls' eccentric frontwoman Amanda Palmer teams up with her father on a covers album, including tracks by Leonard Cohen and Kathleen Edwards. (My prediction: a Robin Thicke and Alan Thicke duet album called Blurred Bloodlines isn't far off. I'd be far more interested in that family effort.)
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," Bob Dylan sang. But these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what's on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week.
Big releases on July 8: The Secret Life of Pets; Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.
Big picture: Pets go the way of ANTZ, A Bug's Life, Shark Tale, Madagascar, Rio, Bee Movie and Ice Age. There's nothing human beings enjoy more than watching stories about animals and insects that act exactly like human beings. (We also love narcissism). The Secret Life of Pets reveals the hidden life of domesticated animals in a Manhattan, N.Y., apartment building. From Duke the Dog to Snowball the bunny, their personas range from adorable to neurotic to adorably neurotic.
Meanwhile, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is almost self-explanatory. Two hard-partying doofus brothers (Zac Efron and Modern Family's Adam Devine) place an online add for perfect wedding dates to try to prevent them from destroying another family event. Two trashy, incorrigible deadbeats (played with relish by Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza) pose as proper ladies to garner the free trip to Vegas, and then proceed to out-shock and out-party the brothers and their beleaguered clan. Any time two dudes names are in the title your can expect ramped-up stupidity or action. Bill and Ted, Smokey and the Bandit … Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
Forecast: Animated animals have a better box-office record than any Hollywood star. Just be thankful they didn't bankroll a hybrid film called Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates: Pets. That would have taken the gross-out comedy to a whole new level.TV
Big events: Wrecked (Comedy, July 5); The Night Of (July 10, HBO Canada).
Big picture: For all those Lost devotees who felt betrayed by the series' much-scorned finale, Wrecked offers a potent satire of the castaway drama. (I wouldn't be surprised if a disgruntled fan wrote it.) The new comedy is Lost meets Lord of the Flies meets Survivor meets The Office. It follows the survivors of a plane crash on a remote island. Only instead of smoke monsters and hatches, they discover selfishness, stupidity and one-liners.
Meanwhile, The Night Of just might be the show that keeps you from cancelling your HBO subscription now that Game of Thrones is over. It's a Whodunit, but not even the accused knows whether he did it, and nothing is quite what it seems. This eight-part miniseries follows a bewildering murder case involving a nerdy, clean-as-a-whistle college kid named Naz (Riz Ahmed) who wakes up in bed with a murdered young girl (Sofia Black-D'Elia). This slow-rolling piece of dramatic thunder was intended as a vehicle for James Gandolfini before his untimely death. After Robert De Niro signed on and then pulled out, John Turturro took over to play the show's savvy defence lawyer. I'm sure he feels wanted.
Forecast: The Night Of is worth many nights of viewing. But if HBO were smart, it would create a series of crossover episodes across all their shows. Game of Thrones' Jon Snow travels through time, space and reality — periodically dying and being resurrected again! Now that's how to keep the buzz going!
Honourable Mention: Jupiter: Close Encounter (July 5, Discovery). This one is firmly grounded in reality. It follows an unmanned NASA mission to Jupiter, and is anchored by Daily Planet Co-Host Dan Riskin. It follows in the wake of Pluto: First Encounter. Next, I hope they explore Krypton, Tatooine, the Klingon home world … or a planet full of talking, animated animals that act like human beings. (I can only take so much education.)
Big releases on July 8: Kenny Chesney (Some Town Somewhere); The Avalanches (Wildflower).
Big picture: It's a slow week. Blame it on the summer heat. Kenny Chesney's new album should have been called Some Guy Playing Some Generic Watered Down New Country Music. Debut single Noise is appropriately named — because that's exactly how I would describe Chesney's music. But put that in perspective. Please keep in mind that the country star fills stadiums, while I fill in mocking words on a weekly pop forecast.
Meanwhile, Wildflower is a late bloomer for fans of The Avalanche. The sophomore album from this Australian electro-pop group is their official studio followup to their 2000 debut, Since I Left You. For years they experimented with music, from world beats to hip hop, and a King Kong musical score to music for an ill-fated, animated hip-hop version of Yellow Submarine. If you're wondering what an album would sound like if it combined elements of all those projects, you're in luck. This is it.
Forecast: Wildflower's diverse range will inspire Iceland's Björk to top it with an album weaving together polka, yodelling, cat purring, Banshee screams, car horns, children weeping and her soundtrack for a musical about the Brexit.
Honourable mention: Switchfoot (Where The Light Shines Through). These San Diego rockers light up a lacklustre week with their 10th studio album of well-honed alternative rock.
Four instalments in and based on Joanne Fluke's novels, the feel-good franchise features Sweeney as bakery owner Hannah Swensen. She's an unlikely sleuth in Lake Eden, Minn., whose latest case is stirred up when the sheriff is murdered.
Sweeney spoke with Postmedia News about the Murder She Baked franchise, growing up in the spotlight and her tips for healthy living.
Q You're both the star of the Murder She Baked movies and an executive producer. What convinced you to become so invested in Hannah Swensen?
A She's someone everyone can relate to, and the movies just make you feel like the classics do — like when you read Agatha Christie, or when you see Perry Mason or Columbo or Murder, She Wrote.
It's also something your kids can watch with you, something you can enjoy and not worry about having to cover your eyes. I just find that so much TV is super-graphic these days and a lot of people want a different choice.Q How do you rank your own detective abilities compared to Hannah's?
A I think that I might be good — I just don't know if I'm willing to risk life and limb to go charging into the murderer's house to get that final piece of evidence. I'm pretty sure I'd be like, 'Safety first!'
Q You played Sami on Days of Our Lives for almost 22 years, and a lot has changed since you started out. What do you think of the state of soap operas today?
A You can see the industry growing and changing and dealing with the finances that everyone is struggling with these days. The four soap operas are still going strong because they're staying true to the formula that works. I think there still is a place for soap operas. I think that people still yearn for that entertainment during the day, that fantasy and escapism. The key is to tell a good story.
Q You also hosted The Biggest Loser for 16 seasons and are vocal about healthy living. What are your personal must-dos for feeling your best?
A I went through a struggle with health and I'm learning to take care of myself. It's a life-long journey — not a sprint. I cook a lot of food at home and I think that's a huge thing we could encourage people to do more of.For example, I make a stirfry for my kids and they love it. And yes, I put rice in it. Why? Because who doesn't want a little rice? But my portion is like a quarter of a cup of rice. And then I pile it with every vegetable under the sun, and protein, whatever I have. If I might say, it's delicious and it's good for them.
To me, one of the biggest problems we have now is that there's so much fast food, microwavable food, food that's just processed and produced and delivered, and there are so many chemicals in it.
Q You started doing commercials at age five and landed Days of Our Lives in your late teens. What was it like for you growing up in Hollywood?
A I had a great experience. I'm really the anomaly. I have two loving, fantastic, strong parents. I grew up in L.A. for my parents' careers, so they weren't there for me. I always had to keep my grades up to get to keep acting. If I ever misbehaved, my mom's threat was 'I'll take you home. You don't get to do this.'
Q Writing seems to be another creative outlet for you – you recently released your third novel, Opportunity Knocks.
A It's definitely an outlet for me and I get so many ideas from everyday experience because I write about things behind the scenes in Hollywood. Things happen and I'm like, 'Oh, sorry. I'll change your name, but that's going in my next book!' I love pulling back the curtain on Hollywood, poking fun at actors like myself and the crazy antics we get into.
Murder She Baked: A Deadly Recipe airs Thursday, June 30, on Bravo]]>
Pearce, 19, loved working with tools and was thrilled to land a gig in construction. Three weeks into the job, the Toronto resident was working in the basement of a house when it collapsed. By the time rescuers dug him out, he was dead.
A year and a half later, Pearce's parents are still fighting for better regulations and training for young workers. They want to save other families from losing a loved one.
Watching a young person head off to their first job is a proud moment. It can also be terrifying. Stories like Pearce's are every parent's worst nightmare.
We're fortunate that Canadians don't face the youth labour problems we've witnessed abroad. There are no young workers chained to looms in this country. But that doesn't mean there aren't any problems.
In 2014, alone, almost 8,000 young people ages 15 to 19 were injured on the job in Canada. Another 13 lost their lives, according to the most recent statistics from the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada. Many parents don't realize their children may not legally be old enough to do some jobs.
Young people often don't realize they have the right to say "no" if they believe working conditions are unsafe. Even if they are aware, many won't speak out for fear of losing their jobs.
In early June, the Canadian government signed International Labour Organization Convention 138. This law sets age 15 as the minimum age to enter the formal workplace. Teens aged 13 to 15 may do light jobs that aren't hazardous and don't interfere with school, like working in a store. And of course, kids under 13 can still babysit or mow lawns. But if the tasks are considered hazardous, such as working with chemicals or heavy machinery, the minimum age rises to age 18.
Some Canadian provincial labour laws don't meet this standard and must now be amended. There are no national statistics on "underage labourers" in Canada. However, provincial studies show the problem exists.
The Parkland Institute, a University of Alberta research group, recently found that as many as 70 per cent of youth ages 12 to 14 in Alberta are illegally employed. Back in 2008, we were shocked to read an investigative report by The Walrus that found evidence of children as young as eight years old working—and being injured on the job—in Quebec.
At 19, Pearce was old enough to work on hazardous construction sites. But his parents say he wasn't taught necessary safety precautions for his job.
"There are so many cases of young people who have been hurt and killed because they weren't aware of the danger and weren't given the proper training," says Hassan Yussuff, president of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).
Young people often don't realize they have the right to say "no" if they believe working conditions are unsafe. Even if they are aware, many won't speak out for fear of losing their jobs.
Beyond safety concerns, youth are also at higher risk for other forms of exploitation, the CLC tells us. For example, Alberta's Parkland Institute report found that younger workers "routinely face wage theft and are employed for more hours than they are legally allowed to work."
Tackling the labour issues young people face in Canada means improving workplace inspections and enforcing laws, Yussuff says. He adds that federal and provincial governments can do a better job of educating employers, parents and youth about workplace safety and labour laws.
There are some positive examples for all provinces to follow. This summer, the Ontario Ministry of Labour is conducting safety inspection blitzes, and raising awareness among parents and youth about labour rights and safe workplaces through initiatives that include a video contest.
We encourage young people to empower themselves by researching and asking about their rights.
Getting a job is a major milestone in every youthful journey to adulthood and independence. It needs to be a time of pride, not fear or tragedy.
Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day.]]>
Big Release on July 1: The Legend of Tarzan
Big Picture: This is less of an origin story and more of a rebirth. Apparently, you can take the man out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the man. Tarzan leaves civilization — and his early retirement as "Lord of the Apes" — to beat his chest and play king of the jungle again. It's like Planet of the Apes meet Crocodile Dundee meets The Jungle Book meets … Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood) perpetually shirtless. Thankfully for the screenwriters, this wildling can string together more words than "Me Tarzan, you Jane." Of course, an epic confrontation looms between colonial military forces (led by Hollywood's favourite villain Christoph Waltz) and Tarzan — with just about every jungle animal under the latter's command. Margot Robbie plays Jane, Tarzan's wife and perpetual kidnapping victim. If this movie succeeds, how long before Batman v. Superman v. Tarzan hits the theatres? Throw in a few green apes mutated by kryptonite to level the playing field, and we're talking about a summer blockbuster's summer blockbuster.
Forecast: Audiences will go ape. But given Skarsgård's vampire credentials, I predict a twist ending in which he leads an army of undead apes to destroy mankind. Move over Dracula, there's a new king of the undead jungle.
Honourable Mentions: The BFG; The Purge: Election Year. The BFG tells the heartwarming tale of a young girl that befriends the only big friendly giant in Giant Country. Meanwhile, The Purge: Election Year finds Purge 2-survivor Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) protecting a female presidential candidate (Elizabeth Mitchell). Of course, they're quickly duped into exile on D.C.'s lawless streets on, you guessed it, the annual night of The Purge — when humanity collectively goes to The Dark Side for 24 hours. (Am I the only one who would have preferred the hybrid film The Purge: Notorious BFG?)TV
Big Event: The Amazing Race Canada (CTV, June 28)
Big Picture: Host Jon Montgomery returns, but it's all about the teams — always chosen to represent a wide cross-section of Canadians. There's Joel and Ashley, a father-and-daughter duo and proud members of Enoch Cree Nation. (Did I mention Ashley is also currently Miss Universe?) Then there's twin sisters, married couples, eccentric parent-child duos, same-sex couples, young female business partners, and even a pair of exes familiar to reality TV lovers. Former Big Brother Canada romantic item, Emmett and Jillian (she was the Season 1 winner) return for an additional 15 minutes of fame — their once fine romance long turned into a friendship. The teams' mottos are as Canadian as bacon, from "Always race like you're in last place" to "Don't step on people to win, unless they get in your way." Where's the bold, brash mottos like "Making Canada great again" or "First is the worst, second is the best, third is the one with the hairy, hairy chest?"
Forecast: I'm shocked Justin and Sophie Trudeau aren't among the competitors. The camera loves them, and the feeling seems mutual. I'd pay good money to see the Prime Minister yoga peacock pose his way across Canada and beyond.
Honourable Mention: Greatest Hits (June 30, ABC); Marcella (July 1, Netflix). Do you remember Arsenio Hall? Do you also remember hits from the 1980s, '90s, and 2000s? Then tune in as everything from Wonderwall to This is How We Do It are performer anew — and reinvented — by various artists well past their prime. (With apologies to CeeLo Green, Coolio, En Vogue, Foreigner, Chicago, and the Backstreet Boys). It beats karaoke. Barely. Meanwhile, Anna Friel stars as a London detective who returns to active duty to catch a serial killer she failed to identify years earlier. Given she can't trust her own memory or instincts, the case is unlikely to be solved in one episode like your average neat-at-as-bow police procedural.
Big Releases on July 1: Blink-182 (California); MAGIC! (Primary Colours)
Big Picture: Top two signs of musical desperation: 1) Naming an album, song or band after a state or city; 2) Having a number in your band title. This is your chance to prove me wrong, Blink-182. To be fair, the band has brought in a fresh face in vocalist-guitarist Matt Skiba (replacing Tom DeLonge), so their seventh studio album kind of marks a fresh start. Meanwhile, Canadian reggae-pop quartet MAGIC! release their sophomore album. While there's no denying their talent, there's also no denying their band name still sounds like it was test-marketed on front of an audience of preschoolers and Dungeons & Dragons fans. Their two Juno Awards were deserved, and they've built a global audience. Their success raises the distinct possibly of copycat bands named ENCHANTED, MYSTICAL, and SUPERCALAFRAGALISTICEXPIALADOSHUS.
Forecast: You shouldn't blink twice, let alone 182 times. Sigh. But it probably won't be long before Canada's Sum 41 plays copycat and puts out an album called Ontario.
Honourable Mention: Grace (FMA). The young Australian vocal powerhouse releases her debut album in North America. Question: Is an 18-year-old already allowed to brand herself by one name? Do you know how many years women like Madonna, Oprah and Beyoncé had to work to get to that point? Young people just have no respect. She is being touted as older and wiser than her years, but song titles like Boys, boys, boys, Coffee and Boyfriend Jeans don't exactly give me high hopes.
The latter – capital R racers – thrive in crowded airports and foreign environments. They jump running shoes first into grueling challenges and oddball situations. They're the competitors of The Amazing Race Canada and, says host Jon Montgomery, this season their limits will be tested from the get-go.
"In Episode 1, we've got a stunt that I don't think will be rivaled by any other stunt on any other episode in the Canadian version, the U.S. version or any other version of The Amazing Race, and it is going to freak people out," he says. "It's terrifying."
Season 4 of the homegrown CTV hit kicks off Sunday in Yellowknife, with 10 teams culled from across Canada in pursuit of the grand prize — $250,000 cash, a vehicle courtesy of Chevrolet and a trip for two around the world.
As in previous seasons, each episode sees the teams compete in mental and physical challenges to find clues in far-flung destinations. The first to meet Montgomery at the Pit Stop wins that leg, along with a surprise trip. The last team to arrive could be disposed of like last year's baggage claim tags."Every year I get more excited to embark on this adventure and see the Racers push themselves beyond their limits. Every year we ask more and more of them, to step a little further outside their comfort zones, and they never let us down," says Montgomery, a 2010 Olympic champion in the skeleton event.
Once again, the show will criss-cross Canada and visit two surprise international destinations. The formula is a bona fide success: The Amazing Race Canada was the most-watched summer program for each of its three previous seasons, with an average of 2.6 million viewers tuning in last year.
"Obviously we've got a dedicated fanbase as a result of the U.S. version, and Canadians obviously flock to see themselves on television. But moreover we have a greater viewing audience than the American version does (in Canada)," says Montgomery.
"We see ourselves on the show, and we celebrate Canadian themes, ideals, locations, places – all these things. And that's what resonates with Canadians."
Here are the 10 teams competing on The Amazing Race Canada this season:Joel Ground and Ashley Callingbull
Anthony Limbombe and Brandon Campeau
Relationship: Best friends
Current city: Windsor, Ont.
This competitive team shares a passion for music, working out, sports and spending time with their families. The two would use the winnings to help their co-worker buy a specialized van for a young girl named Zoey, who suffers from a chronic illness.
Rita Yakibonge and Yvette Yakibonge
Relationship: Twin sisters
Current city: Edmonton
These two Service Canada agents come from a large family and have good communication skills. Raised by a single mom, they have overcome financial struggles. If they win, they'll use the prize money to visit their home country of Congo, give their mom some retirement money and pay off their student loans.
Steph Leclair and Kristin Mckenzie
Relationship: Dating couple
Current city: Toronto
A former varsity softball couple who have played for Team Canada, these two are tough, focused and work well together. Steph is currently a lawyer/articling student, while Kristin is an account executive. The competitive duo would use the prize money to invest in property together.
Julie Taylor and Lowell Taylor
Relationship: Married couple
Current city: Lethbridge, Alta.
Lowell has Retinitis Pigmentosa and is legally blind – he has limited peripheral vision and no vision in low light, yet is training for a para-triathlon as well as para-cycling in both road and track. Julie, a speech and language pathologist, is a constant support. The two hope to inspire their two boys and those with physical limitations.
Anne Morrone and Tanya Muzzatti
Relationship: Friends
Current city: Woodbridge, Ont.
These two high-energy single moms have been best friends for more than 35 years and have supported each other through divorce and financial hardship. They're also partners in a new joint business venture – designer handbags – and winning the grand prize would mean securing their children's future.
Stéphane Tétreault and Antoine Tétreault
Relationship: Father and son
Current city: Saint Hubert, Que. and Montréal
Antoine was the top graduating student of his class at Concordia University, and Stéphane urges him to aim for his dreams. When Antoine came out to his family, Stéphane had trouble accepting it but soon became his son's greatest support. The competitive duo would use the winnings to travel and spoil their kin.
Kelly Xu and Kate Pan
Relationship: Business partners
Current city: Toronto
Upbeat and bubbly entrepreneurs, these two immigrated to Canada when they were 11 years old and have had challenges with language and culture. They're partners in a fitness business aimed at Toronto's international Chinese students. With their winnings they would grow it, empowering girls to live healthy lifestyles.
Jillian Maclaughlin and Emmett Blois
Relationship: Exes
Current city: New Glasgow, N.S. and Gore, N.S.
These two met while competing on Big Brother Canada, and Jillian is the Season 1 winner. The couple dated, but believe their relationship is stronger now that they have broken up. Jillian, a teacher, would use her prize money to build a home of her own. Emmett, a dairy farmer, would invest in his businesses.
Frankie Gassler and Amy Gassler
Relationship: Mother and daughter
Current city: Aldergrove, B.C.
Frankie became pregnant at 15, was kicked out of her mother's house and raised Amy on her own. The two are spunky and energetic hairdressers, as well as close friends. Frankie would use the prize money to go back to school and become a paramedic, while Amy would save for a wedding and starting a family.
The Amazing Race Canada returns Tuesday, June 28, on CTV/CTV Go]]>
Well, sure, they know him in the way you'd know your dentist — he's a guy who gets the job done yet probably hasn't seen Kylie Jenner's latest Instagram post that, OMG you guys, is like totes adorbs.
But if you mention the fact that the 46-year-old actor was once Teen Beat cover bait for his role on Beverly Hills, 90210? Someone emulated in hair, clothing and eyebrow lift? Crickets.
"I think that most of the kids on the show were mostly born in this century, and they have no idea," the Vancouver native says, laughing. "I think they mostly know me as Richard Fitzpatrick. They have no idea of who Brandon Walsh even was."
Richard Fitzpatrick, for those not schooled in Priestley Studies 101, is the morally mutable used-car salesman in Call Me Fitz, a raunchy homegrown series that won two Canadian Screen Awards and aired for four seasons before wrapping up in 2013.
In Raising Expectations, by contrast, Priestley plays squeaky-clean dad Wayne Wayney opposite '80s screen queen Molly Ringwald. She's Paige Wayney, a seemingly perfect mom to five children, four of whom are overachievers. The other one? Not so much.
"After my kids being fascinated with Call Me Fitz and obviously not being able to watch Call Me Fitz for myriad reasons, I was looking for something that I could actually enjoy with them," Priestley says, acknowledging the poignancy of a former teen star now playing a parent.
The fact that Ringwald was involved with Raising Expectations was also a draw. The two had worked together on the angst-ridden television series The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
"That was six years ago, right after my son was born, and I was looking forward to working with Molly again," says Priestley. "I always try to work with people that I know and admire and respect their work, and Molly is one of those people."
Apparently not satisfied to star in just one show at a time, Priestley is raising some expectations of his own.
The former Haven star also executive-produces and headlines in the homegrown TV drama Private Eyes, now airing on Global. As the stylishly named Matt Shade, he's a former hockey player turned private investigator.
What's more, Priestley is directing episodes of the supernatural drama Van Helsing, which is filmed in Vancouver and airs on U.S. network Syfy this fall. He's previously directed episodes of Saving Hope, Rookie Blue and Call Me Fitz, as well as the 2013 film Cas & Dylan, starring Richard Dreyfuss and Orphan Black's Tatiana Maslany.
"You know, I think I'm equally comfortable in front of and behind the camera these days. I seem to split my time pretty equally," he says. With Raising Expectations, "it was actually kind of nice to be back in front of the camera. I think I'm just reaching that age where I'm comfortable in my skin no matter where I am."
Raising Expectations airs Sundays, Family
Recently, our staffers got together for what's become an annual event—the office clothing swap. Everyone eagerly rummages through their coworkers castoffs in search of their new favourite blouse, or pair of jeans.
It made us wonder whatever became of Craig's canary-coloured clothes. It also got us thinking about the environmental impact of waste clothing.
In North America, consumers are buying—and getting rid of—five times as much clothing as we did 25 years ago, reports Elizabeth Cline in her book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion (Portfolio, 2013). A staggering 85 per cent of our collective apparel ends up in a landfill—that's over 10.5 million tons of clothing, according to the popular second-hand store Value Village. In a single year, Canada produces enough textile waste—clothing and other goods like upholstery—to create a mountain three times the size of Toronto's Rogers Centre stadium.
Reduce, reuse and recycle has become the mantra of socially conscious consumers. Now we need to extend that philosophy to our old accoutrements.
In a single year, Canada produces enough textile waste—clothing and other goods like upholstery—to create a mountain three times the size of Toronto's Rogers Centre stadium.
The most popular solution appears to be donating our unwanted garb. Thrift stores like those run by the YWCA across Canada not only keep old clothes out of the dump, they're also social enterprises that support community non-profits. Some charities, like the Canadian Diabetes Association, will even come to your door to collect apparel and household goods, which are resold to fund their life-changing work.
But giving away clothes is not without its pitfalls. Many of the big street-corner donation bins you can spot in any community are not affiliated with a charitable cause. If the bin doesn't clearly belong to an organization like the Salvation Army, there's a good chance a for-profit company is collecting and reselling the clothing. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It still keeps waste out of our landfills.
The catch is that up to half of the apparel is sold overseas—most of it in developing countries. In 2015, US$17.8 million worth of used Canadian clothing ended up in Kenya, alone. Developing countries can use a hand up but giving them our hand-me-downs can be devastating for struggling economies and harm their manufacturing and retail businesses. That's why it is best to ensure the skinny jeans you want to trade in for flares go to a charity.
What about clothing that's too worn to donate? New technologies are recovering textile fibres to make into new fabrics, or other products like insulation. There are textile recycling companies across Canada that will take your dead duds. You can find them easily with a quick web search. And now some cities, like Markham, Ont., are even launching recycling programs for fabrics, alongside their blue bins for glass, plastic and paper.
Perhaps the best way to reduce the amount of clothing in our landfills is to curb our desire to sport the latest trends. Don't toss those tapered-leg trousers because Vogue says they're "out." Embrace the socially conscious trend of—gasp—wearing last year's styles.
If you yawn with boredom whenever you open your wardrobe, host a clothing swap with your friends. When your jeans get a little tear in the knee, spend your money on a repair service instead of a new pair.
And the next time you see that guy from the IT department walking around in a wide-lapel sports jacket, don't laugh. Give him a high-five. He's being environmentally responsible, and that never goes out of style.
Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day.]]>
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," Bob Dylan sang. But these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what's on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week.
Big release on June 24: Independence Day: Resurgence.
Big picture: They're baaaaaaaack, and they just love ruining American holidays. On the 20th anniversary of the original invasion (and the original Independence Day film), the aliens return to finish the job. Will Smith doesn't return for the sequel (the aliens are more resilient than his career), but Bill Pullman reprises his role as the stoic U.S. President Whitmore — this time sporting a Jeff Bridges' beard. (In November, I predict he'll get more write-in votes than Trump and Clinton combined). Jeff Goldblum also returns to talk pseudo pseudo-science (he'd be more useful if he could turn into The Fly and commence an aerial attack on an alien ship).
As another interstellar war breaks out, the two sides have clearly learned from one another. The humans employ advance alien technology, while the space invaders have borrowed from the American go-big-or-go-home playbook. This time they bring super meal sized ships — sooooo big they have their own gravity.
Meanwhile, Liam Hemsworth fills in for Smith in the daring pilot department, which is only bound to confuse audiences. Why doesn't he just call The Avengers? His brother is Thor after all? A little Norse god hammering and Hulk smashing and the alien ships would be dust.
Forecast: Will humanity avoid extinction? Probably. The good guys don't tend to lose in films in which heroes quip one-liners like, "It's the Fourth of July, let's show them some fireworks." Plus, Goldblum has probably already spent his advance on Independence Day 3: Rejuvenation.
Honourable mention: The Shallows: It's a rare five-way hybrid: Castaway meets Baywatch meets Jaws meets 127 Hours meets Shark Tale. Blake Lively plays a bikini-clad surfer locked in a life-and-death battle with a bloodthirsty shark. She is stranded 200 yards from shore, but it might as well be an ocean away. (If the great white knew she was married to Deadpool, he'd shark tail it to another beach).
Big events: American Gothic (June 22, CBS/Global); $100,000 Pyramid (June 26, ABC/CTV); Match Game (June 26, ABC/CTV).
Big picture: Not to be confused with the excellent, short-lived supernatural show from the mid-'90s, this American Gothic is a Steven Spielberg-produced crime drama centring on a wealthy, powerful Boston family. Is a killer targeting them, or is one of them the killer? Meanwhile, ABC attempts to go back in time to when people actually cared about network television. First, $100,000 Pyramid returns (in a sign of the times, it used to be called The $10,000 Pyramid). The ever-smiling Michael Strahan (no Dick Clark) hosts the revival, which teams contestants with celebs (Kelly Ripa appearances are unlikely). Then Alec Baldwin hosts a revival of the classic celebrity fill-in-the-blank game show, which last aired in the 1990s. (I hope angry Alec emerges; I want to see him belittling contestants.)
Forecast: Everything old really is new again. Can The Gong Show or Hollywood Squares be far off? (Am I the only one who'd pay good money to see the latter done with the cast from Game of Thrones in character?)
Honourable mention: Roadies (June 26, The Movie Network. Cameron Crowe returns to his roots and hopes to rekindle some of his Almost Famous magic. This dramedy centres on the backstage crew behind major concerts. These "roadies" are like a dysfunctional family, as played by the likes of Luke Wilson and Carla Gugino. From stalkers to deranged musicians, to sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, this one promises to uncover the dirt and heavy lifting behind every performance.MUSIC
Big releases on June 24: Hot Hot Heat (Hot Hot Heat); The Avett Brothers (True Sadness).
Big picture: Victoria, B.C.'s Hot Hot Heat release their self-titled farewell album 14 years after their addictive debut, Make Up the Breakdown. They're still all about punchy indie-rock hooks, and melodies that are bound to re-play in your head. Folk-rock balladeers The Avett Brothers also return to give skinny-jeaned hipsters more moping music. Their acoustic-heavy early days are long behind them; Scott and Seth Avett's act has grown to a seven-member band, and their new songs finds them branching out further into diverse rhythms, from world beats and psychedelic guitars to ragged folk rock and orchestral pop. Rick Rubin — the man with the Midas touch — returns as producer.
Forecast: Even their upbeat numbers feel like a lament; The Avett Brothers will keep looking for more diverse ways to sound sad. Meanwhile, Hot Hot Heat's departure from the Canadian music scene will surely create an opening for a new band called Cool Cool Cold.
Honourable mention: Adam Baldwin, (No Telling When — Precisely Nineteen Eighty-Five). No, he's not one of those Baldwin brothers. Backed by a small army of talented Canadian musicians, the Nova Scotian (a longtime member of Matt Mays' band) releases his first full-length solo effort. (I hope Alec Baldwin responds with a screamer of a heavy metal album.)
As it turns out, I can do just that.
There are some great voyages out there that don't get a lot of media attention, just because they're not the biggest or newest itinerary on the block. I'm hoping to change that.
The East Coast is blessed with some fantastic short cruises that leave from ports that are just a quick flight away. They're also varied, with two-, three-, four- and five-night cruises to the Canadian Maritimes, Bermuda and even the eastern seaboard of the United States.
One of my favourites (that, shockingly, still has some space left) is aboard Cunard's beautiful flagship, the grand Queen Mary 2, which will be coming fresh out of a multimillion-dollar refit in June If you've always wanted to sail aboard this ship, but not overly thrilled by the idea of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, this is the cruise for you.
On July 1, Queen Mary 2 will set sail from her Brooklyn, N.Y., berth to Halifax, followed by an overnight stay in Boston to take in the July 4 U.S. Independence Day celebrations. Voyage M609 — as it's known in Cunard jargon — is currently going for about $1,199 per person, according to the company's website (all prices may be subject to change). It also happens to be an annual tradition for the Queen Mary 2, drawing a number of loyal repeat guests each year.
For something more casual, try Royal Caribbean's five-night cruise from Boston to Bar Harbor, Maine; Saint John, N.B., and Halifax. It departs on Sept. 13 aboard Serenade of the Seas — in my view, one of Royal Caribbean's most beautiful ships. It's nothing like the mammoth Harmony of the Seas and her sisters, yet she still manages to have banks of gorgeous glass windows, glass elevators, a multi-storey atrium and a two-storey dining room onboard. Royal Caribbean has this one starting at about $1,217 per person.
Finally, families who long to take a Disney cruise might want to hop aboard the line's five-night Canadian Coast Cruise aboard Disney Magic. It departs on Oct. 2 from Manhattan and calls on Saint John, N.B., and Halifax. But like everything Disney, this magic doesn't come cheap: expect to shell out about US$2,764 per person for this quick sailing.
On the West Coast, you can't beat the repositioning cruises that happen at the end of the Alaska season. Every September and October, dozens of cruise ships bid Vancouver farewell and set sail for the warmer shores of California. These are sometimes called Pacific Northwest or Pacific Coastals, and they're my absolute favourite pick for a quick getaway cruise. I've been taking these for more than a decade now, and I'm never disappointed in these short, relatively inexpensive sailings.
The one I'm eyeing at the moment: the three-day Pacific Northwest cruise aboard Holland America Line's Nieuw Amsterdam that sails round-trip from Vancouver on Oct. 1. Sure, it only sails to Seattle and then spends a day of scenic cruising on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, but starting at $448 per person, it's one of the most inexpensive multi-day journeys you can take on the West Coast. It's been a while since Holland America did these short round-trip voyages, and it's nice to see them back again.
If you just want to get away, hop aboard Princess Cruises' one-day voyages from Vancouver to Seattle. Crown Princess sails from Canada Place on Sept. 17, and sister-ship Ruby Princess departs the next day, Sept. 18. Starting at just over $100 per person, these are great voyages to test out Princess, try a new ship, or just get that last-minute "cruise fix."
Norwegian Cruise Line offers something a bit longer: five-day journeys between Vancouver and Los Angeles aboard the super-cool Norwegian Pearl and her sister, Norwegian Jewel. These are really great ships, with plenty of windows, colourful public rooms, and wide open decks. And, of course, Norwegian's casual, relaxed onboard atmosphere: no stuffy formal nights, no assigned dinner times or tables.
Norwegian Pearl (which even has a bowling alley onboard) sails on Sept. 26 from Vancouver, with calls on Victoria and San Francisco before she arrives at the San Pedro Cruise Terminal in Los Angeles. Sister Norwegian Jewel departs from Canada Place on Sept. 27, and calls on Victoria and Astoria (Ore.) before arriving in L.A. on Oct. 2. Starting prices range from US$329 to US$349.
If you don't have the time for a full-length cruise to the Caribbean, these short gems are great options for a quick cruise getaway. But we'll just keep that between us, right?]]>
On the shelves at Summerhill Market, a Toronto grocery store, there are mealworm protein balls and scrumptious cricket key lime pie. Last year, chef Meeru Dhalwala put delicacies like a flatbread made from cricket flour on the menu at her popular Vij and Rangoli restaurants in Vancouver. And two years ago, New Millennium Farms in Norwood, Ont., became North America's first agricultural business to raise and process insects for consumer meals. These entrepreneurs are at the leading edge of what food bloggers say will be the top food trend of 2016.
It may be a stretch to imagine noshing on a bag of chocolate-covered crickets while chilling out with Netflix. But a meal of bugs is high in protein and essential nutrients, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The group encourages Westerners to get on the bug bandwagon.
Palm weevils, for instance, contain two times more dietary zinc than beef, as well as higher amounts of iron and healthy fats. And while the nutritional value of bugs is undeniably big, the environmental footprint of insect farming isn't. Insect farms require much less land and resources like water, and produce far lower levels of greenhouse gases than traditional livestock farms.
From Asia to South America, insects have long appeared on the menu in many cultures. But what's truly epic about the edible-bug trend is its potential to not only provide a healthy source of food, but also boost incomes among people in developing countries who could never afford chicken or beef from a grocery store.
Owusu, a stone mason in Ghana's central Ashanti region, is a great example of how insects can transform lives. Surgery left him unable to do heavy labour, and with no other job skills, Owusu couldn't put food on the table for his wife and five children.
What's truly epic about the edible-bug trend is its potential to not only provide a healthy source of food, but also boost incomes among people in developing countries who could never afford chicken or beef from a grocery store.
Then he heard about Aspire, a Montreal-based social enterprise that won the prestigious Hult Prize for its world-changing plan to tackle chronic malnutrition in developing communities. Aspire teaches people to farm palm weevils—small insects that are a staple food in Ghana. Owusu got a starter kit from Aspire and within mere weeks he was earning a living wage.
In the open-air market of Owusu's home village of Donyina, one kg (about 2 lbs), of weevils fetches between $8 and $10. A novice farmer can produce a kg every four weeks. Owusu now produces 10 kg (about 10 lbs), of insects a month, worth $80 to $100. In a region where most people earn less than $2.50 a day, he's a fortunate man.
Aspire CEO, Mohammed Ashour, tells us he is stunned to see the benefits of his insect enterprise extend beyond improving nutrition and incomes. Ashour recalls an elderly man in Brong Ahafo, Ghana. John had retired with no savings, becoming a burden for his family. Then he took up weevil farming. John is happier now that he's productive again. And he's bonding with his grandchildren who help him out with his insect endeavour.
"It's not just the nutrition, but the feeling that he's contributing to his family in his later years," says Ashour. "The empowerment is incredible to see. It was a quality-of- life boost."
Having changed lives using palm weevils in Ghana, Ashour has expanded Aspire, launching cricket farms in Mexico and the U.S.
While swallowing something that once wriggled on the ground may sound unappetizing, food that's healthy for our bodies, the planet, and the prosperity of the world's most vulnerable, sounds like a meal worth tucking into.
Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day.]]>
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," Bob Dylan sang. But these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what's on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week.
Big releases on June 17: Central Intelligence, Finding Dory.
Big picture: It's Red Lobster's worst nightmare. Pixar's beloved clown fish, Nemo, is back. This time the forgetful blue tang Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) takes the ocean's centre stage. This sequel finds Nemo and his father Marlin helping the memory-addled Dory discover her past. Where did she come from? How did she learn to speak whale? Does she know she starred in a film that grossed over US$900 million worldwide, and that she's currently a discarded stuffed animal in nearly as many children's bedrooms?
Meanwhile, Central Intelligence delivers mindless fun — yet another addition to the buddy-cop genre. (What's that? You've watched hundreds of them in your lifetime — and would rather watch a Kardashian watch paint dry? Me too!) But this one has The Rock, damn it. Dwayne Johnson stars as a deadly CIA agent — "Jason Bourne in shorts" as his straight man Kevin Hart coins it. Hart plays an accountant and one-time high school classmate of the toothy-grinned super spy. Once the latter drags his unlucky chum into a serious game of international espionage, the bombs, bullets and zingers fly. Let me sum it up for you. It's over 90 minutes of: 1. Kevin Hart yelling. 2. The Rock mugging and flexing.
Forecast: Finding Dory's animated, anthropomorphized characters will make you feel even more guilty about eating seafood. (I would have preferred Finding Intelligence, in which a screenwriter must learn how to write an original buddy-cop comedy.)TV
Big events: BrainDead (June 13, CBS/Global).
Big picture: From the creators of The Good Wife comes a dramedy that I first thought was a documentary. Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as a young Capitol Hill staffer who discovers that small, parasitic bugs have been eating the brains of U.S. members of Congress and their staffers. Finally, Washington gridlock and the Tea Party's rise both plausibly explained! It's Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Veep. (I expect that the season finale will reveal the hive's mother bug lives inside Donald Trump's skull.)
Forecast: A Canadian spinoff called FunnyDeboned will find Canadian Parliamentarians funny bones being eaten by similar insects, which can only explain the lack of humour and over-the-top theatrics found in our House of Commons.
Honourable mention: Uncle Buck (June 14, ABC). Amazingly, this is the second time John Candy's 1989 comedy classic has been remade for television. Mike Epps fills the Canuck funnyman's shoes as the uncle you don't want to sit beside at family dinners. Viewers are gifted with a double-episode debut. I'm probably not the only one that would have preferred a TV take on Spaceballs.MUSIC
Big releases on June 17: Neil Young (Earth); Red Hot Chili Peppers (The Getaway).
Big picture: Neil Young releases an album of 13 songs paired up with nature and animal sounds from across the globe. Fans will recognize environmentally sensitive tracks from throughout Young's career, such as After the Goldrush, Human Highway and The Monsanto Years. His guest "performers" on the album include birds, insects and mammals. I'm hoping for a Young duet with a howler monkey.
Meanwhile, Anthony Kiedis and the Chili Peppers return for studio album No. 11. They bring their usual rock 'n' roll heat, but add more funk. The title track is an example. Chalk up another win for workaholic, visionary producer Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton). In a 2014 Rolling Stone interview, bassist Flea described the band's new material as a mix of "super danceable, funky sh-t" and "some real introspective, pretty stuff." They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. As the music industry crumbles, the Chili Peppers longtime success will spawn new bands like the Creamed Corn and Fried Potatoes, and new guitarists like Ladybug and Mosquito.
Forecast: Neil Young will pen the soundtrack to Finding Nemo's next sequel: Finding Nemo: Keep on Rocking in the Free, Undersea World, in which the titular clown fish and Dory raise money to protect the oceans with an underwater band.
Honourable mention: Radiohead (A Moon Shaped Pool). The English rockers can seemingly do no wrong. This marks the physical release of their new album of electronica and orchestral rock. Speaking of the imitation front, why has no one followed Radiohead's path? The band names practically write themselves: Internet Kidney, TV Lung, Satellite Pancreas etc. (Sigh. Do I have to think of everything to save the music biz?). Radiohead also gets my award for best song title of 2016: Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief.
SASKATOON — Gordie Howe, whose down-home Saskatchewan upbringing played itself out at hockey's highest levels, has died at age 88.
The player known as "Mr. Hockey" scored his first NHL goal in 1946, and his last in 1980. Howe was a doting grandfather of two when he potted that final goal at age 52.
The seemingly indestructible Howe wrapped up his playing days as the NHL's all-time leader in games, goals, assists and points — the latter three categories later surpassed by Wayne Gretzky.
Off the ice, Howe was generous with his time, friendly and personable. On the ice, he was the complete package.
He was "one of the most remarkable athletes of any time," Peter Gzowski once wrote, and those talents were first honed in Saskatoon, where Gordie grew up as one of nine children in a family parented by Ab and Katherine Howe.
He once played for five local teams in the same season, suiting up at every position including goalie because — as Howe put it — "It doesn't do any harm to learn how to play the other fellow's position."
Howe's mother often put paper on the floor while he ate meals so he wouldn't have to take off his skates.
Howe, even then an imposing physical specimen, played school hockey at King George and also suited up with local club and senior teams, often skating against much older players.
He never left Saskatchewan behind when he embarked on an NHL career that made him one of the most recognizable names in sport. Howe maintained close ties to his home province and the city where he grew up, returning in 1966 for "Gordie Howe Day" — a gala celebration that included a parade through downtown Saskatoon and the naming of Gordie Howe Park, and Gordie Howe Bowl, in his honour.In 1961 Sports Illustrated called Howe "an ageless one-man team," and he continued to roll up the years after that pronouncement.
During his final campaign, the magazine said he was "as effortless as DiMaggio, as well-balanced and deceptively fast as Jimmy Brown, as steady and soft-spoken as Gehrig."
Howe won six Hart Trophies as NHL MVP and captured four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he spent most of his career. Howe later played for the World Hockey Association's Houston Aeros and New England Whalers, including stints alongside sons Mark and Marty, before returning to the NHL for one final season with the Hartford Whalers in 1979-80. Howe played all 80 games during that final campaign, scoring 15 goals and 41 points, and adding a goal and an assist in the three playoff contests.
Howe saw beloved wife Colleen as an equal partner in his career, both on and off the ice. Colleen's death in 2009 from Pick's disease devastated her husband.
Howe's four children — Mark, Marty, Murray and Cathy — kept him close as he lived out these last few years.
Howe made his last public Saskatoon appearance in 2013, when he dropped the puck before a Memorial Cup game.
Gretzky met Howe at a Kinsmen sports dinner in Brantford, Ont., when the future great was just 10 years old. The Great One told a Saskatoon audience a few years ago that hockey heroes often disappoint the kids who idolize them when they meet, but that wasn't the case for him with Howe.
"He was bigger and better than I could have ever imagined," Gretzky said simply.]]>
By Dave Stubbs
MONTREAL – They were at Gordie Howe's Bell Centre table on Thursday night from the lobster martini until well past le temple au chocolat, a queue that stretched for three hours and at least a few thousand calories.
It's been like this for half a century. The admirers of the man called Mr. Hockey never leave his side, arriving for an autograph or to put a hand almost meekly on his famously sloped shoulder for a photo, tongue-tied in this moment of magic.
Gordie Howe, who turned 79 yesterday, now works a room by having the room come to him. On Thursday, his first trip to Montreal since the May 2000 funeral of his great rival, Maurice (Rocket) Richard, he was a brilliant star in a glittering Bell Centre galaxy.
Howe was among the 1,000 on hand for the tribute to Jean Béliveau, a spectacular gala that raised more than $1 million for children's hospitals in Quebec.
On this night, the procession to Howe stretched from his table, set over a faceoff circle, out past the blue line. From the corner of his right eye, he could see the head-table guest of honour, properly seated at centre ice, their lives still only a few strides apart on a covered sheet of ice.
We are spoiled in Montreal, the grand Béliveau moving easily and elegantly among us. We often hear his silky baritone and feel his warm handshake. We recognize his gait, slowed not by his 75 years but by the countless people who stop him for a word.
Surely it's like this in Detroit for Howe, a folksy product of the Canadian prairies who moved to the big city to find bigger fame.
But the appeal of Béliveau and Howe is not contained by any city limit. They are icons no matter where they go, hockey pioneers revered as much off the ice as they were on it, perhaps more.
One Hall of Famer after another walked into a Bell Centre interview room before the gala — Toronto goaler Johnny Bower; Canadiens centre Henri Richard and the team's Big Three defencemen Larry Robinson, Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe; and Rangers goalie Eddie Giacomin.
Then Howe turned the corner and simply took the breath out of everyone. His gnarled right paw swallowed every hand it shook, the left tip of his bowtie dipping not unlike the way he would drop a shoulder to shrug off a check.
Howe and Béliveau go back to the autumn of 1950, when the former was a blossoming, 22-year-old right-winger with the Detroit Red Wings and the latter still just a dream for the Canadiens, filling the newly rebuilt Colisée as a teenage centreman for the junior-league Quebec Citadelles and senior Aces.
"I had the good fortune to first meet John in Quebec City," Howe recalled of their first encounter, an exhibition game between the Red Wings and the Aces. "We talked a little bit. I looked at him, saw some of the moves he made in practice.
"We went into the room between periods and somebody said: 'Someone stay close to that guy, he'll kill us.'
"Later I said: 'John's going to be unbelievable.' I'd have been a heck of a scout. We were all in agreement in the bus that night — that kid's going to be a star, and he didn't disappoint any of us."
Howe's one question had been about the boiling point of Béliveau's blood.
"I wondered whether John was mean enough to be a hockey player. What if I run him?" he said. "Well, I gave him a little run, and he just smiled. I said: 'Yeah, he's OK,' and that's the only time I ever tested him.
"I admire John not just because of his great, great ability as a hockey player, but for his demeanour in public. He's a complete gentleman. He came out to Saskatoon for a parade long ago, and four of my sisters came home 15 minutes after meeting him and said: 'We used to be Detroit fans.'
"The respect I have for this man is unreal, and it started the first time I ever saw him up in Quebec City. If you think he's a good hockey player, as a gentleman he's even better."
"As much as I've talked about him through the years, I've never had anyone say a darned thing bad about him. We didn't play on the same team, but I consider John my friend. And that makes me a better man." – Howe on Béliveau, March 2007
Many historians consider Howe the greatest player of all time, notwithstanding the obscene statistics of Wayne Gretzky. Born in Floral, Sask., and raised in Saskatoon, the legendary forward played an unprecedented 26 NHL seasons, from 1946-80, scoring 801 goals with 1,049 assists in 1,767 regular-season games while winning four Stanley Cups with Detroit.
Twenty-three times he was an all-star; six times each he was the NHL's leading scorer and its most valuable player.
Against the Canadiens on April 11, 1980, nine years after Béliveau had retired, Howe became the oldest man — 52 years and 10 days — to play an NHL game, his Hartford Whalers losing 4-3 to the Canadiens.
Both men believe they made each other better players, the comparisons constantly drawn between two strong, dominant athletes during the glory days of the six-team NHL.
Howe was so powerful, Béliveau wrote in his autobiography, that "trying to strong-arm Gordie off the puck in a corner was akin to wrestling with a telephone pole."
"Gordie's being here on Thursday showed how much he's done during his life outside the game," Béliveau said yesterday morning, his voice still thin from overuse at the gala.
"On the ice, he could do everything and make it look so easy. I always had so much respect for the fact he could do anything. There's no doubt I'm very happy to have played my 18 years when Gordie was there."
They fought hard, but within the rules during a time of bitter rivalries, when teams met each other 14 or more times per season. Neither recalls ever dropping the gloves against the other.
It was the late Rocket Richard, a fellow right-winger, that lore has Howe detesting.
"There was no dislike," Howe said. "I respected him. I'd watch every move he made, if it could benefit my hockey. …
"They always thought there was bad blood because I hit him once coming across the line and he spun like a rocket and fell down. He wasn't hurt that much and I started to laugh. But the laughter stopped when there were eight guys on me.
"I felt sorry for the Rocket. I never felt he enjoyed the game. If he wasn't having a good night, he'd just as soon explode. That fellow didn't know when to stop, did he? But I admired him."
So much so that Howe named his dog for Richard. Surely the four-legged Rocket is a ferocious, brooding beast?
Howe leans in close.
"A toy poodle," he whispered, his playfulness worn in a grin.
Howe's evening in Montreal was a wonderful tonic in a life that recently has known profound sadness.
He has suffered great physical discomfort over the years, a human wrecking ball who racked up 1,685 career penalty minutes. Howe's injuries read like an emergency-ward shopping list. In no particular order:
Fractured skull, severe concussion, nose broken a dozen times, broken cheekbone, fingers, wrist, ribs, foot, toe (by a Bobby Hull slap shot), collarbone (which went undiagnosed for a full season), carpal tunnel surgery, torn knee ligaments (both joints since replaced), scratched eyeball, a hernia and 500-plus stitches in his face.
But this all has paled compared with the emotional pain endured since 2002 when Colleen, his wife of more than five decades, was diagnosed with Pick's disease, an incurable neurological illness causing dementia.
Today, the woman who built an empire built on the Howe name — a brand, really — seldom recognizes anyone. Caregivers and 30-year-old grandson Travis have lessened the load on Gordie. But there is no salve for the scars on his heart as he sees to every need in Colleen's silent world.
(Colleen Howe would lose her battle with Pick's on March 6, 2009.)
Thursday's gala gave Howe a night out to renew a unique friendship. Béliveau joyfully recalls having attended Howe's charity golf tournament years ago, and sleeping at his host's home after a past-midnight reminiscence beneath the stars.
"John was an entertaining, unselfish, tremendous player with the ability to set up goals at will," Howe said.
"As much as I've talked about him through the years, I've never had anyone say a darned thing bad about him. We didn't play on the same team, but I consider John my friend. And that makes me a better man."]]>
By Dave Stubbs
MONTREAL — The autograph of Detroit Red Wings icon Gordie Howe — Gordon, by his longhand — is one of the most familiar and cherished in old-time hockey, in a dead heat with those of Montreal Canadiens' Jean Béliveau and the late Maurice Richard, fellow Hall of Famers.
All three are perfectly legible, fluid in stroke, sometimes needlessly accompanied by a sweater number to confirm identities for the generations of fans and their heirs who have treasured them.
For an hour during a Saturday collectibles show at Pierre Charbonneau Centre, and for awhile longer in a room backstage, Gordie signed his name a couple hundred times. Everyone who stood before him for even a brief moment in the building's main hall was awestruck; many were almost speechless.
Absently, between signatures, Gordie would flex his hand, curling his fingers almost tight, and you'd see not a fist so much as the business end of a sledgehammer. Long-ago players who blocked it with their unlucky mugs know as much.
The distinctive "G" that he penned Saturday is probably unique in the world. It's more of an "S", and how that came to be is part of the rich Howe lore.
As a grade-schooler in Saskatoon who lived his winters on a Prairie rink, seemingly certain of the fame that one day would be his, Gordie diligently practised a few different signatures, writing until his fingers cramped.
He offered these samples to his sister, Violet, and she chose the one that he's now signed tens of thousands of times as the greatest player of his era — No. 1 or 1A of all time with Wayne Gretzky, depending on your argument.
Gordie's was the first autograph I collected as a boy, having met him at a Ford dealership in Pointe-Claire, Que., when I was 10. My father was considering a new 1967 Mercury Comet, and Gordie was in the showroom that night for a "Shoot To Win" promotion.
That afternoon, the Red Wings legend had been up the road at Eaton's, appearing on behalf of his Truline sporting-goods line, but you couldn't get within a rink-length of him there.
By comparison, Fairview Mercury offered a private audience. That night, I slapped a sponge-rubber puck through a gaping hole in a wooden board shrewdly not covering a hockey net; a happy kid was a far better sales tool than free floormats.
Gordie extended his hand in congratulations, swallowing mine with a paw the size of a first-baseman's mitt, then signed a youth-size stick as my prize. It was heavy piece of lumber whose blade I reduced to a toothpick playing road hockey until the shaft was snapped in the driveway — backed over by a 1967 Mercury Comet that had joined our family a week after the stick.
"Straight blade, I'll bet!" Gordie joked last Friday afternoon when we talked at Trudeau Airport upon his arrival with his son, Marty.
Gordie hadn't begun signing his name in earnest until after his 1946-47 rookie season, having landed with the Red Wings at age 18. He vividly recalls the rule of iron-fisted Detroit coach Jack Adams, the Wings that season headed for a fourth-place finish in the six-team NHL and a first-round playoff exit.
"If we'd played horse—-, at least with an autograph they'd have had something." — Gordie Howe on his policy to always sign an autograph for fans
"Adams would fine us if we signed autographs in our own building," Gordie recalled. "He said, 'You're paid big money, so we expect you to keep your minds on hockey.' I remember thinking about the fans. If we'd played horse—-, at least with an autograph they'd have had something."
He thinks the first signature he collected might have been that of Boston Bruins star Milt Schmidt, whom Gordie would have seen in Toronto while attending school and practising with the junior Red Wings in Galt, 100 km west of Maple Leaf Gardens.
"Or maybe I got an autograph a little earlier from a player on the (senior-league) Saskatoon Quakers," Gordie said. "I was fortunate as hell to watch those individuals, even if they were miserable buggers."
This man's formidable statistics are just a sliver of his appeal, his popularity today nearly rivalling what it was when he was an all-star 29 times during a 32-year professional career.
Gordie stopped to consider a 1951 image of teammate Terrible Ted Lindsay, an equally fierce competitor whose sharp fangs are cleverly disguised as a smile.
"There was a certain amount of meanness in Ted," he said in understatement. "You needed that to survive."
Gordie would know.
"He knows how to shade the rules," an unnamed Chicago Blackhawks player said of Gordie in a 1964 Sports Illustrated profile. "You do something to him, he won't let on you got to him. But when you come out of the next scramble, you've got four or five stitches you don't know how you got."
Gordie took a suture or two through the decades in Montreal, but he doesn't have a chance to reply to a question about his most memorable moment in this city.
"My first NHL playoff goal, right?" Marty jumped in brightly of the Hartford Whalers' 1980 preliminary-round series, a three-game Canadiens sweep.
"If you ever find a picture, you'll see that Gordie ran the netminder (Denis Herron). Someone bumped him and he just flew into the goalie."
Had referee Bob Myers that night called today's goaltender interference, Gordie would have ended his 2,421-game career with 2,421 penalty minutes.
As he signed his name again and again on Saturday, Mr. Hockey could have told fans how significant this date was in his life: March 24 is the birthday of his sister, Cathy, and a grandson, Nolan; it's also the anniversary of his first, fifth and then-record sixth Art Ross trophies, awarded to the NHL's leading point-scorer, won in 1951, '57 and '63.
Early Sunday morning, Gordie and Marty Howe boarded a flight west, Vancouver's arms open wide. An airport clerk might have noticed a large scab on Gordie's thick left wrist, the souvenir of a recent nature walk with Murray, the youngest of his three sons.
"He came back looking like he'd run into a bobcat," Marty said. "Gordie was bleeding all over the place, having walked through a thicket of bushes wearing shorts. He took a tumble and he was a mess."
Marty turned to his father.
"You never bled that much in a hockey game."
Gordie, 84 next Saturday, just grinned.
"Yes, I did."
And he had no problem with that. None at all.]]>
-Lynn Patrick's memories in the Boston Daily Record of what his father, New York Rangers GM Lester Patrick, told Howe when he sent him home from training camp in 1943.
"To survive in the NHL, you needed to carve out one foot of personal space around you on the ice. Gordie got three feet."
– Hall of Fame defenceman Pierre Pilote
"Louie's a funny guy. He thinks he won that fight."
– Former New York Ranger Dean Prentice, remembering Howe's famous 1959 fight with Rangers defenceman Lou Fontinato, when Howe destroyed Fontinato, up until then considered the NHL's toughest customer.
"His big assets are his almost super-human strength, powerful wrists, passing, playmaking, shooting and stickhandling. There doesn't seem to be a thing Gordie Howe can't do except sit on the bench."
– Montreal Canadiens GM Frank Selke in 1960.
"There's only one Gordie Howe. That's why he's called Mr. Hockey."
– Former NHLer Adam Graves]]>
That experience sparked a passion for aboriginal issues that never faded, even after Martin became Canada's 21st Prime Minister.
After their time in office, most PMs have opted to resume lucrative careers, returning to successful businesses or law practices. Martin has chosen a different path. His life's mission is to create opportunities for indigenous youth through his own non-profit, the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative (MAEI).
We've partnered with MAEI on a campaign called We Stand Together, promoting national reconciliation by educating young Canadians across the country about indigenous issues. Two weeks ago, we watched Martin choke up with emotion as he talked about indigenous issues with youth at an aboriginal cultural centre in Montreal. We spoke to Martin about how Canadians can connect with and support First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Why do we all need to care about aboriginal issues?
Our values say that we give all Canadians an equal chance. We're not doing this with the aboriginal population. This is really a violation of all the values that we proclaim to the world.
How can average Canadians support indigenous communities?
Canadians should seek to understand how the problems have occurred, and what the challenges are in communities like Attawapiskat. And then, unequivocally, Canadians have to speak out for needed funding. None of us would be where we are if we hadn't received free public school education. And the fact is, the federal government underfunds aboriginal health care and education, and that's obviously going to have huge effects on communities like Attawapiskat.
If there are [aboriginal] communities nearby, mentoring students in grade and high school is a huge benefit. And there are all kinds of programs that people could donate to.
"Our values say that we give all Canadians an equal chance. We're not doing this with the aboriginal population. This is really a violation of all the values that we proclaim to the world."
What would you add to curriculum to better teach students about aboriginal people?
I wouldn't limit education to indigenous history or going into museums. Indigenous people don't live in museums. I would take [students] into communities and get them to sit down and meet young people their own age.
What books or films can help Canadians better understand aboriginal people?
Authors Joseph Boyden and Thomas King have written outstanding books. I would also recommend books by Rupert Ross (a former Ontario crown attorney), about his evolution from being a Canadian who didn't know very much about aboriginal issues, and over time really understanding them. For films, I'd recommend Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner). It's the first Inuktitut language feature film, and it won an award at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Another excellent one is Edmund Metatawabin's Up Ghost River, which is all about residential schools and abuse.
What are some must-see indigenous destinations for Canadians?
Ninstints is a small island off the west coast of Queen Charlotte Island. There are remains of houses with carved memorial poles that show the living culture of the Haida, and their relationship to the land and the sea.
How can Canada's 150th celebrations recognize indigenous contributions to our country?
The First Nations, the Inuit nations and the Métis people should be officially recognized as founding nations of Canada, along with the French and the English.
This interview has been edited and abbreviated.
Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day.]]>
Big Releases on June 10: Warcraft; Now You See Me 2
Big Picture: Warcraft is like the battle for Middle Earth minus the subtext, literary influence and Oscar-worthy actors. The peaceful realm of Azeroth is invaded by an army of Orcs (they look like Shrek with boar tusks) from another dimension. Sadly, these greenies don't have wisecracking donkey sidekicks. Of course, a hackneyed crew of Dungeons & Dragons castoffs is assembled to stop them. Meanwhile, Now You See Me 2 marks the return of The Four Horsemen, a team of daring, cocky thieves with razor-sharp wit. They're like Ocean's Eleven after corporate downsizing. Led by Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson, they can't match the glam of Clooney-Damon's pack; instead of the latter's megawatt smiles, this team's magic is in sleight of hand, illusion and deflection. The sequel finds them matching wit with a new enemy: Harry Potter! Well, Daniel Radcliffe, anyway — playing a wealthy recluse. Thankfully, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman return in supporting roles; I'd listen to their voices narrate ANYTHING — from paint drying to a Hulk Hogan sex tape.
Forecast: Warcraft is a sign the war is over; the geeks have truly won. First they took over the box office with superheroes. Then mainstream TV via The Big Bang Theory, Walking Dead etc. And now a game they play in their parents' basements is poised to dominate the box office? (What's next: Mark Zuckerberg running for president?) I also predict a triple-mash-up sequel called Ocean's Four Horsemen: Now You See Me in Narnia, in which Danny Ocean hires the magical foursome to steal a wardrobe that leads to Narnia. Triple your box-office pleasure? How can Hollywood resist?
Honourable Mention: The Conjuring 2. I know the maxim is, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." But I don't think that one applies to battling demonic forces. This one finds supernatural sleuths Lorraine and Ed Warren in north London helping a single mother saddle with four children and a house full of poltergeists. It's like the Full House reboot, only slightly less horrifying.TV
Big Events: Voltron: Legendary Defender (June 10, Netflix); Ride with Norman Reedus (June 12, AMC)
Big Picture: Voltron, the '80s animated classic, returns to defend the universe against evil with the help of five new suckers-turned-conscripted-heroes. This one's more for the nostalgic child of the Eighties than the modern kid groomed on lifelike video games. For those in the dark, Voltron is "the greatest weapon ever known" — essentially five, multi-coloured lion robots that assemble to form a super robot (kind of a poor man's Transformer). Meanwhile, Norman Reedus is already the coolest cast member, with the coolest character, on the most popular TV show in cable history: The Walking Dead. Now he has his own motorcycle adventure-travel show? It's just not fair. I predict Ride with Norman Reedus will inspire other celebrities to explore their own one-dimensional passions and skills (e.g. Shirtless with Channing Tatum, Charm with George Clooney, Alienate with Kanye West, Adorable with Jennifer Lawrence, Sing with Neil Patrick Harris, Smile Boyishly with Jimmy Fallon).
Forecast: Voltron's re-assembly will spark a wave of '80s cartoon nostalgia. First up will be a remake of ProStars, the oddball crime-fighting sports team of Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky. For the update, I predict LeBron James, Jose Bautista (all bat flips all the time), Serena Williams and Tom Brady (who will always cheat to beat the bad guy).
Honourable: Ladylike (June 9, MTV Canada). This MTV prank show shatters stereotypes — and the definition of its title.
Big Releases on June 10: Band of Horses (Why Are You OK); Nick Jonas (Last Year Was Complicated); Peter Bjorn and John (Breakin' Point)
Big Picture: Band of Horses is southern-fried rock meets Seattle cool — with a dash of country. Case and point, new song titles like Solemn Oath, Lying Under Oak and Country Teen. That and lead singer Ben Bridwell looks kind of like Foo Fighter Dave Grohl if the latter was a moonshine-guzzling hillbilly. Meanwhile, the last Jonas brother standing (or at least not forgotten), Nick, releases his third solo album (visions of Justin Timberlake dance in his head). Jonas's song titles have me a but worried, though: Chainsaw, Voodoo, Bacon, Champagne Problems and Good Girls? Makes you wonder what his hobbies are. Finally, Swedish indie-rock ambassadors Peter Bjorn and John prove their band is far from the Breakin' Point.
Forecast: They'll need to create at least 10 more music award shows if every former boy bander trying to make it solo actually succeeds.
Honourable Mention: Garbage (Strange Little Birds). The American-Scottish alt-rockers take flight on their sixth studio effort.]]>
Craig got his first taste of activism speaking out to save our local library. We've noticed ever since then that when provinces and cities experience a budget crunch, libraries are often first on the chopping block. Yet invariably, citizens rise up to protect them from extinction.
Newfoundland's plan to shutter more than half its public libraries sparked a recent protest by thousands at the provincial legislature. Comedian and commentator Rick Mercer lambasted the government with one of his trademark rants.
When the town council of McNab-Braeside, a rural community near Ottawa, decided to cancel an arrangement that gave residents free access to the library in the neighbouring town of Arnprior, almost a third of the entire township signed a petition in protest. Then they voted out all five councillors in the next election.
"Libraries are about the only free public spaces left in our society where you're not a consumer, pressured to buy something," – Sandra Singh, librarian.
In the age of e-readers, search engines, and Wikipedia, why do Canadians still cling so tenaciously to these seemingly archaic institutions? Because libraries are so much more than just repositories for books.
Canada's libraries are vital community hubs with an ever-growing range of beneficial programs and services. Perhaps more relevant today than ever before, they are community institutions worth fighting for.
In McNab-Braeside, resident Brian Armisen tells us he couldn't imagine his community without the variety of services the Arnprior library offers. Armisen helped launch the campaign to save the library, and now serves as deputy mayor. Beyond free Wi-Fi and access to computers, there is a daytime storytelling program for preschoolers that not only promotes early childhood literacy, but provides a coveted social opportunity for stay-at-home moms and dads. A partnership with the town museum introduces school groups to local history.
There's a wealth of services and programs at Canadian libraries, like first aid and child health classes, financial literacy, and support for new Canadians such as English-language programs, says Sandra Singh, chief librarian of the Vancouver Public Library and president of the Canadian Library Association.
With electronic media replacing books as the primary way information is shared in our society, libraries are at the forefront of digital technology. Whether you're a high school student keen on software coding, or a senior who just wants to learn to use email to talk to your grandkids, your local library likely has a course to help you. The newly-upgraded Halifax Central Library boasts music recording studios with free access to digital sound-editing equipment. Last summer, the Vancouver Central Library opened its "Inspiration Lab" featuring computers with the latest in video, audio and publishing software and gadgets. Visitors to the Toronto Reference Library can use 3D printers.
As urban communities sprawl and public spaces dwindle, Singh argues that libraries fill an increasingly needed role as community hubs. Many now feature cafés and auditoriums. The Arnprior institution has bookshelves that roll aside to make room for concerts and speaking events throughout the year.
"Libraries are about the only free public spaces left in our society where you're not a consumer, pressured to buy something," says Singh.
Perhaps most importantly, libraries provide their programs and services to those who are often marginalized, or can't afford to go elsewhere for enrichment. And it's not just knowledge that libraries give to those in need. A pioneer of the sharing economy, the library lending model is expanding to create greater community access to other useful things through innovative initiatives like toy and tool libraries. We agree with Singh that libraries really are a tremendous equalizing force.
When was the last time you or your kids visited a local library to see what it has to offer? You might be surprised to discover that far from being a community dinosaur, it's the coolest place in town.
Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day.]]>
Big Releases on June 3: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
Big Picture: In an age where Donald Trump has mutated into a legitimate presidential candidate, the TMNT are the heroes we need (and probably deserve). Turtles that mutated into ninja warriors named after Italian Renaissance painters? Why not? Director Michael Bay's lone non-CGI muse, Megan Fox, returns as reporter April O'Neil, the green team's intrepid sidekick. She has my sympathy, given the turtles' voices sound like an uncanny, unsettling cross between Rocky Balboa and Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. In this sequel, a stormy, vortex cloud appears over Manhattan — which typically means an invasion of aliens, or a demigod named Zuul in sore need of ghostbusting. Bay certainly knows his audience. What follows are explosions, car chases, punches, tanks, mutant warthogs and rhinos, mutant rhinos riding tanks, and Fox gamely tying her shirt off to reveal midriff. Meanwhile, the mockumentary Popstar finds Andy Samberg as Conner4Real, a clueless singer-rapper and international superstar. Never Stop Never Stopping clearly takes aim at the likes of Justin Bieber's "behind-the-scenes" film Never Say Never. Watch Conner4Real perform with Adam Levine's hologram and discuss his album "Thriller, also," or meet his bloated personal staff that includes a bag piper and wolf trainer. The music biz hasn't taken this much satirical heat since Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.
Forecast: Popstar should be a howl; the industry's ripe for the comedy pickings. Those with a fetish talking animal superheroes should wait it out until Rocket Racoon returns in 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy sequel.
Honourable Mention: Me Before You. Emilia Clark (Game of Thrones) plays Louise Clark, a whimsical young woman who becomes unlikely caregiver to Will (Sam Claflin): rich, grumpy, cynical, and recently paralyzed. Cue the violins, Coldplay ballads, life-affirming moments and lines like "I have become a whole new person because of you." (I almost prefer Michelangelo's chronic overuse of the word "cowabunga.") I'd be a lot more interested in this movie if the happy couple explored the world via Clark's dragon co-stars from Thrones.TV
Big Events: Maya & Marty (NBC, May 31); Feed the Beast (June 5, AMC)
Big Picture: Martin Short and Maya Rudolph, together at last? I guess. This "all-star" prime-time variety show unites Saturday Night Live forces from different eras, and includes another in Kenan Thompson (apparently only those with an M in their names get title billing). Expect shameless celebrity cameos interspersed with shameless musical comedy numbers. But SNL mastermind Lorne Michaels may be on to something with his cast comedy team ups. Up next: I predict a Bill Murray and Will Ferrell morning show: Bill and Will. Meanwhile, David Schwimmer and Jim Sturgess star in Feed the Beast as best friends entering their own private version of Hell's kitchen. As they struggle to open a restaurant, can they take the heat? Especially when they become beholden to criminal elements and their own addictions? Of course not! Bring on the adultery, drugs, arson, murder and other shenanigans. Gordon Ramsay would not be impressed. This new dramedy is adapted from the Danish series Bankerot, which sounds like some kind of rare disease that only afflicts bankers.
Forecast: Let's hope this one lasts longer than 2014's The Maya Rudolph show. But Maya & Marty's musical segment from the SNL 40th anniversary special gives it promise. Meanwhile, Schwimmer may have finally paid the piper and left Ross Geller behind for good in Feed the Beast.
Honourable Mention: So You Think You Can Dance (May 30, Fox; June 1, CTV). You thought child beauty pageants were scary? Wait until you see "the next generation" strike a pose and bust a move to compete in an all-new kiddie season of SYTYCD.MUSIC
Big Releases on June 3: Paul Simon (Stranger to Stranger); Train (Led Zeppelin II)
Big Picture: Paul Simon's album title could double as an ode to this year's American presidential race — or the recent "elbowgate" in Ottawa. Instead, it marks an experimental album — a musical cocktail that blends eclectic sounds, including African woodwinds, Peruvian drums, Indian rhythms, brass, electronic dance music, rock and synthesizers. Intriguing track titles include The Werewolf, Papa Bell and In the Garden Of Edie. Meanwhile, Train risks the unforgiving wrath of the rock 'n' roll gods by covering Led Zeppelin's iconic album.
Forecast: Paul is no stranger. Thankfully, no Garfunkels in sight. Meanwhile, I predict Train will start an unfortunate trend. Get ready for Drake's take on Nirvana's Nevermind, Taylor Swift's do-over of The Clash's London Calling, Justin Bieber's reinvention of Springsteen's Nebraska, and New Direction's … err… new direction for The Beatles' Abbey Road.
Honourable Mention: Tegan and Sarah (Love You To Death); Joshua Winstead (MMXX). Canada's sisterly sirens, and twin indie rockers, rarely miss a beat. Meanwhile, Metric's bassist, Winstead, measures his worth with a solo project.
Situated on Mexico's Pacific Coast, most week-long sailings here depart from California and spend a week traversing the scenic Baja coast, with calls on Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. Tourism here was in real trouble a few years back, but the Mexican Riviera is back, and Carnival Cruise Lines is leading the way.
Sailing from Long Beach, Calif., is Carnival's fabulously fun, 2,124-guest Carnival Miracle. I say 'fabulously fun' because she is just that. This is a ship that has a more spacious and intimate feeling (as far as big ships go) than the rest of the Carnival fleet, thanks largely in part to her ample open deck spaces and cosy, intimate lounges. If you've never tried a Carnival cruise before, this is the ship to start with: it's a great choice for couples and multi-generational families that just want a good, fun cruise somewhere warm.
She's also been outfitted with some of Carnival's newest features, like the Alchemy Bar, which serves up some of the best cocktails I've had at sea. The new Punchliner Comedy Club — developed in conjunction with comedian George Lopez — offers some great family-friendly (and adults-only) comedy shows, while kids can enjoy Carnival's new Seuss at Sea partnership that includes a Dr. Seuss parade, readings of The Cat in the Hat for the little ones and, of course, the Green Eggs & Ham sea day brunch. (Hint: The eggs really are green!)
Ashore, the Mexican Riviera offers plenty of diversions. Cabo San Lucas is a great place to kick back and relax on the beach (within sight of the amazing El Arco stone rock formations), while history buffs will love Mazatlán's Centro Historico, or historic district and its many cathedrals, theatres and important monuments. Don't forget to take a pulmonia there from the pier: it's a souped-up, 'golf cart-style' taxi that can only be found in the city.
Although you can stroll around Puerto Vallarta, real adventurers might want to go tequila tasting or venture on a guided excursion into the nearby Sierra Madre mountains. But be sure to walk along the Malecon; it's the most picturesque oceanfront promenade in the city, and is surrounded by local bars and eateries. And a Starbucks. But let's pretend we never saw that.
Carnival also offers two additional Mexican Riviera itineraries that include overnight stays in either Cabo or Puerto Vallarta. All three itineraries are great trips for families and groups of friends to take, with prices that start just over $600 per person for most itineraries.
Don't have a lot of time? That's OK: Carnival offers some short three- and four-day getaways from Long Beach down to Ensenada, Mexico aboard the slightly-smaller Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration. Holding just over 2,000 guests apiece, these Fantasy Class ships are still plenty great for a short getaway cruise if you happen to be in the Los Angeles area.
But the Mexican Riviera isn't the only destination that Carnival offers on the West Coast.
Sister-ship Carnival Legend offers some great voyages to Alaska from Seattle, and a few departures that leave from Vancouver. I'm naturally biased towards the Vancouver departures (you won't find a better sailaway than the one from Canada Place), but Carnival's Seattle sailings are pretty darn good. You can get the best of both worlds with the Sept. 6, 2016 voyage from Seattle to Vancouver, which starts at $1,181 per person (prices subject to change).
Here's the one I dream about at night: Carnival Miracle's 10-night sailing from Vancouver to Honolulu, Hawaii, with port calls on Hilo, Kailua Kona, Nawiliwili, and Kahului. A balcony will run you $2,074 per person (prices subject to change) for this longer "Carnival Journeys" voyage, but I wouldn't wait on this one — these Hawaii runs from Vancouver always sell out.
The West Coast has a lot to offer cruisers who have "been there, done that" in the Caribbean, and it's nice that Carnival is leading the way in the Mexican Riviera. It's got that exotic cruise feel — but it won't break the bank. And that's always a good thing.
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The media loves to heap scorn on prodigal youth who return home to live with their parents. An avalanche of articles offer up tips for moms and dads dealing with the dreaded "failure to launch syndrome."
But where others see a problem, we see an opportunity: a multi-generational living trend that looks a bit different in each household but benefits everyone.
Take our own example. In his 20s, Marc couldn't wait to leave the nest. Fast forward more than a decade and Marc is raising a family of his own. He and his wife not-so-subtly hint that they would love to live with our parents—in Marc and Roxanne's house—so their daughters can have the same experience of living with their grandparents as we did growing up.
Some of our happiest childhood recollections come from when our grandfather lived with us. He'd greet us at the door after school; then it was PB&J sandwiches and chats around the kitchen table. You can't put a price on memories like that.
From 1981 to 2011, the number of young adults ages 20 to 29 living in their parents' homes rose to 42 per cent from 27 per cent.
Multi-generational families living together like ours were very much the norm up until the baby boomers turned that trend on its head. Just three per cent of Canadian households now have family members from three or more generations living under one roof, according to the most recent Census of Canada. The majority of these households are immigrant and Aboriginal families.
That's about to transform. Millennials are growing up and facing a world where well-paying jobs are fewer; even a starter house is beyond their means. So a bulk of this cohort is choosing to move back in with mom and dad. From 1981 to 2011, the number of young adults ages 20 to 29 living in their parents' homes rose to 42 per cent from 27 per cent.
Contrary to popular perception, these young people and their parents are savvy not stuck, says David Stillman, co-author of The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation is Rocking the Workplace (HarperBusiness, 2010) and an expert on generational relations. If young people pay a modest rent to their parents, it's still a smart way to live and mom and dad get a financial benefit that could allow them to travel, pay off the mortgage, go back to school, or retire earlier.
When young people "living at home" start having families of their own, the benefits multiply. Grandparents can help out with child care at a time when daycare costs have soared and spots are scarce. And listening to stories about family history from their elders promotes a stronger sense of identity in children, leading to better overall mental health, says Andrea Breen, an associate professor in the University of Guelph's department of family relations.
Having been cared for by their grandparents, these children will be more likely to pay it forward and look after aging family members, adds Breen.
Housing companies and real estate agents are waking up to the multi-generational living trend, building and promoting homes with features like in-law suites that accommodate a variety of families while still offering some alone-time and independence for all family members.
Breen says Canada lags behind most other countries in supporting young people who are caregivers to elderly family members. So a logical next step is for workplaces and governments to get behind multi-generational families by better accommodating their needs.
Let's ditch the stereotypes and ingrained ideas of what independence and having a home mean. Prodigal sons and daughters haven't failed to launch and their parents haven't failed to parent. They're both flying in a smarter direction.
Brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day.
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," Bob Dylan sang. But these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what's on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week.
Big Releases on May 27: Alice Through the Looking Glass; X-Men: Apocalypse
Big Picture: Alice (Mia Wasikowska) returns to the wonders of Underland to travel back in time to save the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), a whimsical fellow with Raggedy Ann hair and the same milliner as Queen Elizabeth. Too bad she can't go back in time to stop Depp's transformation from a generation's greatest actor into a walking advertisement for colourful wigs, eccentric costume accessories and shameless camera mugging. (Confession: In the spirit of Batman v. Superman, I would have liked this film better if it was called Alice vs. Aslan: The Narnia-Underland War Chronicles.) Meanwhile, the latest X-Men instalment follows a now established formula: the bigger your superhero cast, the bigger the enemy to create a legitimate threat. This time, the X-Men take on a god. Sort of. The first, ancient mutant, Apocalypse, is near invincible after sucking up the powers of lesser mutants for eons. He wakes up and, of course, is bent on humanity's annihilation. Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique grudgingly leads a young, rookie team against the villain and his "four horseman," who include her former friend and mentor Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Sophie Turner of Game of Thrones plays fiery scene stealer as a young Jean Grey (a.k.a. The Phoenix). Even Wolverine makes a cameo.
Forecast: X marks the spot. But after Deadpool's success, just imagine the box-office revenue that could have come from an R-rated X-Men: Through the Looking Glass, in which Wolverine turns the Mad Tea Party into a bloodbath.TV
Big Events: Wayward Pines (May 25, Fox/City); Bloodline (May 27, Netflix)
Big Picture: Network dramas are a dying breed (unless you're a procedural or the name Shonda Rhimes appears in your credits). Wayward Pines is a rare success story returning for Season 2 — a dystopian monster mash perfect for a breezy summer escape. Produced by the widely uneven M. Night Shyamalan, it's about a distant world overrun by Abbies (abnormals), humanity having evolved into monsters that look like the unfortunate hybrid offspring of vampires and goblins. A small, replica 21st-century American town has been mysteriously preserved, and holds the only remnants of humanity, and a lot of nefarious secrets. Jason Patric (Rush) takes over as the series' new, main protagonist Dr. Theo Yedlin, and Wayward Pines is now under the rule of a militant cult of youths. Meanwhile, Netflix's Florida Keys family drama, Bloodline, doesn't even crack the industry's Top 10, but it already dwarfs the Quanticos and Blindspots of the network world. The Rayburn family — the living and the dead — return for more family feuding and doom and gloom in the Sunshine State. Danny Rayburn (brilliantly performed by Ben Mendelsohn) is dead and buried (though living in flashbacks, ghostly apparitions and dreams). Meanwhile, cop brother John (Kyle Chandler of Friday Night Lights' fame), and his siblings deal with guilt and the rising fallout from his grisly, untimely death. Watch a family of relatively good people get pulled into an escalating path of crime, revenge, mental breakdowns and family meltdowns. It's like Breaking Bad meets Family Ties.
Forecast: If Wayward Pines audience numbers stay strong, expect a spinoff set in England called Downton Abbies.
Honourable Mention: The Do Over (May 27, Netflix). In this Netflix original movie, Adam Sandler and David Spade phone it in as two idiots that fake their own deaths and assume new identities. Yes, you can sleepwalk through a comedic performance.MUSIC
Big Releases on May 27: Holy F*ck (Congrats), Sonny & the Sunsets (Moods Baby Moods), Beth Orton (Kid Sticks)
Big Picture: They have a band name that drives editors crazy, but they make great, unconventional music. Holy F*ck, Canada's hardcore punk band with heart, returns with their first album in over two years after a semi-official hiatus. Congrats? They should have named their album What Took You So Long? But we're glad these holy rollers are back in full gear. Meanwhile, electronica-infused singer-songwriter Beth Orton hits us with her kid sticks. She's like Bjork … if Bjork was a California-based folksinger by night and EDM clubber by late night. Speaking of another West Coast outfit, what can I tell you about cult indie-rock band Sonny & the Sunsets? Yes, their album title could have been created by Austin Powers. And yes, their brand of beach pop sounds a little familiar. They're like the Beach Boys meets The Shins meets Weezer. Sand, surf, sarcasm and synthesizers. Together at last.
Forecast: Moods baby, moods. These musical waters run in very different directions. Just pick a wave and ride it. (Unless you're Johnny Depp. Then take off your latest wig/hat/eye patch, cut out the sill voice, and promptly sign on for an Oscar-contending script again.)]]>
Whenever we visit the California tech hub, we see evidence of pro-failure leanings. Facebook's office features posters that read "Fail Fast." Failing "often" and "early" are also encouraged. There's even a global conference for tech entrepreneurs, called FailCon, to learn from worst practices.
In the environment where brilliant minds innovate and billionaires are born, failure is inevitable, and seen as a necessary step to success. But in our own work and personal lives, there is still a stigma attached to failure.
That fear of failure is being passed on to the next generation through failure avoidance, with some parents taking drastic measures to ensure their child's success well into adulthood—like attending their kids' job interviews.
Failure protection changes how kids see themselves. It also got us thinking about how they might tolerate and respond to failure in others. Could failure avoidance stunt our kids' empathy?
It's crucial that children gain the confidence to take healthy risks and aggressively pursue goals, all lessons lost with failure avoidance.
Learning from failure helps build not only self-esteem, but self-compassion, a kind of internal emotional maintenance that involves separating your identity from the blunder. You are not your mistake. If we never taste failure, we don't experience that evolution—from anger or disappointment to healing, knowledge and growth—understanding that the whole person has not been compromised. The bug in your software doesn't define you; it can actually make you stronger.
If young people don't get the chance to test their failure response and hone self-compassion, they might lose empathy for others.
As a dad and an uncle to two little girls, we understand the instinct to protect kids from heartbreak. Helicopter parenting, however, has taken the rescue mission too far.
Well-meaning moms and dads take over tasks that may be difficult or frustrating, from tying shoe laces to completing homework assignments. Organized activities award participation medals and competition is eliminated from many team sports. We create artificial metrics for success so that kids can avoid losing house league soccer matches. ("We don't keep score; we're all winners!") Children are rolled in emotional bubble wrap.
The consequence is that kids lose out on opportunities for personal growth.
It's crucial that children gain the confidence to take healthy risks and aggressively pursue goals, all lessons lost with failure avoidance. It seems to us that learning to cope with failure also teaches kids how to forgive themselves, which in turn helps them learn forgiveness and compassion for others.
As they grow up, bubble-wrapped kids will encounter homelessness, unemployment, and people living with mental illness. But when you've always had a safety net, it's hard to understand why others hit the ground after a fall. The assumption that everyone has a rescue team in place is an easy fallacy.
It's the most privileged children whose parents have the means to leave the training wheels on throughout life, who learn that obstacles are like switches that can be turned off. So the less fortunate are more likely to be misunderstood, or written off as lazy and further marginalized.
It's offensive to be intolerant toward race and gender, but it's still culturally appropriate to accuse someone of failure by circumstance—to dismiss the person and ignore the obstacles. (Homeless? Why don't you just get a job?).
We parents and youth mentors can all take a cue from tech entrepreneurs. Let kids fail young—while they are still in their beta phase, adaptable and resilient. Let them struggle with a math problem. Let them audition for the lead role when you know they're likely to be cast as an understudy. Let them make mistakes that will build self-care, and even empathy.
We could create a more culturally compassionate society if we all failed a bit more often.
Brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day.]]>
Big Releases on May 20: Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising; The Nice Guys
Big Picture: Seth Rogen's career strategy is clearly based on taking roles that require him to smoke pot, and it's taking him to high places. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising finds beleaguered parents Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) joining forces with their ex-frat nemesis, Teddy (Zac Efron), to take on an even greater evil: a sorority house.
Mac and Kelly have 30 days to close on the sale of their home, but Kappa Nu has moved in next door. These girls gone wild are rebelling against sexism and conservatism, but Gloria Steinem probably wouldn't be invited to the party. The girls' revolutionary tactics include stripper poles, drug abuse, binge drinking and bikini-clad ambushes. Rogen meets it all head on with slapstick or squinty eyes.
Meanwhile, the action-dramedy The Nice Guys is Lethal Weapon meets American Hustle meets Russell Crowe's tabloid history. In 1970s Los Angeles, hapless private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) teams up with freelance enforcer Jackson Healy (Crowe) to find a missing girl and solve a grisly murder.
Like most Tinseltown cases, their investigation uncovers a high-reaching conspiracy. The one-liners and violence are rapid-fire; the hairstyles and fashion are weapons of comic relief; Crowe's hotheaded, abrasive rep is deftly played for laughs. For the sequel, I predict The Nice Guys vs. The Other Guys: Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg could hold their own in a buddy-cop comedy shootout.
Forecast: This sequel spells success. But the next time the Radners need to scare off a frat, they just need to get Crowe, the international champion of glaring, to house-sit for a weekend.
Honourable Mention: The Angry Birds Movie. Yes, this is based on the inexplicably addictive smart game. Instead of ignoring your family by staring at a smartphone overrun with feisty avian, you can ignore each other together by watching their antics on the silver screen. Take flight with the feathered trio of Red (Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad) and Bomb (Danny McBride) as they defend their island against mysterious green piggies. (Am I the only one who would have preferred Neighbors 2: Angry Birds Rising, in which imaginary animated birds take on an extremely baked Rogen?)TV
Big Events: Preacher (May 22, AMC); Coupled (May 17, Fox)
Big Picture: Speaking of Rogen, he and buddy Evan Goldberg sit in the executive producer chairs for Preacher, based on the violent, gritty adult comic book. Dominic Cooper (Agent Carter) stars as Jesse Custer, an unconventional Texas preacher newly gifted — or cursed — with abundant supernatural power. (Did I mention he becomes besties with an alcoholic Irish vampire?)
Preacher is less about sermons and more about eulogies, or at least punchy one-liners before sending angels, demons — and human monsters — to their graves. He's like a grizzled Buffy — just swap the high heels with a priest's collar. If Preacher were on The Walking Dead, the world would be zombie free in a matter of months. (The western-tinged drama moves to a new time slot on June 5.) As Preacher puts it, "Violence makes violence makes nothing much at all." The same can be said of tweets.
Speaking of, Mark Burnett's new reality dating show, Coupled, is basically The Bachelor with cellphones. Pretty, vapid people search for true love in the Caribbean while posting every insipid thought to Twitter and other social media. These revelations form as much of the drama as who makes out with whom in which filthy hot tub.
"You have nice arms — do you think you can curl me?" one woman asks a male suitor. And that counts as intellectual discourse.
Forecast: Coupled won't find a ratings match. Preacher will deliver another supernatural hit for AMC.
Honourable Mention: All the Way (May 21, HBO). This Broadway-to-film adaptation of finds Bryan Cranston reprising his Tony-winning role as U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson during his first groundbreaking year in office. (I can't wait for Make America Great Again, the Broadway musical about Donald Trump's first-year in office.)
Big Releases on May 20: Ariana Grande (Dangerous Woman); Bob Dylan (Fallen Angels)
Big Picture: Grande and Dylan are a study in contrasts. One is 22 and elfin; one is trollish and days away from 75. One is releasing a third studio album, the other No. 37. One has a stunning vocal range; one can only hit 2-3 notes at a growly mumble.
As her name implies, Grande is living large. From Broadway and Nickelodeon to pop princess. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she has staying power. Sure, there are still bubble-gum elements and clichéd EDM beats, but her voice is the difference maker — whether sultry ballad or club track.
Meanwhile, after his underrated 2015 Frank Sinatra cover album, the venerable Dylan again reinterprets pop standards such as Young at Heart and All or Nothing at All. For his next covers effort, I'm hoping for an all-ladies affair, with America's rock poet covering the likes of Beyoncé's Put a Ring on It, Katy Perry's Teenage Dream and Britney Spears's Oops!… I Did It Again. And maybe Grande's Dangerous Woman.
Forecast: A pop star with real talent and versatility? Grande really is dangerous. As for Dylan, this rolling stone shows no signs of slowing down. Here's hoping he makes it to album No. 50.
Honourable Mention: Eric Clapton (I Still Do). Another legend proves he's still got it with a deft mix of originals and covers, including a Bob Dylan track. (Maybe they can join forces and make the pop starlet homage a duet album?)
Seven years ago, Julie (her name has been changed), joined Inspirations Studio. The pottery social enterprise is run by the Toronto non-profit, Sistering, which helps low-income women who have experienced poverty, homelessness and mental health issues. Julie learned to make kitchen crockery items, which she then sold. The boost of confidence was essential in helping her kick her drug habit. And with a small income, she no longer lives on the street.
The melding of art and enterprise is an incredibly powerful tool in helping marginalized women rebuild their lives. Women gain purpose, independence, and the ability to manage challenges like mental illness.
It's an approach we're intimately familiar with. For over a decade, we've used artistic enterprises, like making jewellery, in communities where we carry out our international development work to socially and economically empower vulnerable women. And we've heard so many stories of success, like that of Yolanda Chimbo, a struggling single mother in rural Ecuador.
After separating from her husband, who was the family breadwinner, Chimbo and her children had to live off the charity of her sister. Then she joined one of our income projects, learning to hand-weave jungle plant fibres into gorgeous items like bracelets, which are sold in local markets. With the income, Chimbo pays her kids' school and boarding fees in the nearby town of Tena, and contributes to her sister's household.
Solutions for women who live overseas are just as effective for Canadians like Julie.
In addition to the pottery enterprise, Sistering also runs Spun Studio where women produce sewn and knitted goods like runners, rugs and children's sweaters that they sell at sidewalk display tables in Toronto and at farmers markets. Neighbourhood stores have also started to order the women's handmade items. The profits give women much-needed money, and help the organization purchase equipment for its programs so it can help more women.
"For someone with a mental illness, the fact that you can create something, and look at it, has a lot of power." – art therapist Merav Gilboa.
Many of the women who have taken part in Sistering's programs become independent entrepreneurs. The organization supports them with training in skills like networking and making business plans. Julie now has her own home-based enterprise making one-of-a-kind mugs and teapots.
It may seem like gender stereotyping to teach women artistic trades. But the skills are easy and fast to learn, result in a sellable product, and also bring psychological benefits. Decades of studies on art therapy show that creative endeavours can boost mental health.
"For someone with a mental illness like depression, the fact that you can create something, and look at it, has a lot of power," says Merav Gilboa, an art therapist with Toronto's Baycrest Health Sciences Centre.
Many of the women Sistering works with have mental illnesses, and being creative is a powerful tool in helping them cope. "Our participants get into what they're doing. All the other problems in their lives disappear for those few minutes," says Patricia O'Connell, executive director of the organization.
There are programs like Sistering across Canada, including Vancouver's 3H Craftworks Society, an organization supporting individuals who are homebound with physical disabilities or mental illness. They learn to make items such as stuffed toys and Christmas ornaments, which 3H sells through its online store to generate a small income for participants.
It's hard to imagine that a beaded bracelet or simple piece of pottery could make such a difference. But in both Canada and developing countries these trinkets allow women to create a better future for themselves.
Brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day. Visit the organization online at we.org
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," Bob Dylan sang. But these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what's on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week.
Big release on May 13: Money Monster.
Big picture: It's 24 meets Wall Street meets The Big Short (with a touch of Die Hard). George Clooney is Lee Gates, a Fox News-style TV pundit whose finance show has made him a money-maker and golden boy. But lives are ruined when Gates promotes a tech stock that crashes (and pounds of flesh are owed). During a live broadcast, one irate investor (Jack O'Connell) takes Gates, and his producer Patty (Julia Roberts) hostage. The duo must stay alive and uncover "big money lies" on front of an audience of millions. Imagine The Big Short if Christian Bale's character had a gun to his head during all those drumming, headbanging scenes.
Forecast: Clooney will charm, as usual, but he should work on saving us instead of entertaining us. He (along with his brilliant lawyer wife, Amal) should take a shot at the White House in 2020 (instead of just taking shots at Donald Trump). Why are only our crazy celebs like Trump and Kanye West talking the presidency? With his humanitarian work, global awareness and handsome Hollywood smile, Clooney would be like a Democratic Ronald Reagan. He could even fill his cabinet with the cast of Ocean's Eleven. Who would challenge the U.S. with Jason Bourne himself as Secretary of Defence?
Honourable mention: Kidnap. Halle Berry plays a mother who will do anything to recover her kidnapped son. Was Liam Neeson too busy to make another Taken?TV
Big events: Chelsea (Netflix, May 11); Every Brilliant Thing (HBO, May 9).
Big picture: First, Canadian comic Samantha Bee goes Full Frontal on TBS. Now comic Chelsea Handler? Two female, late-night talk-show hosts? Donald Trump will surely put an end to this progress when he's president, but for now we can enjoy the much-needed estrogen boost to the late-night boys club. Handler's new 30-minute Netflix talk show will air three nights (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) each week. Next up: an all-female Ghostbusters. Then, maybe a female president? This could be a great year for girl power. By 2017, expect other breakthroughs like the Hulk being replaced by She-Hulk in The Avengers, and Chad Kroeger ousted by Sarah McLachlan as lead singer of Nickelback.
Meanwhile, Every Brilliant Thing brings an acclaimed one-man stage show about depression, suicide and the mother-child bond to life on the small screen. Taking the bucket-list concept into all-new emotional and funny territory, it's about a young boy who eases his mother's mental woes by starting a running tab of everything worth living for, from ice cream to things with stripes.
Forecast: Watch out all you late-night Jimmys and Jameses. Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling don't have shows yet, and you're trending down.MUSIC
Big releases on May 13: Skydiggers (Here Without You: The Songs of Gene Clark); Islands (Should I Remain Here at Sea?) (Taste).
Big picture: As Gene Clark sang, "There's a time to every purpose under heaven." Even time for a cover album. Timeless Canadian alt-country band Skydiggers interpret the songs of Clark, the legendary singer-songwriter and founding member of The Byrds. The eight-track pop-folk tribute features songs like Eight Miles High and Feel A Whole Lot Better, and was produced by another homegrown icon, Michael Timmins of the Cowboy Junkies.
Meanwhile, they say no man is island. And that's even true for Islands frontman Nick Thorburn. After three years of seclusion from the band, Thorburn and co. ambitiously release two albums on the same day. While Taste's flavour is primarily electronica, Should I Remain Here At Sea? is a pop-rock sequel to the group's 2006 effort Return to the Sea. Thorburn's lyrics will explore topics like addiction, race, religion, and "murderous fantasies." So maybe this isn't the fluffy, "summer anthem" album you were looking for.
Forecast: I predict Clark's tribute will inspire more. Taylor Swift covers Nirvana? Kanye West reimagines Johnny Cash? Oasis reunites to explore The Beatles' catalogue? Or, in what could be the greatest Canuck mash-up of all-time: Drake covers the greatest hits of country superstar Shania Twain? Any Woman of Mine, Man! I Feel Like A Man, You're Still the One and Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under? like you've never heard them before.
Honourable mention: Hooded Fang (Venus on Edge). One of Canada's buzz bands, and deservedly so, the Toronto experimental rockers take us to Venus and back. I'm hoping their next album title is Jacob Two-Two.
Answer: Roberto. It sounds like "rubber toe", get it? Trust Russell Peters — that joke kills on the schoolyard.
"That was one of my favourites growing up," says the standup comic, who was born in Toronto but whose family hails from India.
These days, his material is a little more nuanced. The 45-year-old just wrapped his Almost Famous World Tour — a two-year globetrot through 120 cities in 25 countries that ended in his hometown last week, with those gigs being filmed for an upcoming Netflix special.
"I think I was a funny kid, but it was more of a defence mechanism for me. It was the '70s and '80s, so there was a lot of racism and bullying at that time. I was a small kid with a big mouth, so that's a bad combination. I used to use comedy to deflect and stuff like that," he says.
"It just kind of became part of my personality. It's who I am."
That kind of self-awareness serves Peters well. He'd been kicking around in comedy clubs for 15 years before his first televised standup special aired as an episode of CTV's Comedy Now! series in 2004.It was only after clips of that program went viral on YouTube that he became synonymous with the ethnic-based humour that characterizes much of his material. He's since done three arena tours in Australia, England, New York City and San Francisco, resulting in three more specials.
"I always say you don't choose comedy — comedy chooses you. I basically went up to do a set at Yuk Yuk's in 1989. I was horrible. I wasn't very good at all. But I got a couple of giggles and I liked the feeling of making these strangers giggle."
In the average standup set, Peters pokes fun at racial stereotypes — he's joked about disgruntled Arab fans blowing him up, and Chinese and Indian people being cheap — and tells stories from his travels around the globe, throwing in spot-on accents for flavour.
When he started out 27 years ago, not many stand-ups were focusing on such a broad swath of ethnic humour and the niche has netted him fans the world over.
"Everybody's got to have a label I guess at some point. To walk around life, like 'I don't need a label. I'm just me' — well, you're selling yourself short and you're living in denial," says Peters, whose inspirations include George Carlin, Cheech & Chong, Eddie Murphy and Don Rickles.
"When they say 'Russell Peters is a cultural comic', I'm like, that's a fair enough assessment. It may not be how I want to be viewed, but if I keep doing material like that, what am I doing, really? They have no other option but to call me that."
The key, he says, is to make sure his jokes are based in racial humour, not racist humour — a distinction some of his detractors don't seem to understand.
"I've seen it firsthand. That's why my comedy resonates with so many people — because I'm going at it from a very real angle."
"The people making a big deal about race and race relations are people who are basing it off of a very small, narrow-minded way of thinking. These are people who have not travelled around the world to see what the other people around the world are doing or saying," he says.
"I have. I've seen it firsthand. That's why my comedy resonates with so many people — because I'm going at it from a very real angle. I'm not going at it with an interest on one side or the other so I'm a spectator, and it's like 'here's what I see'. It's not like 'you're right and I'm wrong.'"
With his Almost Famous tour officially wrapped up, Peters is looking forward to taking the summer off to spend time with his daughter.
"When she was younger I used to tell her I had to go to work so I could buy her toys. And then a couple of months ago, I was like, 'I've got to go to work baby.' And she just looked at me really sad and said, 'I don't want any more toys.' And I left the house with tears in my eyes," he says.
"She's in school now, and her mother, I don't think, would want her on tour with me. But I literally see her every day when I'm home. She's five now. And they're hilarious at that age."]]>
Hit the gym for hot yoga, or a spin class? Have a nutritious and responsible kale smoothie, or indulge in a whip cream frappuccino? The choices we make—even the little ones—shape our identities and empower us in our own lives.
Now try to picture your life without all those choices. You eat what you can find, sleep wherever there's shelter. You must take what you're given.
Studies show that feelings of powerlessness can lead to depression and anxiety. In 2011, researchers at the U.K.'s London School of Business found a fascinating link between choice and empowerment. Study participants were presented scenarios where they had various amounts of power, such as being a boss versus an employee. They were then asked to make decisions with varying options. The researchers proved what has long been suspected: that having more choice counterbalances feelings of powerlessness and also improves psychological well-being by giving people a greater sense of control over their lives.
Whether it's an impoverished family a world away in rural India, or a person you see living on the streets, people in need often feel like their lack of choice means they have no say in their lives.
Recognizing the importance of having options, some charitable and community groups across North America are giving the most vulnerable a say in the aid—and little comforts—they receive, and are discovering it can have almost as much impact as the hand-up itself.
Roncesvalles United Church in Toronto is putting choice into its community outreach programs. For example, the church hosts an annual Christmas gala with a dinner and gifts for the homeless and others in need. A few years ago, gala volunteers stopped wrapping the gifts, allowing participants to choose what they want from items laid out on tables. Roncesvalles' Reverend Anne Hines recalls one elderly homeless man who shyly asked if there was a red hat, saying he'd always wanted one. Hines found two for him to choose from.
"He looked like a kid on Christmas morning who finds a bicycle under the tree. You can't underestimate how much being able to state your own preference means to someone," Hines says.
Whether it's an impoverished family a world away in rural India, or a person you see living on the streets, people in need often feel like their lack of choice means they have no say in their lives.
We've heard about another initiative called the Furniture Bank, which collects donations of gently used furniture, appliances, and other household items in Toronto and the surrounding suburbs. Those in need, like women fleeing abuse and refugees who arrive here with nothing, can browse the Bank's warehouse, picking the items that suit them. Through choice, they have a measure of control over one of the most important aspects of their lives—home.
Some charities now ask for donations of gift cards rather than used items, so people have the dignity of choosing new things they like, not just accepting someone else's castoffs.
South of the border in Missouri, the Kansas City Community Kitchen made headlines by breaking the traditional mould of soup kitchens. As in a family restaurant, a greeter welcomes guests like VIP customers, seats them at their own tables and hands them menus with multiple nutritious choices. It's "dining with dignity," explains Beau Heyen, CEO of Episcopal Community Services, which runs the Kitchen.
The reaction has been incredibly positive. Heyen recalls receiving a note from a struggling single father who had brought his children for a meal. It read: "I never get to take my kids to a restaurant, but today I did. Thank you for that."
As we go about our daily lives, it's worth appreciating our freedom of choice.
And as we look for ways to help the most vulnerable in our communities, let's keep in mind that it's one of the best gifts we can give.
Brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day.]]>
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," Bob Dylan sang. But these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what's on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week.
Big releases on May 6: Captain America: Civil War
Big picture: Poor DC Comics. They tried to raise the bar with Batman v. Superman, and now Marvel comes along and smashes the bar with the force of 1,000 Thor hammers. "I'll see your feuding heroes, and raise it by … ALMOST every character we've ever created." Captain America: Civil War closely follows Avengers: Age of Ultron, and finds the enemy within the team. Collateral damage from superpower antics has led to a push for accountability, registration and unmasking of heroes. Captain America (con) and Iron Man (pro) couldn't see less eye to eye on the subject — and every costumed and caped crusader, or mangy mutant, this side of the universe takes a side. It also introduces enough new characters, like the Black Panther, to financially support the descendants of Marvel Studios' execs until the end of time. (Given the current slate of expected superhero films, Robert Downey Jr. can make geriatric cameos as Iron Man until he's 120). BTW: New Spidey, Tom Holland, also makes his first web sling in this one.
Forecast: Civil War will hit the box office like a blast of gamma radiation and smash the competition like the Hulk. I predict the Civil War trend will take off, infecting other franchises and biopics. It won't be long before these films hit the theatre: The Wiggles: Civil War, Minions 2: Civil War, One Direction: Civil War, Meet the Parents Civil War: Fockers vs. Byrnes, Indiana Jones vs. Han Solo: Civil War To Make Harrison Ford Super Rich.TV
Big event: Houdini & Doyle (May 2, Global/Fox)
Big picture: "Believe the unbelievable." Not quite as catchy as "the truth is out there", but I guess it works. Houdini & Doyle is The X-Files meets Sherlock meets The Prestige meets Penny Dreadful. "Death isn't the end," Houdini (the Mulder of the duo) exclaims. Michael Weston plays the titular illusionist, while Stephen Mangan plays his real-life friend Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (the man who created Sherlock Holmes). Not surprisingly, this duo also work for Scotland Yard to investigate "unsolvable" crimes — only typically of the supernatural variety. This one is from Canadian David Shore, the creator of House — who based his medical drama's House-Wilson dynamic on Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Clearly, he has a one-track mind.
Forecast: Abracadabra! Houdini & Doyle has the potential to spellbind. But as with so many televised escapes, this drama about the famed escape artist needs to bring its grand finale material early. (For the record, I would have preferred a show called Houdini vs. David Blaine: Civil War.)
Honourable mention: Marseille (May 5, Netflix). It's The Godfather meets House of Cards meets a touch of Spin City. The titular French port city is torn apart by a cutthroat race for mayor. Gérard Depardieu plays the bad-ass incumbent instead of a buffoon. (Too bad for him life doesn't imitate art.) But seriously, this could be Depardieu's "McConaissance." A Depardievival? Remember, I coined it here first.
Big releases on May 6: Whitehorse (The Northern South Vol. 1); Cyndi Lauper (Detour)
Big picture: This effortlessly talented Canadian duo is a permanent musical destination for lovers of superb songcraft. Whitehorse's latest project finds them adding a northern chill to classic southern blues by putting their own stamp on 1950s, 12-bar electric blues from the Chess and Checker era. Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet light a fire under covers such as Nadine by legend Chuck Berry and My Babe by Little Walter. Meanwhile, Cyndi Lauper abandons her True Colors for new colours. Her own late-career renaissance has included blues and musical theatre (the score for the musical Kinky Boots) but here she puts on her country hat. Lauper reinterprets country classics by the likes of Wanda Jackson and Patsy Cline. Why wait for a late career branch out? I predict younger acts should get ahead of the curve: Nickelback will make an activist folk album, Drake will make a polka album (Accordion Bling), and Justin Bieber will become a bluesman. His first single: The Sorry Baby Boyfriend Blues.
Forecast: Feeling blue never felt so good. At this point, Whitehorse should be given carte blanche to cover any song off any album in any decade.
Honourable mention: Keith Urban (Ripcord); Goo Goo Dolls (Boxes). Urban is country royalty, but can even he pull of a track entitled John Cougar, John Deere and John 3:16? (This is his ninth studio album; maybe he's testing the nine lives concept?) Meanwhile, given the title, I assume this Goo Goo Dolls album is about the dusty place where most of us abandoned our collection of their albums.
"He was right. For years I was only ever asked to do parts for native people. I didn't get to be King Lear," says Cardinal.
Canadians know Cardinal as the amiable Sergeant Davis Quinton from the wildly popular TV comedy Corner Gas. The first aboriginal graduate of the University of Alberta's theatre arts program, Cardinal has spent 25 years struggling with the lack of diversity in Canada's entertainment industry. Working as both actor and director, he has strived to show indigenous faces on Canadian stages and screens.
Debate about diversity in the arts ignited again in February, when the Academy Awards faced a massive backlash for its lack of non-white nominees. Yet the #OscarsSoWhite controversy faded almost as fast as it arose. And few in Canada noticed when, shortly thereafter, two Canadian entertainment institutions—the National Film Board and National Arts Centre—announced their intention to address diversity.
Tackling diversity in entertainment is vital because it has serious implications for the self-confidence of young people—and for an entertainment industry that needs to be relevant to today's youth in order to thrive.
"It's important for native kids to see native people in the mainstream. It gives them hope and shows them there are opportunities for them," – Lorne Cardinal
A fascinating survey shows just how much of an impact diversity on our screens has on young people. In 2012, researchers at Indiana University surveyed 400 preteens, asking them how much TV they watched and about their self-esteem. The findings are startling. Among girls and non-white children of both genders, there is a distinct correlation between increased TV viewing and a decline in feelings of self-worth because the preteens saw few positive role models in leading roles. In contrast, because there are many positive white male leads, Caucasian boys' self-confidence increased along with amount of TV they watched.
That's why it's important the National Film Board has recently decided over the next three years it will give at least half of its financing to movies and documentaries directed by women. It is leading the way in creating greater representation for women in the film industry.
The National Arts Centre (NAC), in Ottawa just announced a similar measure. Over the next three years it will establish an indigenous theatre department and give it the same funding as its English and French groups.
While Cardinal applauds the NAC initiative, he wants to see less "ghettoization"—segregating non-white actors into specialty theatre troupes and broadcasters, such as the APTN. Cardinal believes seeing different faces in ordinary roles, in both mainstream stage and screen productions, will have a powerful impact on young people.
"It's important for native kids to see native people in the mainstream. It gives them hope and shows them there are opportunities for them," he adds.
Today, young people are a multicultural, gender-equal generation. They want to see themselves reflected in the entertainment media.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens gained massive fan acclaim for featuring characters Rey and Finn—a young woman and an African-American—as its heroes. Friends told us they took their daughters to see the film specifically so they could watch a strong female lead. And at our recent WE Day event in Los Angeles, it was great to see Indo-Canadian YouTube sensation Lilly Singh wow the stadium full of youth as much as Hollywood stars.
To have confidence in themselves, all youth—girls and boys, of all ethnicities—need to see themselves as equal members of our society, to feel valued.
Whether it's King Lear, a police officer in Dog River, or the heroes of a galaxy far, far away—let's fill our stages and screens with all the wonderful diversity of our society.
Brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger founded a platform for social change that includes the international charity Free The Children, the social enterprise Me to We and the youth empowerment movement We Day.]]>
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," Bob Dylan sang. But these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what's on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week.
Big release on April 29: Mother's Day.
Big picture: Hallmark should build a golden shrine to director Garry Marshall, the man behind sentimental holiday shlock like Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve. This ensemble dramedy follows a familiar formula: a cast of big name actors intersect over a fateful holiday filled with love, slapstick, drama, forgiveness and more connections than a Tinder app. Jennifer Aniston plays a struggling, single mom; Jason Sudeikis plays a struggling, single dad. Julia Roberts plays a workaholic that gave up her only child; Britt Robertson plays a young woman searching for the mother she never new. A toddler could connect the dots in this plot — while simultaneously building an epic blanket fort and flying a kite. This movie calls upon us to "celebrate the one day that connects us all." Awwwwww. On a side note, Sudeikis may be the first Saturday Night Live alumni to become a go-to rom-com lead. He's like an edgier, pre-Oscar era Tom Hanks.
Forecast: Marshall is running out of sappy holidays. What's next after the obvious Father's Day? St. Patrick's Day (a bunch of drunk people fall in love, but then completely forget each other the next morning)? Good Friday? Flag Day? Cinco de Mayo?
Honourable mention: Ratchet & Clank. It was inevitable. First, video games started looking like movies. Now they're indistinguishable. This animated movie (or video game minus the controller) is about a spacefaring feline (an alien species called a Lombax) and his robot sidekick. My big hope is that cats don't have as many lives in space. We don't need eight sequels.
Big events: Special Correspondents (Apr. 29, Netflix); Jazz at the White House (April 30, ABC).
Big picture: Netflix is in the moviemaking business, and thankfully not only Adam Sandler flicks. Eric Bana and Ricky Gervais put their spin on the "buddy-cop" routine as two radio journalists who fake their war zone coverage of Ecuador from a hideout in New York City — only to be forced into the fray after being reported MIA. Gunfights and one-liners ensue, but they're actually funny (largely thanks to Gervais). Vera Farmiga and America Ferrera co-star.
Meanwhile, Jazz at the White House literally sums up this special. President Barack Obama and the First Lady will host the 5th anniversary International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert, featuring performances by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Buddy Guy, Herbie Hancock and Diana Krall. If the Obamas succeed in educating the masses and making jazz cool again (confession: I'm already a jazzophile), they need to plan other live specials before he leaves office: Grammar at the White House, Walking Without Staring at Your Smart Phone at the White House, Reading Newspapers at the White House, Taking Photos That Aren't Selfies at the White House, Read a Book Instead of Trolling for News About What the Kardashians Did Last Night at the White House.
Forecast: A Ricky Gervais TV appearance is always special; the Obamas will start a post-presidency career as a jazz trio, with Bill Clinton on sax (Hillary will want to ensure he stays far away from the Oval Office).
Honourable mention: 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Special (April 30, HBO). Inductee N. W. A and Kiss's Gene Simmons feuded after the latter suggested hip-hop had no place in the Hall. The bigger question? Who wants to be inducted into an institution based in Cleveland?
Big releases on April 29: Drake (Views from the Six); Plants and Animals (Waltzed in From the Rumbling).
Big picture: Drake already has a key to the city; Toronto should just officially rename itself the Six. Not only does the Drake-approved city nickname sound a lot cooler, it also strategically positions Hogtown for the post-apocalyptic future. Whatever corrupt tyrant comes to rule us — be they man, woman or radioactive mutant beaver — they won't even have to rename the district formerly known as TO. On his highly anticipated fourth EP, Canada's undisputed hip-hop king raps about his hometown's charms and favourite place. (I'm hoping for a first-person track from the point of view of the CN Tower.) Everyone from Beyonce and Jay Z to Kanye West are expected to appear on the juggernaut effort.
Meanwhile, Montreal's superb indie rock ensemble, Plants and Animals, find perfect timing on their own No. 4. Rarely does studio rock 'n' roll feel so spontaneous and boisterous. They're evolving into one of Canada's finest bands. A couple more like this and they'll be handed a key to Montreal, and will release View from the 514.
Forecast: Drake will put Toronto on the hip-hop map. Now all we need is a megastar in Vancouver for a Canadian version of an old-fashioned West vs. East Coast rap feud. No violence, of course; mainly just a lot of apologizing. "Sorry I made fun of you in my song, eh." As for Plants and Animals — they'll bloom into a band of international stature.
Honourable mention: Rob Zombie (The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser). Never to be confused with a PEZ dispenser. The heavy metal musicians and horror director return to the studio. As for the title: We live in an era where every other show has a zombie in it; I think Rob might be feeling a tad insecure these days.
Now it's time to move on.
This is my final column, so it's also time for me to thank the most important people of all: you, the readers…many of whom I have met online and in person on ships. You have been generous with your comments and questions, occasionally taking me to task — usually for good reason.
My thanks also goes to the cruise line people: the creators, builders, designers, captains, hotel managers, marketing and PR staffs and the media…all of whom made me a more knowledgeable cruise writer, some of whom have become lasting friends.
And today I will answer the one question I've been asked many times: "What was your favourite cruise?"
It's a tough question I have always avoided answering because cruising is so subjective, but for this farewell column I have narrowed my list to four…
• New York to Quebec City: great ports, including Boston, Bar Harbor, Charlottetown, Halifax, then cruising the St. Lawrence, Gaspe and overnight in Quebec City before returning to New York• Budapest to Amsterdam: river cruising the Main, Danube and Rhine rivers for 15 days
• Valparaiso to Buenos Aires: enjoying South America for a couple of weeks
• Northern Europe to St. Petersburg
Why these four?
1) As I left New York from the Cape Liberty side, there was something exciting about cruising by the Statue of Liberty and barely squeaking under the Verrazano Bridge. I loved Boston and Bar Harbor, and staring into the ocean from Peggy's Cove as the waves pounded on the rocks…watching Japanese tourists swarm Cavendish, PEI, because they're huge Anne of Green Gables fans. In Quebec City, I was in awe of our country's heritage with the statue of Champlain, and visiting Orleans Island was well worth the drive.
2) Cruising from Budapest to Amsterdam offered many surprises. Budapest was my favourite city on the cruise, which was 15 days of history coming alive around every bend in the river. Cologne at night meant the Kolsch beer tour — the name is allowed only if it's made in the city limits, and the beer comes in small glasses. Picking a winning pub was easy.
3) South America is always an eye-opener. I was lucky…the oceans were relatively calm when navigating Cape Horn (we circled for an hour, a reminder of what the great explorers faced in rounding — or failing to round — the Cape). Buenos Aires is called "Paris of the South" and it is. I advocate staying for several days before or after a cruise. When I was in Ushuaia (Argentina), instead of touring I discovered the most southern golf course in the world and its only golfer that day loaned me some clubs so I could play three holes with him.
4) My Northern Europe cruise from England led to one favourite city after another. Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn…populated by wonderful, friendly people who if you're lost will happily and at a drop of
the hat steer you in the right direction or even walk you to your destination. Ahh, St. Petersburg, the Hermitage…you may never see anything like it again.
I've cruised to the Canary Islands, North Africa, many times to the Caribbean and Australia, and I wanted to pick cruises that — if they're of interest to you — feature a variety of ships. But in the end, I picked them because they're my favourites.
Phil's Pick (Phil's Tip) of the Week
Wherever possible, walk. Use public transport. Do your homework before you go. Ask the same question, repeatedly and especially in Rome, to ensure you don't get lost. Put it this way: Take the ship to your experience, don't let the ship take you.
While this is my farewell, if you have questions, I'll continue to be reachable at email@example.com, and I'll be happy to help.
And finally, I'm dedicating this column to Bob and Nancy Dunn, my cruising comrades who have been so helpful the last six years.
That's all!]]>
Based on Alexander Rose's book Washington's Spies, the show set during the Revolutionary War is part history lesson, part dramatic thriller and part visual treat with costumes, set design and cinematography suitably proclaiming their musket love.
This season builds towards the defection of Benedict Arnold (Owain Yeoman), as he becomes an informant for the British while enmeshed in the Continental Army. Meanwhile, Abe Woodhull (Jamie Bell) is a spy for the Patriots, reporting directly to George Washington (Ian Kahn).
The tension builds as each mole's noose-worthy actions come closer to being discovered.
Lahly Poore-Ericson, the show's costume designer, gave Postmedia a behind-the-seams glimpse at what it took to give the characters their distinctive looks for Turn's third rotation, debuting Monday.PHOTO ABOVE: "This season we had to make a lot more multiples of things as people were getting bayonetted or whatever. And there are riding doubles and stunt doubles and photo doubles and doubles all over the place," says Poore-Ericson. "Including the background and principle (actors), we usually end up with over 200 costumes per episode. But we don't build them all, obviously." PHOTO ABOVE: "James Rivington (centre, played by John Carroll Lynch) is a new character and we built him from scratch, so all of his clothes are built by us. He has two or three different vests, and coats — including his banyan coat — and britches." PHOTO ABOVE: "I think you can start off with your historical research, but sometimes a little bit of poetic licence is needed," says Poore-Ericson. "Fashion changes throughout history because some creative person broke some of the rules of the day." Pictured: The clothing for Native American War chief Han Yerry (Matt Ukena) is based on research into the Eastern Woodland Nations. PHOTO ABOVE: "Period (projects) are actually my favourite thing to do. I love the clothes, I love to look at the detail, I love to do the research," says Poore-Ericson, though her own style on set is quite different. "When I'm at work I'm on my knees half the day, crawling on the floor, looking at hems or trying to get someone's shoes right. I'm fixing buckles or carrying a load of some dirty something or other, so I pretty much dress down." PHOTO ABOVE: "Being new to the show, I kept the military's look the same for the most part. The show had a great look when I started and I wanted to add to that look, not try and force my hand and make a lot of changes to something that I thought already worked." Pictured: Owain Yeoman as Benedict Arnold. PHOTO ABOVE: "This season we had fun and made some fans for some of our big scenes, like our ball scenes," says Poore-Ericson. "Most of the rental stock comes from Europe and we get some from Los Angeles." Pictured: The floral fabric in the centre panel of Peggy Shippen's (Ksenia Solo) ball gown are from a piece that Poore-Ericson found in an antiquities shop in London.
Turn: Washington's Spies returns Monday, April 25, on AMC]]>
She is the biggest Holland America ship at 99,800 gross tons, is almost 300 metres long and accommodates up to 2,650 passengers in more than 1,300 cabins, 70 per cent of which will have balconies.
The Koningsdam is characterized by a modern and contemporary style, which blends perfectly with the traditional elegance that distinguishes all Holland America ships. The design was created by two of the world's major and prestigious architecture studios, Tihany Design and Yran & Storbraaten, with "the architecture of music" being an inspirational element for the design of many public areas.
The World Stage Theater has a circular LED wall 20 metres in diameter, never built before on a ship, which spreads to 270 degrees and allows the viewer to be fully immersed in the show. The high decks of the vessel open up in the Lido Pool area, spread over two floors and characterized by a cutting-edge sliding coverage with a wide, gazing surface that allows for use of the area in every weather condition.
She is all new from the hull to the top of the ship and should be a welcome addition for Holland America. If you hurry and can make the inaugural sailing, you can have 25 days at sea for a starting price of only $2,339 CAD. See hollandamerica.com.
All for now.]]>
Take Lindblad Expeditions, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Explorers Club in New York. On top of new ships coming in 2017 and 2018, President Sven-Olaf Lindblad announced the addition of another one for 2019…although three years away, there are no details.
The other two new ships are 100-passenger, American-flagged coastal vessels.
Lindblad also announced it had bought the Via Australis, which will be refurbished before it replaces the National Geographic Endeavour in the Galapagos Islands.
Luxury line Silversea has been adding new expedition ships on a regular basis. Crystal and Scenic have ships coming to be added to the market, as does Ponant, with four new ships. Hurtigruten, in this market for some time, is expected to grow its fleet, too.
Lindblad is a little different than the others, because of its association with National Geographic.
All for now.
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Azamara Club Cruises will be starting the kind of program that my friends did on their own, with the line's new multi-day Overnight Adventures program.
Overnight Adventures is fully guided; 2-to-3-day shore tours that President and CEO Larry Pimentel says will provide an enhanced land program for passengers "who want to elevate their travel experiences." Tour prices include sightseeing, dining, hotel accommodations and transportation. Passengers on these tours will leave the ship upon arriving at a designated port for one or two nights and rejoin it at the next port of call.
Here is a sample of two Overnight Adventures…
Ancient Temples of Bagan: This 2-day exploration from the port of Yangon in Myanmar brings cruisers to one of the richest archaeological sites in Asia. Bagan is home to some 3,000 ancient pagodas, temples and monuments spread over 26 square miles. A visit to a local market is also included.
Desert Night in Oman: A multi-day Bedouin adventure that includes a journey to lagoons, waterfalls and seaside retreats, as well as a trek across the desert to a Bedouin camp to enjoy an evening of drinking, dancing and traditional barbecue, before retiring to your tent for the night.
That's just two of several Azamara is planning. Of course, you can also be like my friends…and plan your own.
All for now.
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Syrian government forces took back the facility last month.
As the violence in Syria drags into its sixth year, water has become a weapon of war. All sides in the conflict have fought over, or destroyed, water resources to further their military goals.
The United Nations formally recognized access to clean drinking water as a human right in 2010. For much longer than that, international law has decreed that denying civilians access to the basic necessities of life is a war crime. Yet according to experts we spoke with, there is still too little global awareness and action protecting vital water resources in war zones.
The crisis in Syria is far from the only conflict in the world where water is a battlefield chess piece.
In Somalia, the Islamic militia Al Shabab has used different tactics to deny water to cities in retaliation against government forces that drove them out. The Nigerian army has accused terrorist group Boko Haram of poisoning wells and streams before retreating from villages they had captured.
While targeting necessities like water is a tactic as old as war itself, what's different today is that climate change makes the consequences far worse, says Peter Stoett, an expert in international law and environmental politics at Montreal's Concordia University.
Water infrastructure in Afghanistan was severely damaged by decades of conflict, according to Romila Verma, a University of Toronto hydrologist who has worked on water issues in Asia and Africa. Now, projects to repair water and sanitation systems in that country have become a political football between India and Pakistan; each jostles to gain influence in Afghanistan at the expense of the other, Verma tells us.
Verma is involved in the Trans-Africa Pipeline Project — an ambitious plan to bring water to 11 sub-Saharan countries via an 8,000-km conduit. But violence in countries like Mali and Nigeria has made it dangerous to construct the pipeline and train local communities to maintain it.
While targeting necessities like water is a tactic as old as war itself, what's different today is that climate change makes the consequences far worse, says Peter Stoett, an expert in international law and environmental politics at Montreal's Concordia University.
Verma agrees: "Sources of fresh water around the world are shrinking. When you make water a pawn, this crisis increases tenfold."
Another difference — once the denial of water served to force the surrender of armies, now it is increasingly a measure to control or punish civilians, says Verma.
What's more, the disruption of sanitation systems can also harm innocent people in conflicts, Stoett notes.
In March, an Israeli environmental group warned that the destruction of sewage systems in the Gaza Strip could result in a cholera or typhoid outbreak that has the potential to contaminate cross-border waterways, affecting the countries beyond Gaza, such as Israel and Egypt.
One of the first steps in better protecting water resources in conflict zones is raising global awareness of the issue, say Verma and Stoett.
"No one it talking about this," Verma laments.
Government diplomacy and public pressure can help encourage institutions like the International Criminal Court to tackle robbing people of the right to water in the same manner as any other human rights violation in war. Policy-makers and military planners in countries like Canada must consider how their operations can avoid damaging water resources.
At the UN in 2005, all countries committed to the Responsibility to Protect protocol — to defend human rights in times of war.
The world needs to remember water is one of those rights we are sworn to protect.]]>
Deployment of Disney's four ships — the Dream, Fantasy, Magic and Wonder — for summer 2017 sailings to Alaska and European ports, extended Caribbean sailings and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, is now public.
The Wonder will again be sailing to Alaska from Vancouver. On top of the usual ports, the ship is making inaugural stops at Icy Strait Point and sailing up to Hubbard Glacier. A new 9-night itinerary will cover it all on July 24, 2017.
The Magic will be making its run in Europe, with inaugural calls at Amsterdam and Portland (England), which will include access to the legendary Stonehenge. May 13, 2017 will mark the start of the ship's 15-night Transatlantic crossing from Port Canaveral to Copenhagen. Both maiden calls and one of seven wonders of the medieval world will be celebrated on this cruise.
One to consider is a northern European itinerary that goes to Amsterdam, Warnemunde (Berlin), Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg and Tallinn (Estonia). The ship leaves Copenhagen on June 18 and disembarks in Dover 10 days later. Other European itineraries will showcase the Baltic, Norwegian fjords, Iceland, British Isles and the Mediterranean.
If it's the Caribbean, Port Canaveral is Disney's homeport. That's where the Fantasy will be starting its first voyages longer than a week: 10-and-11-night cruises to the deep southern Caribbean. On June 17, there will be an 11-night sailing to Aruba, Barbados, Martinique, St. Kitts, Tortola and Castaway Cay. That will be followed on June 28 by a 10-night sailing to Aruba, Curacao, St. Kitts, Tortola and Castaway Cay.
Speaking of Castaway Cay, Disney's exclusive Bahamian island will be frequented even more with double calls on select cruises on the Dream. On the list are 5-night cruises leaving June 2, 11, 16, 25, 30 and July 9; and 4-night cruises departing on June 7, 21 and July 5.
Short cruises and the same port twice…do we really need to see Disney's island twice? It seems to me Disney is saving a lot of money here and I hope the price is adjusted for missing a non-Disney port.
All for now.
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"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," Bob Dylan sang. But these days, a guide through the seemingly endless flurry of pop culture offerings is just what we need. With that in mind, here is what's on the radar screen in TV, music and film for the coming week.
Big release on April 22: The Huntsman: Winter's War.
Big picture: Happily ever afters don't come to lands under perpetually bad rulership — whether evil-witch queens, or uncomfortable monarchs sitting on thrones made out of pointy swords. Winter's War is the unnecessary sequel-prequel to 2012's Snow White and the Huntsman. This one is all about the famous magic mirror on the wall, which has fallen into the hands of an icy, new witch who is either heartless or heartbroken (after Maleficent, I stopped keeping track). Cue the Huntsman's (Chris Hemsworth) next big mission, pitting him against his long-lost warrior love (Jessica Chastain) and an old frenemy. That's right; Charlize Theron returns to chew the scenery as the wicked Queen Ravenna, while Emily Blunt plays her frosty sister Freya. Kristen Stewart's Snow is absent this time, so the dialogue will be half as wooden.
But that leaves more screen time for Hemsworth to flex his muscles and frown furiously (maybe it wards off magic or something). If you want to see a queen that brings the fire, stay tuned for Game of Thrones on Sunday. If you want to see Hemsworth muscle his way into being typecast, this is your film. (C'mon, buddy; branch out. How many Thor and Huntsman sequels do you think the box office can handle?)
Forecast: It's The Hobbit meets Maleficent meets Thor meets … Charlize Theron's gravy train. Choo choo! Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the most derivative of them all?
Honourable mention: Elvis & Nixon. I'd be more excited if this was called Richard Nixon: Undead Elvis Hunter. But this dramedy tells the "untold true" story behind the classic photograph of former U.S. President Nixon (Kevin Spacey) meeting Elvis Presley (Michael Shannon). As one of the Nixon's aides puts it: "Everybody loves Elvis. He could really help us with the youth folk." It turns out the King of Rock 'n' Roll and Tricky Dicky had far more in common than you'd think. We're all shook up.
Big events: Containment (April 19, CW; April 20, GlobalTV.com); Game of Thrones (April 24, HBO Canada).
Big picture: Finally. Twelve months of hand-wringing and conspiracy theories about Jon Snow can mercifully come to an end. (Is he dead? Who cares? Almost everyone in the cast will likely be dead before the series' eventual finale.) Season 6 is all about women's rights. OK, not exactly. You can still count on the occasional topless orgy — especially now that Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) is in charge of a city again. But the show's powerful female characters will take centre stage. Queen Daenerys aims to win over a new Dothraki horde; Queen Regent Cersei violently reasserts her authority; Arya Stark delivers more bodies to the Many-Faced God; and her sister Sansa will get in a playful snowball fight with the White Walkers (and readers will be furious because it wasn't in the books). But seriously now. Viewers can expect more of the Iron Islands — which is kind of like Newfoundland, if every local was armed to the teeth, worked as a pirate and hated small talk. Meanwhile, The Containment is set in an Atlanta under quarantine after a mysterious virus is unleashed. I know what you're thinking. Vampires? Zombies? Aliens? Hybrids? Cover-ups? Terrorist attack? Or just a deadly flu? Time will tell. (Containment is like a NeoCitran commercial written by Stephen King.) Of course, the cordoned residents quickly find themselves in a post-apocalyptic present with no Katniss in sight. (Global hopes to infect viewers with a two-episode premiere on April 25.)
Forecast: Game of Thrones will make you thankful that modern office politics aren't resolved with real weapons; Containment will make you thankful that flu season is almost over.
Honourable mention: The Night Manager (April 19, AMC). Dr. Gregory House is now an arms dealer? Finally, he's doing something with his retirement! Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston co-star in a six-part, contemporary adaptation of John le Carré's 1993 spy novel.
Big releases on April 22: Rufus Wainwright (Take All My Loves: 9 Shakespeare Sonnets); Royal Wood (Ghost Light).
Big picture: This week's new releases have two things in common. They're both by Canadians, and their titles could double as titles of Game of Thrones episodes. Take All My Loves honours the 400th anniversary of the The Bard's death by reinventing his words via a blend of pop and classical music. This adaptation of Shakespeare's sonnets includes guest appearances by the likes of Helena Bonham Carter, Martha Wainwright, Florence Welch (minus The Machine) and William Shatner. Meanwhile, Ghost Light finds brilliant Toronto singer-songwriter Royal Wood haunting us with his melancholic musings about life. The multi-talented Wood plays 90 per cent of the album's instruments himself, but occasionally brings in help from Cancon heavy-hitters like Bahamas and Hannah Georgas.
Forecast: Rufus, you had me at William Shatner and Shakespeare. As for Royal Wood, Ghost Light is a musical poltergeist you won't want to exorcise.
Honourable mention: Guided by Voices (Please Be Honest). It's not quite a band reunion. Frontman Robert Pollard plays all the instruments on this record. He should start a new group called Guided by Voice.
Tense, timely and lushly filmed (the show had a £20 million budget), The Night Manager is based on le Carré's like-named 1993 novel. Hiddleston stars as former British soldier Jonathan Pine, who's working nights in a Cairo hotel during the Arab Spring.
He's soon recruited by an intelligence operative (Olivia Colman) to infiltrate the inner circle of international arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie). The six-part miniseries is already a critical and ratings success in the U.K., where it aired on the BBC.
Hiddleston spoke about The Night Manager, his real-life aptitude for spyhood and the public push for him to become the next James Bond.
Q: Does The Night Manager's success in the U.K. bring more of a relief or a sense of pressure for you going into the North American debut?
A: It's of course wonderful to know that it's done so well in the U.K. I've been filming Kong: Skull Island in Vietnam, and every Monday morning I would get a lovely email from the producers saying the episode went well, and then I'd have to disappear into a swamp in Vietnam to chase a great ape. So it's a bit strange, and I feel like I slightly missed it.Q: The novel came out more than 20 years ago. How does the miniseries stand up in modern times?
A: The novel spoke very much to the political climate of the time in which it was written. Pine's military service was amid the conflict in Ireland in the late '80s and early '90s, and Richard Roper was exchanging arms for drugs with the Colombian drug cartels, which was very much an issue of the time.
I think producers Simon and Stephen Cornwell, who were le Carré's sons, believed it was important for The Night Manager to speak to our time. So Roper's arms trade is now in the Middle East and he's selling chemical weapons to the highest bidder. Pine's military service has been updated to the Iraq war of 2003.
Q: How would personally do as undercover operative?
A: A good spy has to surrender the things many of us take for granted, that give our lives meaning. It takes huge psychological strength, and those tests of one's mettle, you don't easily volunteer for that.
But even where acting comes into play, the part I enjoy is the exploration of identity. I think someone like Johnathan pine is doing the same thing by taking on different personas — Johnathan Pine, Jack Lindon, Thomas Quince and Andrew Birch.
And le Carré himself talks about espionage as acting, essentially. There's something disingenuous about it, and therein lies the hypocrisy of the job description — one is required to do bad things for the greater good.
'A good spy has to surrender the things many of us take for granted, that give our lives meaning. It takes huge psychological strength'
Q: There's been a fan campaign to get you to play James Bond in the next movie — what's your reaction to that?
A: I understand the link that people have made because I play a British spy and of course James Bond is the iconic British spy of popular culture and he has endured as an icon for so many years. It's flattering and amusing, but there's really no grounding to it.
I'm fairly certain that Daniel Craig is still James Bond and will continue to be. And I'm an enormous admirer of his portrayal. So it's very flattering and I will continue to smile about it, but there's nothing for me to add to it. That's my two cents, besides which, everyone wants Olivia Colman to be bond as well, which is a great idea.
The Night Manager debuts Tuesday, April 19, on AMC]]>
The twin ships feature new staterooms and suites, including the addition of luxurious Spa Suites. All venues, public spaces and technologies have been renewed. A cruise line that's best known for its "destination immersion" programs, Azamara continues to enhance the experience both on land and at sea.
The U.S. women's soccer team has had great success on the pitch over the last few years and Avalon Waterways is hoping some of it will rub off on its newest ship, the Avalon Passion.
Jill Ellis, the national team's head coach, was chosen as the new ship's godmother. Along with Captain Peter Werner and Avalon's Managing Director Patrick Clark, Ms Ellis smashed a bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne against the hull on a beautiful warm day in Linz, Austria.
The christening of the Passion came just one week after Avalon christened another new Suite Ship – the Imagery II – in the scenic town of Engers, Germany. There, New Zealand broadcaster Judy Bailey gave her godmother's blessing in Maori.
A few weeks ago, Royal Caribbean officially took possession of the keys to its 24th ship, Ovation of the Seas, in a ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany. Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain received the new ship from Meyer Werft yard's Managing Partner, Bernard Meyer.
This is the third of the highly successful Quantum Class ships and the second of the three that will be sailing in China. One — Anthem of the Seas — is based in New York and, in what is now the largest fleet of any cruise line sailing in China, Ovation of the Seas joins Quantum of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas.
All for now.
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Last week, during a classy affair at the Élysée Palace with French President François Hollande in attendance, the Geneva-based cruise line announced that it will be building four new "world class" ships.
These four ships — set to be built at France's STX Shipyard — are so big, they'll be in the same size category as the world's biggest: Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class ships. Each will carry 5,400 passengers at two per cabin. However, that number can easily expand to 6,000 on any given cruise.
The price tag will top US$4.5 billion and, when you add MSC's current order of seven ships, all 11 will top US$10.2 billion.
The first of these "world class" ships will arrive in 2022, and will be dual powered by diesel and liquefied natural gas.
In addition to these four, MSC's remaining ships on order are in the Meraviglia and Seaside classes, with the first in each class due to be launched next year.
It's reasonable to assume some of these ships will find their way to the Caribbean, where the cruise line plans on putting its focus over the next couple of years. MSC's Divina currently operates on a year-round basis in the Caribbean. The Seaside, meanwhile, will be joining the Divina in December 2017.
* * *
Still with France, AmaWaterways will home-port a ship in Bordeaux this summer, by repositioning the 148-passenger AmaDolce from the Danube. Known for wine cruises, this seems a perfect fit for Ama.
The 7-day cruises will sail on the Garonne and Dordogne rivers and offer stops and tastings at several leading world wineries.
* * *
When I hear the words "clipper ships," I think of large, fast, sailing ships carrying tea from the Orient with three masts of sails speeding across the water. In modern times, the cruise line known as Star Clippers is
not carrying tea from China but may be serving it aboard the newest ship, which last week was christened with the name Flying Clipper.
It will carry 300 passengers and is the fourth Star Clippers ship and its largest with 35 sails pushing her. Want to know more about these ships? Go to starclippers.com.
* * *
One final item about new ships.
Regent Seven Seas is still painting and shining the brass for the newest luxury ship Explorer, Regent's largest at 750 passengers — set to be launched this summer — and now is announcing a sister ship.
Even with the cruise world's heavy building schedule, Regent found a slot and the still-to-be-named ship will take to the waters in 2020.
* * *
I hate to leave you on this note, but…
Royal Caribbean is raising the gratuity rate by 55 cents per person per day, effective May 1. That's a 4.2 per cent increase to go with an eight per cent increase from last June.
Hmmm…maybe I should send Royal Caribbean a guide to average inflation in North America?
Phil's Pick of the Week
This one is Miami return.
Departs: May 21
Duration: 8 days
Ship: MSC Divina
Ports: St. Maarten, San Juan (overnight), Nassau
Starting price: US$499
See msccruises.com.]]>