Guelph Politicast

End Credits - March 4, 2020 (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)

This week on End Credits get ready for a live-affirming, bittersweet journey into art and romance with the acclaimed French film Portrait of a Lady on Fire. In the news, we'll talk about good old American franchises: What happens to Disney with a new boss? What happens to Indiana Jones without Spielberg? And what's going on with Lizzie Maguire and iPhones? Read on!
This Wednesday, March 4, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Peter Salmon will discuss:
What About Bob? Bob Iger, the CEO who made Disney the massive blockbuster monopoly that it is today, shocked Wall Street last week when he announced that he's stepping down from the job a year-and-a-half early. After an incomparable period of growth for the company did Iger have noting left to do. and what might the future of Disney look like without him?
Stung Indiana Jones Chronicles. In a surprise move, it looks like Steven Spielberg is going to take a pass on directing the fifth Indiana Jones movie, and is instead passing the torch to Ford V. Ferrari filmmaker James Mangold. Mangold is an interesting director, but if Spielberg and creator George Lucas are no longer involved, then what's the point of more Indiana Jones?
Duff Riders. In more Disney news, there's trouble for the reboot of Lizzie Maguire. What seemed like a slam dunk for Disney+ thanks to legions of Lizzie fans is now in trouble because of creative concerns that the reboot is too, shall we say, "adult." Hilary Duff is suggesting that the show move to another streaming site, but is Disney going to force it's own creative license on the creators?
Bad Connection. Knives Out filmmaker Rian Johnson revealed in a behind-the-scenes video that Apple has one rule when it comes to their products in movies: the bad guy can't use iPhone. Product placement is a big part of Apple's promotional strategy, so did Johnson just ruin storytelling for all movies going forward?
REVIEW: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019). It's a film about art, love, friendship, class, and romance set on an island off the coast of France in the mid-18th century, and it's almost completely male-free. Filmmaker Céline Sciamma delivers a masterful gut-punch about the unlikely romance between young painter Marianne and her subject, Héloïse. Marianne's been hired to paint Héloïse without her subject's knowledge, but that's just the beginning of the complications...
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #211 - A Novel Podcast on Coronavirus

What started as a mysterious new illness that effectively shutdown the Chinese city of Wuhan is now a global health emergency as medical professionals around the world are trying to diagnose, quarantine, and contain the Coronavirus, or COVID-19 as the kids are calling it. New cases seem to be popping up on an hourly basis, but how concerned should we be? Let's talk to the professionals!
This week on the podcast, we're going to hear from Doctor Nicola Mercer, the Medical Officer of Health for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, and Doctor Amy Greer, the Canada Research Chair in Population Disease Modeling and Associate Professor in the Department of Population Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College of the University of Guelph.
First, we will hear from Doctor Mercer about local strategy and preparedness should COVID-19 make an appearance in Guelph or Wellington County, and what lessons they’re taking from other jurisdictions already combating cases of the disease. Mercer will also talk about co-ordinating with other agencies and levels of government, what the media should be doing to keep people up-to-date, where to get the best information, and why Canada’s health system might be well-suited to tackle the unique challenges of COVID-19.
Second, we'll talk to Doctor Greer, whose full-time job is studying how diseases spread, and the best strategies to mitigate potential pandemics. Doctor Greer talks about her research, how COVID-19 compares to other recent health emergencies like SARS and H1N1, and whether the response by the government and our health services is equal to the challenge. She also talks about the tricky balancing act in keeping people informed versus creating panic, and the unique challenges of dealing with a disease that for most people is indistinguishable from the common cold, and right in the middle of cold and flu season.
So let's talk about the plan against COV-19 on this week's Guelph Politicast!
The Government of Ontario has established a one-stop webpage for all the latest Coronavirus news, and you can find it here. For local updates, you can got to the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health website here.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.
Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Open Sources Guelph - February 27, 2020

This week on Open Sources Guelph, it's more of the same hits as we look at the now expanded rail blockades, and the latest from the race to find the 46th American President. In new stuff, we'll look at the latest test to Canada's laws regarding sex work, and we'll have an appropriately timed conversation with the Minister for Women (and other things).
This Thursday, February 27, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Trainsclotting. On Monday, the OPP moved in and tore down the rail blockade in the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, and that was the end of it, right? Of course it wasn't, and more rail blockades have turned up across the country, and on even busier stretches of commuter track, which affects even more people. Meanwhile, Teck pulled the plug on their planned Frontier pipeline for business reasons, which is, of course, the fault of the Liberal government. So, what next?
Bern Notice. The fourth presidential contest for the Democratic Party will take place in South Carolina this weekend, and the good money's still on former Vice-President Joe Biden to win even as Senator Bernie Sanders is closing the gap. You know Bernie's the real frontrunner because the knives are out, and everyone's obsessed with an off-hand statement he made about Castro's Cuba. Is this Bernie's game now, or is there time for someone else to upset?
There's Something About Maryam. Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development Maryam Monsef came to the University of Guelph last Friday, and visited a couple of different places on campus, including CFRU. In our interview, Monsef will talk about the urgency of getting broadband internet to rural areas, dealing with activists as a former student activist herself, and her thoughts on how best to move forward after the Dave Scott-Thomas allegations.
Next Work. A provincial judge in Kitchener has ruled that Canada's current prostitution laws are unconstitutional in the case of Tiffany Harvey and Hamad Anwar who were charged in 2015 for running Fantasy World Escorts. This is the first test of the law passed by the Harper Conservatives in 2014, and as the defense argued that law infringed on their right to Free Expression, and the right of sex workers to have a safe workplace. So how will the government respond, and is there any appetite to make real changes to Canada's laws regarding sex work.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - February 26, 2020 (Jojo Rabbit)

This week on End Credits, it's Nazi to see you again! That's the kind of terrible joke that you won't find anywhere near the Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit, which is this week's review. We're also going to talk about Sonic's facelift, the return of The Hunt, new trailers, and this novel idea that filmmakers should have more creative freedom, even when working on franchise films!
This Wednesday, February 26, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Peter Salmon will discuss:
Sonic Truth. The surprising success of Sonic the Hedgehog is doubling surprising when you consider the visceral, negative reaction to Sonic himself in that original trailer. But a delay and redesign has turned Sonic into a hit, and made it one of the most successful video game movies of all time. So is this a case of fan outrage working?
Deplorable Me. The Hunt is back on! The Blumhouse production about elites hunting so-called deplorables was cancelled last fall after a series of mass shootings, and some less than stellar reviews from President Moviefone, but the controversy seems to have passed. Question: was this movie even really that controversial in the first place?
The Money Returns. At a recent round table, the Chairwoman of Universal Pictures acknowledged that their plan for a Monsters Cinematic Universe starting with The Mummy was ill-conceived, and now they're "filmmakers first" when it comes to their monster movies! But is having creative control over helping to build pre-established franchises real creativity?
Big Time, French and Green. In new trailers this week we've got another coming of age story in what might be a breakthrough role by Pete Davidson in Big Time Adolescence, Wes Anderson has another tale of whimsy with an all-star cast in The French Dispatch, and Dev Patel takes his turn going back in time in the Arthurian themed The Green Knight.
 
REVIEW: Jojo Rabbit (2019). It's the charming story of a German boy who wants to fight for the Third Reich and has an imaginary friend named Adolf. Taika Waititi walks a very tight rope in his World War II satire, which tries to tell us something about modern politics by looking at the last days of the Nazi regime through the eyes of 10-year-old reared in Nazi propaganda, and the gentle way his mother tries to win him back because of the secret she's hiding in the attic.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST Replay - Freedom to Read Week

We're presently in the middle of Freedom to Read Week, a national celebration of free expression that takes place in libraries, schools and arts venues across Canada. It’s a powerful reminder that issues of free expression and censorship are still prevalent here in Canada, and in other places around the world, so we're going to remind you of that with a couple of previous Politicast interviews.
Freedom to Read Week is organized by the Freedom of Expression Committee of the Book and Periodical Council, and it’s sponsors include the Canadian Council for the Arts, the Ontario Library Association, and several of Canada’s publishers. The goal is to use public readings, panel discussions, and challenged book and magazine displays as a way to launch community conversations about issues of censorship and Free Expression.
When you think of Freedom to Read, you think of banned books, and their website has a Challenged Works list that covers a variety of different books, magazines, and graphic novels, but issues with Freedom of Expression go beyond what's banned. Consider the loss of community newspapers, which deprive people of need to know information about what’s happening in their town. Or the proliferation of disinformation and fake news, which actively strives to give people incorrect and misleading information.
So to cover all this, and more, we'll hear from Ward 2 Councillor and Guelph Public Library Board member James Gordon, and distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University and the Director of Ryerson’s Centre for Free Expression James Turk. Gordon will discuss access to information in this digital age, and the important role that local libraries play in all these debates. Turk will then offer a primer on the Freedom of Expression in Canada, and what your rights and responsibilities are when it comes to that freedom.
So let's talk about the issues around Freedom to Read Week on this edition of the Guelph Politicast!
To learn more about Freedom to Read Week, you can visit the website here. For any and all events at the Guelph Public Library, you can find that information on their website here.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.
Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Open Sources Guelph - February 20, 2020

This week on Open Sources Guelph, we're going to catch up on a couple of ongoing stories, and then look at two new ones because if it's Thursday, that means there's too much news to cover! So in the first half we're going to talk about the latest on the protests supporting the Wet'suwet'an hereditary chiefs, and the escalating friction between the Ontario government and teachers. Then, in the back half, we'll look at the political drama in two Maritime provinces, and the drama happening right here are home on the U of G campus.
This Thursday, February 20, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Blockade Stunner. The rail blockades remain in place, and the protests across Canada continue as the Government of Canada struggles to find a direction out of the conflict. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a lot of nice things to say, but he offered no real direction on ending the crisis. At least that's better than Andrew Scheer who appararntly wants the Government to go full-Oka on the Wet'suwet'an protestors. With no leadership in Ottawa, is there any real way out of this crisis, and how long can Trudeau afford to stay neutral?
Class Effect. This week's show is recorded just hours in advance of the province-wide, one-day strike by Ontario's teachers. For the first time since 1997, every teacher will be walking a picket line instead of teaching in a classroom, and the polls show that the majority of voters are with the teachers. Still, the Ontario government is staying the course, and that course is "We're standing against greedy teachers," even though pay is the last thing they're thinking about. How much longer can the Ford government hold against the united teachers' unions?
Maritime Brawl. There’s political turmoil in the Eastern Canada with Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball announcing that he’s stepping down after a scandal involving a government contract being given to a man that had worked closely with a cabinet minister. Meanwhile, in New Brunswick, the government has canceled plans to enact a series of unpopular healthcare reforms after the Opposition parties threatened a vote of no confidence. We'll catch up with all the political drama on Canada's right coast.
The Running Ban. Before the Christmas break, the University of Guelph had its #MeToo moment when track coach Dave Scott-Thomas has fired for inappropriate behaviour with at least two student-athletes over his decades-long relationship with the school. But firing Scott-Thomas wasn't the end of the story. A Globe and Mail report talked to the original complainant and revealed in horrible detail her abuse at the hands of Scott-Thomas and how the U of G seemed to do nothing. How should the U of G respond?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - February 19, 2020 (Oscar Winners Recap)

This week on End Credits, we're going to pause our regularly scheduled production to salute some of the big Oscars winners from this year's awards. It was last week that the hardware was handed out, and on today's show we'll revisit our original thoughts on Joker and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which won acting awards, and Parasite, which the big prize!
This Wednesday, February 19, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson, Tim Phillips and Peter Salmon will discuss:
REVIEW: Parasite (2019). Bong Joon Ho’s Palme d’Or-winning film is on track to become one of the most successful foreign films at the North American box office, and it comes with a lot of hype and stratospheric critical acclaim. But what did *we* think of it? You’re going to find out! Bong’s film has comedy and thriller elements, plus an up-to-the-minute social message with its finger on the pulse. There’s no possible way we could disagree on this movie, right…?
REVIEW: Joker (2019). It’s hard to think of a movie that’s been more controversial than Joker, an ultra-serious, gritty and realistic take on the origins of Batman’s most well-known nemesis. Heavily inspired by the early works of Martin Scorsese, and featuring a dynamo performance by Joaquin Phoenix, the movie is primed to be one of the biggest hits of 2019, but is it worthy of all the hype, not to mention all the safety concerns?
REVIEW: Once Upon a Time …in Hollywood (2019). Quentin Tarantino returns with his magnum opus, a tale of 1969 Hollywood that covers the waning days of the studio system and the rise of an era of creepy cults. The movie, like many of Tarantino’s works, has been received rather divisively with its mix of nostalgia, ultra-violence and long luxurious scenes that seem to lead no where, but is it among the director’s best, or has his tendency for indulgence gone too far?
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.

GUELPH POLITICAST #210 - On Development Part III: Why Not YIMBY?

An ongoing segment here on the Politicast involves taking a closer look at development issues, and this week's timely entry of the series will look at the under-appreciated cousin of NIMBYism, YIMBYism! NIMBY, or "Not in MY Backyard," dates back to the 80s, and has become a controversial term when it comes to growth in Ontario's cities, but one group in Waterloo Region is now trying to turn the tables.
"Yes in My Backyard" is more than just a statement, it's now an advocacy group out of Kitchener-Waterloo that’s seeking to be the opposite of the widely recognized NIMBY. They see NIMBYism as an impediment to the development of more affordable housing, and have taken it upon themselves to advocate for changes that will allow the construction of more housing, and more types of housing, which will hopefully address homelessness in Waterloo Region.
This episode of the show arrives a little over a week after a planning meeting of Guelph City Council where a 25-storey tower downtown, and another proposal for nearly 700-unit development in the west end, both got stern and full-throated opposition. It was for the usual reasons: more traffic, ugly buildings, ruining the character of the area. Only a few had the gall to make the point that many of these proposed units were intended for rentals, which is a market that desperately needs more capacity. That's speaking the language of YIMBY!
On this week's podcast we're going to hear from YIMBY co-founder Martin Asling about the creation of Waterloo Region YIMBY, and what he thinks his group can do to promote affordable housing where others have failed. He also talka about the challenges of NIMBYism, and what talking points work best in trying to combat it. And he will discuss the roadblocks in the system, the goals of Waterloo Region YIMBY, and how sometimes, in planning, perfect becomes the enemy of the good.
So let's talk about the proverbial backyard on this week's Guelph Politicast!
To learn more about his group, Waterloo Region Yes In My Backyard, you can join their Facebook group here. If you would like to get involved, you can also follow WR-YIMBY on Meetup by clicking here.
The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify.
Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Open Sources Guelph - February 13, 2020

This week on Open Sources Guelph, there's friction. When Canadians leave home, interesting things seem to happen, which may be the least controversial thing we discuss this week. Next, things are far from cool as the debate over constructing a pipeline hits an all-new level of agitation, the contest to find a Democratic candidate is still as contentious as ever, and we'll wrap up by talking about how we should react when controversial figures get some bad news of their own.
This Thursday, February 13, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
Some Canadians Abroad. It was a busy week for Canada's political leaders who decided to get out of the country to take care of business. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Africa to do a little wheeling and dealing to secure a U.N. Security Council seat. On this side of the ocean, Premier Doug Ford went to Washington to make a few deals of his own, and in the process endorsed Donald Trump's re-election, which did him no favours. So did good come from all these Air Miles?
Hereditary Briefs. As the RCMP started to try and clear the protestors in the territory of the Wet'suwet'en people, it seemed like the country itself erupted in protest. In many parts of Canada, including our own backyard, people are engaging in acts of civic disobedience in solidarity with the hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en, but is anyone in power listening? Is there any move that can be made that will be that will satisfy all sides of this stalemate?
Bernie Blow. With two votes of the way, the race to name a Democratic nominee for President is becoming a little clearer. The first place friction lies between progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, and the moderate midwestern Mayor Pete Buttigieg, but Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar has shown that she's far from out of this race even while former Vice-President Joe Biden seems to have been largely removed from the conversation. So do we have a pretty good idea about who the nominee will be, or are there still some surprises left?
Crossing Jordan. Last weekend, it was announced that University of Toronto professor and provocateur Jordan Peterson has been in Russia dealing with complications from a serious drug addiction. Last week, it was announced that shock jock Rush Limbaugh was diagnosed with stage four cancer, and then controversial columnist Christie Blatchford passed away this week from her own cancer struggle. How are we supposed to talk about controversial figures when bad things seem to befall them?
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.

End Credits - February 12, 2020 (Birds of Prey)

This week End Credits is golden because we're deconstructing Oscar night, which was full of surprises just not necessarily on the basis of who was going to win the awards. We're also going to talk about some new trailers, and the passing of Kirk Douglas, and for our movie review this week, it's a gloriously fun flick with a horribly long and exaggerated title.
This Wednesday, February 12, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Candice Lepage will discuss:
Golden Bong. This past Sunday, Hollywood handed out the Oscars, and it was more or less an unsurprising affair in terms of the winners. The surprising part though was that the Bong Joon Ho movie Parasite took home Best Picture, the first international film to take that honour. So is this a sign that the Oscars are changing? And what about that pointedly diverse show they put on?
Ben Saw Minions. This week in new trailers sees quite the variety. Ben Affleck tries to heal himself by coaching basketball (or something), those little yellow pill guys return in the newest Minions entry, and Chris Rock teams up with Samuel L. Jackson for the latest entry in the [checks notes] Saw franchise?!
 
Douglas' Streak. When Kirk Douglas passed away last week, he did so as one of the last actors from Hollywood's golden era. His career was legendary, his mark on the business is indelible, but there were some shadows in his history too, which always makes conversations about the legacy of a figure like Douglas more dicey. So what will that legacy be?
REVIEW: Birds of Prey And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020). Margot Robbie may not have won an Oscar last weekend, but she did get her own comic book movie franchise. Birds of Prey kicks off with a great deal of flourish and panache as Robbie's Suicide Squad character Harley Quinn gets spun off into her own adventure featuring four other Gotham City women who collectively know that they don't need a Batman to come and save them.
End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 2 pm.