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Sunday, May 12, 2013

Episode 3 of She Asks

Episode 3. She Asks Mark DeBonis

In episode three written questions are thrown out in favour of clarity. Live and learn.
In this episode stand up comedian and tweet performer Mark DeBonis talks about dealing with spiders and audience difficulties. Is he optimistic? You decide.

His website is called I am not Mark DeBonis

He is a proud part of The Spam Show.


Episode 2 of She Asks

Episode 2. She Asks Sandra Battaglini

Sandra is a stand up comedian, writer and clown. She tells me about her worst experiences and how her job can be therapy.
This is her website

She also does The Spam Show on PodAlmighty.com

Episode 1 of She Asks

 I introduce myself in episode one and I ask the very enthusiastic and energetic actor director comedian writer a few questions about his job.
Here is the first episode of She Asks...  She Asks Phil Luzi

If you would like to know more about Phil here is his website 
The Spam Show  can be found on PodAlmighty.com

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Update spring 2013

Let's catch up a bit.

I have been working for Canada Post as a casual day shift worker for the past two years. I also work part time at a grocery store in the evenings. I still do the Stroumboulopouli Blog as I have for the past seven years. I also produced a podcast called The Ward and Al Show. That show graduated from being a podcast and is now becoming a radio show on Sirius XM. I am staying with the podcast production studio and producing The FUTZ along with my own five minute podcast called She Asks. It's a little interview show featuring comedians and entertainers. I am also producing a friends five minute podcast about sex. It's all still in the works and will be available on PodAlmighty Podcast Network soon.


Sunday, November 27, 2011

Catching up

What's new with you?
What's new with me?
Sunrise in November from my balcony
I am enjoying my blue collar job at Canada Post. I am enjoying a reasonably active Toronto social life. I sent out some Christmas cards. I will try to go into the more interesting details in another post soon. I want to get back to communicating.

Sunday, October 02, 2011

I have never been much of a writer.

I have never been much of a writer!
Plus I forget things a lot. 
This could be why I stopped writing this personal blog.

My life does not change much day to day or week to week.
But it has been a long time since my last confession.
Forgive me reader for I have sinned. I have left this blog alone along with all the blogs I used to visit and comment upon. Maybe it was a move to fb and twitter and all that the time the Stroumboulopouli blog takes up. Maybe it's because I worked in Government offices I wanted my private life to be less public. Not that I have anything to hide... I don't.

Working currently as a casual mail clerk in a mail sorting plant. I am a bonnified unionized blue collar worker for as long as there is work. So please mail Christmas cards this year if you can. Thanks!

I am still single and I am more okay with that than my friends want me to be. They want me to go out there and date. That sounds like it will complicate my life a lot.
I know I have no more readers on this blog left but I wanted to get this down on the screen just in case anyone was wondering if I am still around.
I am for now!

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Casettes

Partes del cassetteImage via Wikipedia
Remember when you would listen to the radio and hope that one of your favourite new songs would be played so you can tape it on your blank cassette tape. It was one long and tedious way of collecting new music. But it was summer and you had nothing better to do with your time. The DJ on CKGM would talk over the beginning of the song and ruin or add to the songs recording uniqueness. If you were lucky you would have a walkman so you could listen in private to your mix tape. Or you could put the tape in your brothers hi-fi stereo and hope the tape does not get 'eaten' by his tape player and you get caught trying to get your ruined tape out... He should have used a tape head cleaner on his machine. What's wrong with him?

I did buy music. 45s and Vinyl Albums  but if there were songs no one in the family owned and they were on the radio and we went to all the trouble pressing record after waiting patiently then we earned that song. I am sure concert ticket purchases were soon to follow. The technology did get simpler to make recording whole albums and tapes easier but I was never one to be the first on my block to own the newest equipment. That's what boyfriends did. A mixed tape they made for you was a prized thing.

These days I don't download music without permission. I buy the tune online or at the record store or directly from the artist. Sometimes a tune is given by the artist and I appreciate that too. I did make myself  mixed CD's I can listen to in the car but I paid for all those songs.

What brought this up? I was just listening to ELO and thinking that it's time I bought this tune I once recorded off the radio and pay the Artists for their work.

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Monday, August 02, 2010

Long weekend in Montreal

A cheesy stop along the 401 highway.

Centennial Lake DDO

Rue St. Paul

Talented bilingual juggler

Montreal wall art on St. Laurent

Plaza at Place des Arts

Christopher's car

Saw Nile Seguin here
A friend of mine had never been to Montreal so I told her I would be her guide on August long weekend. This weekend is a holiday weekend in Ontario but not in Quebec. The drive was easy going to Montreal and only a little congested coming back.  Highlights for us were: apple pie, hot dogs, smoked meat, spotting rabbits, spotting warblers then a coyote in a graveyard. Going to comedywork, talking to Nile after the show, going to see Inception (in an uncrowded theatre), Buying alcohol at the corner "dep", being  a participant in a juggling act and getting to ride in a pimped up mustang! Meeting Chris who owns that mustang. Going to St Josephs Oratory. and finally buying bagels and cookies to take home. Not all in that order.

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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

PWYC Comedy in Toronto

I went out Monday night to support and enjoy local comedy in Toronto.  I try to get to the 'pay what you can' shows (5$) because that's not totally beyond my entertainment budget. Free shows are even better. I keep my eye out for those too. 
I am looking for a Comedy Buddy in Toronto to go to these shows with once or twice a month. 

Monday, July 26, 2010

Planning a trip back to Montreal

This long weekend coming up I am hopping into my friend Cheryl's car and we are headed east down the 401.


Montreal is a city that Cheryl has never been to.  I am from Montreal but had visited Toronto many times as I was growing up. As a child I thought everyone traveled back and forth on the 401. Since I have moved to Toronto to my surprise I encountered Ontarians that had never been to Quebec at all! I will have to fix that one visitor at a time.
I am really looking forward to showing her around my favourite island.
This trip will include Old Montreal, Mount Royal and Crescent Street.
I am also looking forward to see all my family there! There is no place like home!

Friday, July 23, 2010

It's been a long time

I wanted to just let you know that I am still around. I am still living in Toronto. I still write on the Stroumboulopouli blog. I may get back to the habit of writing here again. I would not be surprised if no one replies.

Currently I am melting in the heat.
Dog sitting.
Looking for  job.
Hoping for a windfall.
Planning to visit Montreal soon.



Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A friend emailed this to me.

CHRISTIAN WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS . . .
An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice. "
1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many. )
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
(also remember -- you can only do one phone call at a time
it doesn"matter how busy the que is ---"PapaBear")
11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K. M. S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19 Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus. "
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33 Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.
GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.
"If God is for us, who can be against us? "
(Romans 8: 31)
BE WELL. BE SAFE. BE LOVED.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Happy Birthday to the Stroumboulopouli!

Happy birthday Stroumboulopouli!
You are two now? My goodness, how you have changed!
The first two pictures are from the set of the season finale of The Hour {season two}, mid June 2006. The other one is of George and Janna when he was visiting Calgary a year later.
-------------------------------------------
I want to share my personal perspective about this blog with you.
Why did I help start a blog about The Hour in the first place?
Life is a short journey. You may not have time to examine all the entertainment highlights, news events or politics that happen in the world as you speed through your week. It goes by in a snap or an HOUR
In December 2005, I was thirsty for the Canadian perspective and switched from watching CNN for ‘world’ news to watching Newsworld, which was back better than ever from that strike that turned us to CNN in the first place… So it was then that I first noticed The Hour.
The Hour is described as a factual entertainment show. To me it’s much more than that. When a Canadian program explores issues, music, arts, politics, great ideas with so much humour and charm it wakes you up to what is out there and what you are missing by not paying attention.


In January 2006 I started a blog just to explore what blogging was and to work through my personal grief about loosing my boyfriend to lung cancer… It had been a year and a half since his death and I needed to try to move ahead with my life. I was looking for a focus.
In my personal blog I wrote about a lot of things, and I would occasionally touch upon some topics The Hour had featured and, through The Hour own website’s ‘blogtracker’, I found other bloggers that blogged about The Hour on occasion as well.


We became a small but growing community of fans that were linked by The Hour. With blessings from The Hour a group of us started the Stroumboulopouli on May 30 th 2006.

The name Stroumboulopouli is the plural of Georges last name, and
should you wish to know it's created source, the credit goes to "Jeremy at The Hour and Deana at Sunday".
Incidentally, did you know about this spelling rule for George's name: "U after O, except after L." It's like "I before E, except after C," but better....
The Hour was in season two and was experimental in style and form. It appealed to the bloggers that like to discover the indi groups before anyone else had. It appealed to all ages. It appealed to women and men, but only women seemed to want to join the blog (so far).
When I first started watching, George used to start the show with “Hi, I am your buddy George and this is The Hour.” That invite made the show sweetly personal. Not sure why he changed it to “Your Boyfriend George”. Should I ask him? Maybe that's why women are more comfortable expressing their regard...


In seasons one and two, the show was live, and writing an email to The Hour at the beginning of the show could get your email read on air before the show ended. It was like watching an amazing performance in a small club where you can shout out a song request when you know the artist should be playing stadiums. He is singing to you now but you want him to have that success that will sadly reduce that interactive personal element so more people can be reached. Well, less live and interactive coast to coast, with the exception of the now live studio audience.

Going to a taping can be a more personal experience. If you are Toronto when the show is taping or can be there when it's on the road by all means book a seat or two. Or like many people do, have a conversation with George when he is talking to you from the other side of that glass. (I do not!)
Another show we feature on this blog is a Strombo production and worthy of frequent mention. The Strombo Show is a radio show George and Bob Mackowycz Jr. host. The radio show tries to bring back that live interactive element that can no longer be offered on The Hour. It's where you can still shout out those requests. I think George needs that as much as the audience does...
The original members of The Stroumboulopouli were Barbara B, Jas, Alana, Allison, Becky Evelyne and myself (Barbara W.) With schedules changing, school, work and life getting in the way plus disappointment from some that The Hour had become mainstream and was no longer available in that smaller venue where it was so much more personal… people moved on. New bloggers came along, Heather, Angie, Brooksie but for various reasons could not stay.
Many times I find friends and new blog contributors through commenter on the blog or on George’s MySpace page. Tracy, Mich, Steph A., Janna and Jen make up the Stroumboulopouli now and have been helping me celebrate a wonderful show and two years that have gone by in a snap, or an Hour. I have many people to thank for contributing to this blog, the readers, the bloggers, former bloggers, guest contributers, friends, and family for understanding and sometimes sharing this obsession.

I also want to thank George Stroumboulopoulos and the crew and former crew of The Hour and the Strombo Show for making it personal. They inspired the path that lead me from standing still in Montreal to getting back into life and moving (literally to Toronto) but metaphorically forward. I have discovered and rediscovered friendships, music, comedy, movies, creative writing, photography, geography, books, ideas… not conceived by The Hour but for me, the spark was reborn there.

Monday, October 29, 2007

I am being, not just trying anymore

I want to write a post about how my life is going now but I feel reluctant...

Is it because of work?

That's part of it.

Work is going well and I have applied for a longer term contract.

Wish me luck.


Is it because I have just started dating again and I am not sure how that will go?

That's part of it.

It's going well but it's early stages...

I don't want to jinx it.


Is it because I have less time online because of facebook, myspace and the stroumboulopouli?

That's part of it... but I enjoy those things.


Are there better things to do?

Yes live performances of comedy and music and whatnot..

maybe all that is part of why I don't blog here as much anymore.


Maybe the reason I started this blog is not as valid for me anymore...

that is part of it too.



Barbara W.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Visit to the Island on a Saturday in June








Who knew Toronto had such nice beaches so close by.
A happy discovery.
Since Ontario is mine to discovery I am going to spend some weekends exploring it a bit.