Evening Edition

Tonight with us in the studio, was another funny man. Once hailed by our own comedy king Harith Iskander as ‘the future of Malaysian Comedy’, Rizal van Geyzel! When he’s not busy making people laugh on stage, he’ll head over to radio doing the same thing apparently.   A man who walks the line of ethnicity as fine as clown at the circus yet still classified as Malay (gotta get that bumiputera status) and is arguably the first half face of grassroots stand-up comedy for Malaysia with the Crackhouse Comedy Club (funny enough, the second half is an Australian).   Rizal can’t speak Malay for nuts but that doesn’t hinder his comedy to stretch out all over Malaysia and letting it spill over to the international stage with shows all over South East Asia. The man is a self-proclaimed pro-procrastinator by trying to sleep well into the afternoon before work but that’s not deterring him coming in for our show!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia  recently announced that they are currently working with Putrajaya on a pilot project to protect child detainees who are detained together with adults from potential abuse. We spoke to James Nayagam, the Commissioner of SUHAKAM to find out more about the project and the gravity of the problem.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Yusof with guests Bob Holmes, Ray Jennings & Sam Postlethwaite discuss the FIFA arrests made in Switzerland in midweek and the ongoing presidential elections. The guys also hail Spain's Sevilla for winning the Europa League again. There's a chat with Nicolas Anil (Malay Mail) about the Malaysia Select v Spurs friendly anf JDT's progress in the AFC Cup. Also previews of cup final weekend, Arsenal v Aston Villa in England, Auxerre v PSG in France, Wolfsburg v Dortmund in Germany.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight in the studio, the crew of TTON were joined by the multi-talented, Poova Plachchiak! Graced with numerous awards ranging from three wins at the VIMA Music Awards 2014, her talent with music is never in doubt in both Malaysia’s local and international music scene.   Ever since 2009, she has been performing all round. A high point was in 2012, with the release of her first original album ‘Ticket to Faketown’. Alongside this, Poova craved an astounding list of events she’d performed in while she’d practically sung everywhere under the musical rainbow of Kuala Lumpur.   Citing her influences ranging from Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jamiroquai and also Beyonce into the mix, Poova’s music is an enticing mix of honest stories, pleasing vocals and beautiful rhythm of electronica. Poova is currently working on her new sophomore album and we wish her all the best!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

in 2003, Judith Miller filed a now-notorious report in the New York Times about the supposed weapons of mass destruction uncovered in Iraq under Saddam Hussein. This WMD narrative, propagated by the Bush administration and now supported by the Times, was used to sell the American public on invading Iraq as a consequence of 9/11, even though no link between Saddam Hussein and and 9/11 was ever found. Later, it was revealed that WMDs in Iraq did not exist, and Miller’s report simply toed the party line of the Bush Administration. This week, on The Evening Edition, Ezra Zaid and Umapagan Ampikaipakan speak to Judith Miller about her brand new book, about her life as a reporter, her mistakes, and her road to redemption.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight, one of Pestle & Mortar founding trio, Hugh Koh joins the TTON crew for a short chat about shirts, new cafes and possibly even about his dog, Kenzo. Hugh is the designing brains of the three, with a BA in Architecture to back him up for the design process. Aside from coming up with the latest and greatest for the brand, Hugh is heavily involved in other ventures. Most notably their latest, a cafe/boutique named League of Captains, a cafe located nearby the Sheraton Hotel at Jalan Doraisamy. We'll be wishing all the best for Hugh on his future endeavours!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The call by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim, for Malaysians to make more babies garnered very interesting responses from the public. It was reported that collectively, people have come out to say "Show us the money and we'll show you the babies", a jibe at the escalating cost of living causing Malaysians to tighten their belts in more ways than one. Today on Talkback Thursday, we asked: What would encourage you to have more kids?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on the show, we invited along former intern and new YouTube sensation (in his own words) Sean Lee. We talked about how he got started making videos, what he's up to now, and where he's going! For the record, Sean scored 7 points on Smartypants!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours was a massive success. It secured the band’s transition from moderate success, to full-fledged phenomenon. But as they catapulted to fame, an ugly turmoil unfolded behind the scenes: the tensions of its romantically inter-twined band members has gone down in legend. This week Ezra and Uma discuss the voyeuristic qualities of an album where every song is ridden with bitter tensions of an internal drama taking place behind one of most compelling pop albums of all time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The man behind late night, or as Time has put it “our comedy uncle, our after-hours pal” has called it a day after 6,028 episodes of Late Night and Late Show over a period of 33 years. Ezra Zaid covers the legend that is Dave Letterman in this month’s installment of Finding the Funny.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The superhero comic has always had a tradition of commenting upon American public opinion and government policy. From the very first issue of Captain America, which saw our titular hero punching out Adolf Hitler to Marvel’s divisive Civil War, the comic book has often provided a stark perspective on the issues that plague the popular discourse. Umapagan Ampikaipakan speaks to Marc DiPaolo, Associate Professor of English and Film at Oklahoma City University, and Matthew Costello, Professor of Political Science, St. Xavier University, about superheroes and how they’ve come to reflect the politics of their time.The superhero comic has always had a tradition of commenting upon American public opinion and government policy. From the very first issue of Captain America, which saw our titular hero punching out Adolf Hitler to Marvel’s divisive Civil War, the comic book has often provided a stark perspective on the issues that plague the popular discourse. Umapagan Ampikaipakan speaks to Marc DiPaolo, Associate Professor of English and Film at Oklahoma City University, about superheroes and how they’ve come to reflect the politics of their time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia was faced with a huge humanitarian crisis a few weeks ago when over 1,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees from Myanmar landed illegally on Langkawi Island. And there were about 6,000 more on boats that were kept on Malaysian and Indonesian high seas, with provisions provided by both countries before sending them away to drift. Malaysia has since announced it will provide humanitarian assistance, provided the international community take necessary steps to repatriate them in a year. But shouldn't we have provided humanitarian assistance immediately instead of turning them away? The Evening Edition had the Malaysian Institute of Debating and Public Speaking over to debate the topic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Yusof & guests Matt Bellotti, Dez Corkhill & Stuart Cavens discuss the final weekend in the BPL which saw Hull City relegated, Newcastle safe, Liverpool thrashed. Monaco qualify for the UCL in France, Depore save themselves from relegation in Spain, Hamburg are involved in anther relegation playoff in Germany whilst there is still one week left in Italy's Serie A. Also, a chat with ex Tottenham & Argentina legend, Ossie Ardiles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight for the show we invited Comedian, photographer and beard connoisseur Prakash Daniel. Oh boy, there were a lot of laughs. If you listen carefully, you can hear the point where he tries to get Adeline to sniff his beard on live radio. We're sure that both their parents are proud. For the record Prakash scored 10 points on Smartypants!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Riz Rashid and Anna Maria shared their personal adventures figuring out how to reconcile creative passions with making a sustainable paycheck. We got them to share their personal journeys, asking whether the rise of artsy cafes and vibrant startup culture in Malaysia reflects a greater desire for businesses to bear the stamp of personal identity; and whether this creates a more conducive climate for artists to carve a niche out of their artistic services.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Yusof & guests Bob Holmes, Ray Jennings & Sam Postlethwaite lookback at the big events of the week including Sunderland getting a draw at the Emirates, enough to keep them up! Also, all the big news stories and a chat with Dez Corkhill about the Malaysian FA Cup final between Kelantan & Lions XII and previews of the final weekend in most of Europe's top leagues!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on the show we invited the man behind Mr. Fluff, Bo Amir Iqram. We chatted a whole bunch of stuff, raging from how he got into music, who his influences are, Amy Winehouse, pretend DJ's and a whole bunch of other things. Adeline even asked how he did his hair! For the recond, Bo scored a decent 13 points in Smartpants!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We spoke to Sanjiv Indran, a co-founder of Engineers Without Borders Malaysia, a relatively new outfit trying to get local engineers to recognise their potential to add value beyond the commercial sector, and apply their problem solving skills to society at large. Also on the show was Dr Ting Kang Nee who initiated the Water 4 Life Project, with whom the group collaborated to design a gravity feed water system. She offered her perspective on what she thinks of the initiative, how her project benefited from working with them, and the various ways that engineers can position themselves to work with initiatives like hers in the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our discussion this evening explored the role that movies play in our society, our tolerance levels for scandalous story lines and how pop culture contributes to the social narrative. In trying to ascertain where we stand as a society, we asked you today: Should films that portray negative issues in positive light be banned?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, on (Untitled), Ezra and Uma took a look at the album that forever changed the landscape of pop music. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys is a deeply personal album that is so meticulously complex and bizarre that it would elevate the three-minute radio ditty to fine art.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you think about when you stare out into the night sky, when you gaze across the oceans? How does it make you feel? Since the dawn of time we have been restless, both at home and ill at ease on this pale blue dot we call Earth.Late last month, NASA announced that they were taking the hunt for life on other worlds to the next level. The space agency assembled a team of experts across a myriad of scientific fields at some of the best Universities in the United States - and the world - to see if any of the more than 1000 planets discovered outside our solar system are habitable. The initiative is called Nexus for Exoplanet System Science.Umapagan Ampikaipakan speaks to Professor Bruce Macintosh from Stanford University about the search for habitable planets, for extraterrestrial life, for another world to call our own.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight we invited the wonderful Jay Menon onto TTON! She's been a model, a TV presenter, a radio host, and numerous other things. We asked her how her life has changed since she became a mother, and what she's got planned for the future. For the record, Jay scored 11 in Smartypants!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we think of superheroes, we think of Superman, we think of Batman, we think of The Avengers and Spider-Man. But how many of us have heard of Dazzler? Or The Black Dwarf? Or Dr. Hormone? The early years of the comic book superhero seemed boundless. No one had ever seen anything like Superman before so no one had any idea what worked and what didn't. It was a time when no idea was too far-fetched or too stupid. It was a time when artists and writers and publishers would try anything and everything once. On Episode 5 of When We Last Left Our Heroes, Umapagan Ampikaipakan, along with author and superhero historian Jon Morris, take on the likes of Airwave, Extrańo, Rainbow Boy, and of course, the infamous Red Bee.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two years on from the opening of Merdekarya is a neighbourhood bar that's more like a community hub for local artists to express themselves through music, poetry, art, and events. Two years on since its establishment, Brain Gomez talks about the importance of creating safe spaces where new talent can be nurtured. We also discuss Publika, which calls itself an urban centre for creative activity, to talk about art initiatives, how Malaysians have been responding to them, and the role that Malaysian enterprises can play in fostering an art-conscious and receptive society.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Yusof & guests Gary Stevens (ex Spurs, Brighton & Portsmouth), Matt Bellotti & Gogulan Dorairajoo discuss the penultimate weekend in the BPL which saw Saido Mane (Southampton) score a 2 min 56 sec hattrick against Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard playing his last game for Liverpool at Anfield, Leicester escape relegation whilst Hull & Newcastle have it all to do in the final weekend. Also the Championship playoffs, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Winners & Losers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fancy walking the corridors of power? We talked to Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, an intern who did just that - with Malaysia's own version of the White House Internship programme. Zara Kahan, the coordinator of the Perdana Fellows Programme also came on the show to tell us how it offers a unique opportunity for young Malaysians to get a glimpse into how real government works. Interns in Putrajaya even get mentored by Cabinet Ministers (yes, this includes the Prime Minister!) -  find out how Syed Saddiq fared during his stint at the administrative capital of Malaysia in this installment of the Evening Edition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Yusof & guests Bob Holmes, Sam Postlethwaite & Jeevan Selvanathan discuss the Champions League SFs which saw Barcelona & Juventus progress at the expense of Bayern Munich & Real Madrid. Also, a preview of the weekend's BPL which will see Steven Gerrard make his last appearance at Anfield, the battle for 3rd between Man Utd & Arsenal & the battle to avoid the drop. Also, Championship playoffs, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, a chat with Dez about the FAC and 3 Big Shouts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on the show we the invited frontman from Paperplane Pursuit aboard the good ship TTON. We wanted to see what's coming up from the band, and how they all gel together. We also got some EXCLUSIVE news regarding a new single 'Try And Stop Me' that they've got coming out at the end of the month! Just for the record, John managed a respectable 8 on Smartypants!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On tonight's show we invited Nigel Chin, CLEO Malaysia's most eligible bachelor 2015. We quizzed him on what it meant to be 'eligible', what the reaction from his friends and colleagues has been, and how many new 'likes' he has on his Facebook page. Nigel scored 15 on Smartypants!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On tonight's show we invited entrepeneur, visionary and risk-taker Melvin Tong onto the show. Back in 2010 Melvin got himself into the Guinness Book of World Records by being the first amputee to climb Mount Kinabalu. His most recent trip seems him returning from the base camp of Mount Everest.  Melvin and his brother run Extreme Cars and Extreme Limousines, and both clearly have a love of speed. We asked him how he got into fast cars. For the record Melvin scored 10 in Smartypants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to a whole hour of live recordings dating from 1975 from the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band.  Setlist:Thunder Road Hungry HeartSpirit of the Night4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)Secret GardenBorn to RunFireRosalita (Come Out Tonight)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Through four decades, Bruce Springsteen has served as a cultural phenomenon (twice, at least), a brittle and dark acoustic storyteller, a folk revivalist, a new Dylan, a working-class hero, “rock ‘n roll future", a force for political and social change, an eloquent songwriter and unabashed party-rocker (often in the same song), a live performer of legendary energies, and a prodigy and preacher of the “majesty, the mystery and the ministry of rock ‘n roll".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on the show we had multimedia journalist, author, lecturer - and comic book writer Zan Azlee!We asked him how many hours are in his day, because he seems to find more time to do more than all of us combined, and how and why he started walking into conflict zones.For the record Zan scored 10 points on Smartypants. He already wants a rematch.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Golden Age superheroes were pure escapist fantasies, a response to the great depression, they were modern day Gods who were motivated by altruism and an overwhelming desire to do good. They were characters that were aspirational. The were supposed to be the best of us. And, for the better part of a decade, they thrived. But in the 60s, everything changed. There was a stagnation in the art form. And the superhero needed a revival. Along came the postmodern superhero; a more naturalistic style of character with human failings, fears, and inner demons. This was the new wave.Now in crafting the postmodern superhero narrative, there is but one undisputed master: Alan Moore. Miracleman, V for Vendetta, Promethea, Watchmen, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The vast and varied works of Alan Moore are nothing less than landmarks in the history of comic books. On this episode of When We Last Left Our Heroes, Umapagan Ampikaipakan, along with Annalisa Di Liddo, take an in depth look at the postmodern superhero, at the canonical work of Alan Moore, and how it inspires and intersects with contemporary popular culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transparency International Malaysia recently held a youth debate on “Integrity and Corruption” by six prominent student debaters from leading universities in Malaysia. We spoke to them to find out about how the debate panned out and what Gen Y’s thoughts were on the matter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Yusof & guests Matt Bellotti, Kam Raslan & Gogulan Dorairajoo relive the BPL weekend which saw Burnley & QPR relegated, Leicester continue their winning run and Chelsea drawing 1-1 with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. Also, the Championship Playoff SFs, Winners & Losers, Real slipping up in La Liga, PSG a point away from the Ligue 1 title, Roma & Lazio losing in the chase for 2nd and Augsburg beating Bayern Munich. PLUS UEFA Champions League SF 2nd leg previews!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this month's segment of Magazine Watch, we speak with SueAnn Chong, the editor of Women's Health magazine to talk about all things health, female body image and the effect mass media has on women.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Yusof & guests Bob Holmes, Sam Postlethwaite & Jeevan Selvanathan lookback at the UEFA Champions League SF 1st legs which saw Juventus and Barcelona truimphant. How did he score that 2nd goal? There's also a chat with Pahang's Zesh Rehman about the Pahang v Kelantan FAC SF clash PLUS Europa League, Championship Playoff SF and previews of the BPL, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga & 3 Big Shouts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this evening's show we invited Fuad Alhabshi, guitarist and vocalist from Kyoto Protocol to come and join us in the studio. We chatted about Justin Bieber, Guess-my-age, and digital music distribution. And of course we talked about the band, and what their plan is for the future. For the record Fuad managed a respectable 13 in Smartypants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joining us in the studio tonight was the Owner and Creative director of The Factory Music Studio Yuri Wong. He's the man responsible for the Upin and Ipin theme song and BoBoiBoy! Yep, blame him. He was a lot of fun, and shared some real good tips if you want to get out of that creative rut. AND - he stepped up on Smartypants and is now the joint leader alongside Bihzhu with 17 points!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the studio tonight we had the freshly crowned Miss Universe Malaysia, Vanessa Tevi. She told us about her run up to the competition and what the future holds for her now that she has the crown! For the record, Vanessa scored 14 in Smartypants!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An all new show on The Evening Edition that examines the album as a work of art, using it as the basis for a conversation about everything; history, politics, philosophy, technology, movies and, of course, music. On this, our very first episode, Ezra and Uma take you all the way back to 1962, to the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, for a discussion about soul, gospel, black America, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the various gyrations of James Brown.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk to the authors of Just for the Love of It: Popular Music in Penang 1930s - 1960s - a book that celebrates the musicians and bands who are an integral part of Penang’s rich musical heritage, highlighting how this music has been so intricately woven into the wider tapestry of Penang’s growth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On tonight's episode of the show we invited DJ, VJ, Host, Emcee (how many titles? - ED) Patricia K onto the show to tell us what she's been up to. And what little projects she has up her sleeves. Listen out for something called Chocolate Chilli Cherry Cricket - coming soon! For the record, Pat scored 3. Yes 3.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the next 5 years, a staggering 30 superhero movies are expected to be released by Disney, Warner Bros., Fox, and Sony Pictures in an epic battle for hearts and minds. But the Marvel movies, more so than any other superhero franchise, have become a dominant force in our popular culture. So much so that they have become a universe in themselves: The Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s an apt description given that the last 7 years has seen 11 movies and over 7.5 billion box office dollars worldwide. But what does this all mean for cinema? What impact does it have on our modern media landscape? To find out, Umapagan Ampikaipakan speaks to Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg. He is a publisher, author, and pop culture historian. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Baltimore’s Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences where he teaches a course called "Media Genres: Media Marvels," which examines how Marvel's series of interconnected films, television shows, and comic books offer important insights into our modern culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This evening we speak to the guys behind the Next New Wave Filmmaking Workshop, designed to inspire and groom talented young filmmakers. Umapagan Ampikaipagan gets the low-down from workshop director Tan Chui Mui and directing mentor Aditya Assarat on how the workshop - put together by local production house Da Huang Pictures in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia,  aims to enhance local talent with a little help South-east Asia’s best.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ross Yusof & guests Bob Holmes, Ray Jennings & Jeevan Selvanathan discuss Chelsea's impending title win, Hull City's survival chances and preview the Championship, BPL, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Bundesliga. There's also a chat with Nicolas Anil (Malay Mail) about the MSL & #SayNoToCircusGame. Also, Fantasy Football, Treatment Table and 3 Big Shouts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this evening's show we managed to get veteran singer-songwriter Reza Salleh into the studio and find how and why he started, what he's currently up to, and where he might be headed in the future. As usual we also tested to see how much of a Smarty Pants he was. Reza scored a more than respectable 11 points!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On April 29, the  death sentences of eight convicted drug traffickers were carried out.Social media exploded with divided opinions on whether Indonesian president Joko Widodo made the right decision in refusing to grant clemency to two Australian citizens – Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who were ringleaders of a smuggling ring arrested back in 2005,  known as the Bali 9. At the heart of this controversy, are questions on the role of the prison system: after ten years in prison, the pair were said to have become poster boys for reform - what is the point of  working toward bettering yourself, if in the end there’s no hope? And yet there are many who hold a different view - if death penalty is meant to be a deterrent, how can anyone take it seriously if sentences are not carried out? Hear what Malaysians had to say about the matter on this edition of Talkback Thursday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the studio this evening we had the fun and feisty restaurateur and chef Isadora Chai! She filled us in on her recent trip to Myanmar, why it's hard to sometimes hire locals, and what car she's driving.  For smarty pants she scored a respectable 7!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.