Hump day recommendations, March 8, 2023

Listen: Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole. Enjoyed any Zydeco lately? Check out this beautiful rendition of “Pa Janvier” from four-time Grammy nominees Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole. Got space left over? Enjoy some “Cochon du Lait.” – Willis

Root: for Bohemian baseball. Great beer? Yes. Enchanting architecture? Yup. Superb films? Definitely. Milan Kundera? Fine. But baseball? No one ever associated “America’s pastime” with the Czech Republic … until now. The scrappy Czech team is heading for the first time to the World Baseball Classic (the world cup of baseball, basically) to face powerhouses like Cuba, Japan, Venezuela, and the US. This feature captures the underdog magic of a team whose star pitcher is a full-time firefighter. Malá země, velké sny! (Small country, big dreams!) Alex

Watch: “Saint Omer.” This is a harrowing film about infanticide made by Alice Diop, a French filmmaker of Senegalese origin. But the drama, much of which is set in a Parisian courtroom, is also a commentary on the power of memory, culture, and female connection. To say more would be an injustice to this poignant film. – Gabrielle

Watch: “Hell or High Water.” As we gear up for Oscar Sunday, check out this film, which enjoyed a Best Picture nod back in 2016. Featuring Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges, and an amazing performance by Ben Foster, the story follows two brothers as they rob a series of banks to prevent foreclosure on the family farm. Chock-full of Coen bros.-level dialogue and action, the film is a stark reflection on an embittered rural America. – Ben

Watch: "Anatomy of a Scandal." This limited series on Netflix, a legal drama centered on sexual consent and “core truth,” is packed with suspense and offers powerful performances from Sienna Miller and "Downton Abbey" favorite Michelle Dockery. – Tracy

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Getting access to energy, whether it's renewables, oil and gas, or other sources, is increasingly challenging because of long lead times to get things built in the US and elsewhere, says Greg Ebel, Enbridge's CEO, on the latest "Energized: The Future of Energy" podcast episode. And it's not just problems with access. “There is an energy emergency, if we're not careful, when it comes to price,” says Ebel. “There's definitely an energy emergency when it comes to having a resilient grid, whether it's a pipeline grid, an electric grid. That's something I think people have to take seriously.” Ebel believes that finding "the intersection of rhetoric, policy, and capital" can lead to affordability and profitability for the energy transition. His discussion with host JJ Ramberg and Arjun Murti, founder of the energy transition newsletter Super-Spiked, addresses where North America stands in the global energy transition, the implication of the revised energy policies by President Trump, and the potential consequences of tariffs and trade tension on the energy sector. “Energized: The Future of Energy” is a podcast series produced by GZERO Media's Blue Circle Studios in partnership with Enbridge. Listen to this episode at gzeromedia.com/energized, or on Apple, Spotify,Goodpods, or wherever you get your podcasts.