Episode 44 – we get angry
2018 was the kind of year that you can only salute by paying homage to anger. In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about anger and how it can be used to ignite and inspire social change.
Year: 2018
Episode 43 – The Emperor’s Clothes
Clothes make the man, so the saying goes. That’s the underlying philosophy to who should wear what in our halls of power. In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about women who are bucking the political status quo, and why in Quebec, a t-shirt has been enough to start a political earthquake among the province’s gatekeepers.
Episode 42 – Far right rhetoric on the front page of the Toronto Star
In this episode, Nora and Sandy debunk the racist rhetoric that surround so-called “anchor babies” and eviscerate the Toronto Star for publishing a report full of technical issues, on its front page.
Episode 41 – You gotta fight for your right (to strike)
Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government legislated striking postal workers back to work this week. Despite the fact that 1. mail has continued to be delivered and 2. that the right to strike is protected by the Charter, everyone’s favourite fauxminist has put the boots to CUPW members’ necks and forced an end to their rotating strikes.
Sandy and Nora decode what all this means, and why our right to strike is a right that needs to be vigourously defended.
Photo courtesy of the Canadian Association of Labour Media
Episode 40 – Doug Ford dougs forward
It’s scary times in Ontario and Doug Ford has his foot on the gas. In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about his party’s attack on government watchdogs and Trans and gender non-conforming Ontarians, and ways in which we can fight back.
Episode 39 – Sandy and Nora live in Toronto Q&A part 2
In part 3 of 3 of Sandy and Nora’s Nov. 2 live show in Toronto, the audience exchange continues. It starts with a critical question: how can activists navigate spaces like a university, when the university claims to want to fight oppression while at the same time, reinforcing it? There is also a discussion about the necessity of using moments of success to fight for more and mobilize others, and how that even when a campaign seems like an impossible victory, the long-game tells us that nothing is impossible.
Listen to the first half of the Q&A here: https://sandyandnora.com/episode-38-toronto-live-show-qa/
Episode 38 – Toronto live show Q&A
Should progressives engage with the mainstream media? How do we make space for families in our movements? How do we gauge success? In Part 2 of 3 of our live event in Toronto, Sandy and Nora cover a wide range of topics that are mostly unrelated to the Munk Debates. You don’t need to listen to Episode 37 to enjoy this, but we recommend you do anyway!
Stay tuned for Episode 39 – the second half of the Q&A.
Episode 37 – Sandy and Nora vs. The Munk “Debate”
Live from Toronto on Nov. 2, Sandy and Nora take on The Munk Debate. From Frum and Bannon to Bay Street’s continued colonial exploitation of locations across the globe for mining, they tie together extremely obvious links that everyone in the mainstream media somehow forgot the week prior to this debate.
Special thanks to the Black Liberation Collective at Ryerson, volunteers at CJRU and Noah for capturing this sound, staff at the Ryerson Student Centre and the folks who arrived early enough to help us set up and take down the chairs. It was greatly appreciated.
This is part one of two parts. The second part, the Q&A, is Episode 38.
Episode 36 – What is civil disobedience?
Many listeners have asked: what is civil disobedience? Sandy and Nora talk about what it is, what it isn’t, how to do it and how to be effective. Get in touch if you have your own favourite story of civil disobedience!
Episode 35 – How to fight hate in Toronto
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the fallout from the Toronto election, and how progressives need to think about fighting the rising visibility of hatred in the GTA.
And: MARK YOUR CALENDARS
You’re invited to a live show in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 2. Please RSVP here so we can order enough food: https://www.facebook.com/events/1874457432673162/
Episode 34 – Kavanaugh (and wtf CBC?)
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the feminist movement, and how distorted our lens on Kavanaugh is due the absence of an effective feminist presence in social movement organizing. They also touch on Quebec politics and CBC’s decision to not air a debate because John Tory wont agree to debate Jen Keesmaat one on one.
Note from Nora: much to my embarrassment, I misstate Tori Stafford’s name in this episode, and I couldn’t edit it out. The overall intervention was important enough to leave with the error, which I regret.
Episode 33 – Changing of the guard in Quebec
On Oct. 1, Quebecers go to the polls. They’re likely to boot out the Liberals and replace them with — something. Probably the CAQ. But the surge in support for the left-wing Québec solidaire is important. Sandy and Nora talk about the election, the politics and why Canadians need to pay close attention to QS.
This episode was recorded despite a record-number of technical issues. Thanks for understanding that the sound changes a little throughout. And that’s it’s Nora-heavy.
Episode 32 – Doug Ford attacks free speech on campus
At the end of August, the Ford government issued a directive to Ontario colleges and universities that threatened sanctions if institutions didn’t pass free speech policies that were favourable to his government. Sandy and Nora break down the policy and ask: how and who are resisting this attack on institutional autonomy?
Episode 31 – Constitutional crisising in Toronto
Sandy and Nora are back! They took some time off so that things could get really, really bad so that their debut episode for the 2018-19 season could be full of gasping, laughter and doom.
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the electoral crisis that Doug Ford’s PC government has plunged Toronto into, Section 33 of the constitution and how the broad left should be fighting back.
Episode 30 – Doug Ford, sex ed resistance, gender and effective trolling
Part 2 of Sandy and Nora’s live show, hosted by the YWCA in Hamilton. The Q&A covered many topics and Sandy and Nora share their thoughts about resisting Doug Ford, fighting the new/old sex education curriculum in Ontario, mental health, how to effectively mess with trolls, pop culture and how the current war to uphold the gender binary is the most important right-wing attack we need to engage in, right now.
You don’t need to have heard Part 1 to thoroughly enjoy Part 2!
Interested in hosting a live episode? Contact sandyandnora@protonmail.com
Episode 29 – Online violence and grace under fire
This is Sandy and Nora’s first live taping. Sponsored by the YWCA-Hamilton Feminist Popular Education, Sandy and Nora talk about what it’s like to be a woman with an opinion, online. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience. This is part one of two parts, and the second, the Q&A delves into many different issues that go beyond Part 1.
Listen to Part 1 to hear about how Sandy and Nora have navigated threats, attacks, stalkers and trolls over more than a decade of life online.
Episode 28 – The War of the Car
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the recent wave of cyclist deaths in cities and rural areas across Canada and how cars are making everything very, very, very angry.
Update to something that Sandy mentions in the show: the foolish scramble crosswalk is not longer at Bay and Bloor Sts. in Toronto. Tant mieux!
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
We are recording a live show in Hamilton! Come join us on Thursday, July 26. You wont want to miss it!
Event information here: https://www.facebook.com/events/245123882945036/
Reserve your ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/voice-words-action-feminist-popular-education-tickets-48065416956
Episode 27 – Dutty Doug Ford
Doug Ford’s campaign of shock and awe is well underway. Sandy and Nora talk about some of the changes, and how Ford’s “For the People” rhetoric leaves behind anyone who isn’t white and male and healthy and rich.
Since we recorded, Ford cancelled all Ministry work on Truth and Reconciliation curriculum and a $100 million fund to fix schools. Students, teachers : not “people” under Ford’s regime.
Episode 26 – HAPPY CANADA DAY TO …
It’s the Canada Day episode! Nora and Sandy talk about all the things that they’re thinking about for Canada Day. Are you thinking about the same things we’re thinking about? Tune in to find out. Also, please consider donating to:
https://www.gofundme.com/justice-for-olando-brown
We will add the GoFundMe for Jon Styres when we have the link.
This is a duplicate page trying to fix a bad link.
Episode 25 – job losses at Rogers Media and a master class in organizing
Sandy and Nora look at the right way and the wrong way to respond to the news that Rogers Media has laid off one-third of their digital media workers (first third of the episode). Then, they offer a master class in organizing: what do we mean when we say we must organize, and how can we collectively be as effective as possible?
Episode 24 – Resistance in Fordtario
Doug Ford is about to become Ontario’s Premier. How did we get here and how must we resist? Sandy and Nora have your answers.
Image: National Post
Episode 23 – is the left failing to train new activists?
Where do young activists learn their skills? In this episode Sandy and Nora talk about the student movement and how the left needs to renew itself through targeting training (education, campaigns, jobs) for young people.
Episode 22: it’s time to shittalk #ONELXN
With just over one week to go, the Ontario election is spinning out to be the most exciting one to watch in a generation — if by exciting we mean hilarious, which we do!
Sandy and Nora take time with each party and examine all the reasons for why they cannot be taken seriously, and give many kudos to the grassroots activists running for the ONDP. They are making this shitshow very worth it.
Episode 21: Canada’s racist border policies
Sandy and Nora talk about Canada’s borders: from refugee claimants from the United States to CBSA, where innocent people are housed in maximum security facilities, Canadians need to start asking questions about what their government is doing to families who are seeking Canada for a better life.
Episode 20: Profits, pipelines and progressive confusion
After many requests from friends, Sandy and Nora have finally decided to talk about pipelines.
Episode 19: To be not a man online.
Sandy and Nora dive into the Toronto attack and what we know of the world that Alek Minassian is thought to have been a part of. From MRAs to real-life violence, why don’t men believe women, and where are men in responding to other men?
Episode 18: Right-wing extremism on trial: is Canada paying attention?
The shooter of the Quebec City mosque, Alexandre Bissonnette’s sentencing hearing is underway. What have we learned about his extremist views? Now that Islamophobia and racism have been clearly identified as his motivation, is the rest of Canada paying attention and learning from what we now know?
Episode 17, part two: the eye of the alt-right online hurricane
Nora and Sandy conclude their discussion about what it looks like when the [extreme] right chooses a target and organizes its minions to swarm.
Make sure you listen to Part One first!
Episode 17, part one: the eye of the alt-right online hurricane
Nora and Sandy talk about the news that has bombarded them both this week: that it’s never the right time and it’s never the right place to talk about systemic injustice.
Episode 16: Ontario’s free tuition lie
Do Ontario students get free tuition? The short answer is no. In this episode, Nora and Sandy go through the long answer, which is also no, but much more passionate and funny than the short answer.
Episode 15: fighting gentrification
Gentrification is one of the most pressing problems that currently faces the left — and yet, the left often struggles to identify, explain and effectively fight the forced displacement of poor, racialized and minority communities. Sandy and Nora explore gentrification in Toronto’s Regent Park, Weston and Eglinton West neighbourhoods to identify and argue for how activists should engage and struggle for change.
Photo c/o OCAP: http://ocap.ca/tchboardinguphomes/
Episode 14: The Financial Literacy Hoax
The Ontario Liberals have announced that Grade 10 students will have new financial literacy education. Sandy and Nora ask: why? What’s missing in the curriculum that makes this a necessary promise? Or, is this a vacant and crass political promise that’s primarily meant to garner votes?
Episode 13: Is the NDP supporting Jagmeet Singh enough?
This week, Sandy and Nora talk about how journalists have let racism take over their coverage of Jagmeet Singh, and whether or not the NDP is really doing what it must to support Singh through these attacks.
Episode 12: Douggie F, the new leader of the Ontario PC Party
The people of the “Progressive” Conservative Party of Ontario have spoken, and Doug Ford is their leader. What does this mean for progressives, if anything? How should they respond, if at all? In this podcast, Sandy and Nora discuss this and whether or not we should even care. Spoiler Alert: we should.
Episode 11: Post-mortem on the NDP convention
The NDP policy convention happened mid-February in Ottawa. Nora and Sandy talk about what happened, what didn’t happen, and why Palestinian solidarity remains so hard for the party apparatus to embrace.
Episode 10: Liberal schemes redux: when the scheme intends to undermine organizing
What’s behind the Federation of Black Canadians? Sandy and Nora talk about everything they know about how the Liberals use, manipulate and influence organizations to help promote their own policies, and warn folks to be careful when an organization seems to be operating in lock-step with government.
Episode 9: Injustice and Tina Fontaine
In this podcast, Sandy and Nora talk about the Raymond Cormier trial, his acquittal, and the racist, colonial systems at play that consistently deny justice to Indigenous women and girls, like Tina Fontaine.
There can be no justice on stolen land.
Episode 8: From Me too Us: the limits of the Me Too movement
This episode explores the Me Too movement. From Patrick Brown, to the poisonous and pervasive sexism within politics, to broader movement issues and questions, we take a tour of the state of feminism today.
This issue deals with the matter with a mix of humour and anger: our best survival tools. Skip the first 15 minutes if you don’t want to hear about all the ways in which Patrick Brown’s press conference was a disaster.
Episode 7: No justice for Colten Boushie — Canada’s white supremacy problem
This episode starts off featuring Jade Tootootsis, Colten Boushie’s cousin, at a press conference following the acquittal of Gerald Stanley in Colten’s death. Jade reminds people to get organized and be mobilized to fight for justice.
Sandy and Nora talk about colonialism, injustice and how nothing will change if people don’t heed Jade’s call: that nothing is possible unless we organize ourselves.
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