Sandy and Nora

Episode 237 – Are we too critical? (Not us, everyone)

In this episode, Sandy and Nora ask — are we too critical? How can we avoid falling into nihilism? Plus: what about the Canadians in Sudan?

Episode 236 – What’s wrong with public broadcasting?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora ask: what is the point of public broadcasting, and how should CBC respond to attacks against it levelled by Pierre Poilievre? Probably not by quoting and featuring him extensively!

SN on Vacation — Nora x Pam Palmater

In this episode, Nora talks with Pam Palmater about writing, activism and life.

Episode 235 – Whose budget is it anyway?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the federal budget: the winners, the losers, the cringe, the military spending, the laughter. Plus, they talk about CSIS agents sniffing around on campus and Canada’s deadly border policies.

Control and censorship in the digital age

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how we need public interventions into the digital realm before companies like Meta and Google lock everything away from average people.

Episode 233 – The police sphincter of information

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how police turn on and turn off the information tap however they want, leaving communities in the dark on what’s going on. They look at the Edmonton police shooting and how police downplayed certain aspects to ensure that coverage was exactly how they wanted it to be.

Episode 232 – Singh vs. Weston, Cooper vs. Joly

In this episode, Sandy and Nora deconstruct Jagmeet Singh’s stunt with Galen Weston plus we ask: is it sexist to mock a Liberal?

Episode 231 – Building capacity and being OK with failure

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how difficult it can be to start something from scratch, especially when large, institutional NGO decide to throw money at people who have never experienced the pressures of creating something from scratch with lots of money. Plus, they talk about layoffs at Global News and a self-driving car.

Episode 230 – China and the new (old) Red Scare

In this episode, Sandy and Nora dissect the allegations made about Chinese interference in Canadian elections, and talk about the fallout that Chinese Canadians and visitors will experience. Plus, they discuss crime reporting and how inadequate it is when it’s hived off from other stories from other jurisdictions.

Episode 229 – Baby, you can call me AI

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about AI — what we should be excited by and what we should absolutely not at all be excited by.

 

Image is AI generated from: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/D6fBfapAO3LNMy0S7Inx

Episode 228 – A week of politics!

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the boring to the exciting: from healthcare transfer payments to the US gleefully shooting missiles into the sky to kill aliens.

Consider donating to these charities to help folks in Turkey and Syria:

UNHCR Canada

List of groups from Canada Helps

Daily News – Feb. 14, 2023

Story 1: Story 1 – Imperial Oil submits plan to clean up the largest oil spill in Alberta’s history (the largest oil spill in Alberta’s history … yet!)

https://t.co/FE61aBWbUg

Story 2 – Airdrie RCMP shoot and critically injure woman in mental distress

https://t.co/Eje9DCAjA3

Story 3 – Horrifying details in a Feb 3 decision from an Ontario judge about sadistic abuse in minor hockey

https://t.co/XJL8ul41ti

Story 4 – @thenarwhalca sues RCMP over arrest of @photobracken

Daily News – Feb 13

Story 1: What was the Friday shelter-in-place order in eastern Ontario about, and how come five journalists could not get the OPP to spill?

https://t.co/FkFda1dcFY

Story 2: Anglo Montrealers plead to businessmen who do not *at all* care that the Montreal Gazette is important to English speakers, asks for help from Trudeau rather than looking to buy the newspaper (ok this is me editorializing)

https://t.co/V554dUsDIr

Story 3: Canada’s army will fast track the purchase of new military equpment, no procurement, for ongoing operation in Eastern Europe

https://t.co/XyXx6Bezn6

Story 4: Turkey goes after building developers as the death toll from last week’s earthquakes rises above 33,000

https://t.co/3EZy8hzajT

Episode 227 – Liberals love to coopt everything

In this episode, Sandy and Nora discuss the habit of the Trudeau Liberals to coopt and defang activist movements and important days of commemoration to bolster their brand.

Here is the article on policing mentioned in the episode.

Episode 226 – Can we stop pretending policing has ever not sucked?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about policing, again, and there is only two ways to believe that police are helpful: either you’ve never had any contact with police, or you depend on police repression to protect your wealth.

Episode 225 – The descent of media into propaganda

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how close most media in Canada is propaganda, intended either to distract or influence how we understand power.

Episode 224 – Non-profit hell, cops out of Capoeira and jokes from the floor

In this episode, Sandy and Nora take lively questions from the audience and talk about: organizing in non-profits, dealing with cops within community groups, organizing in non-traditional workplaces.

Episode 223 – Staying radical, Anti-war and inter-generational organizing

In this episode, Sandy and Nora respond to audience questions like “what happens when you win but institutional power takes over?” and “How do we build inter-generational solidarity inside our movements?

Episode 222 – Sandy and Nora live in Vancouver

Live show recorded in Vancouver at the Maritime Labour Centre on November 29. They talk about organizing against a self-described leftwing government, Internet celebrity and why we should be skeptical of people who post for clout alone.

Episode 221 – We’re through with 2022

In this episode, Sandy and Nora look back — war in Ukraine, individualism and left wing politics, and social media as brain poison. Plus, we have many announcements to make!

Episode 220 – Theft is only good when the rich do it

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how theft is only bad when poor people do it. Otherwise, it’s the foundation on which our economy is based. They also examine a Globe and Mail editorial that argues that shoplifting is a significant cause of inflation. Except, was this article itself shoplifted?

Episode 219 – White supremacist serial killer? It’s just not national news.

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about a serial killer preying on Indigenous women in Winnipeg, and what the lack of coverage says about Canada.

Episode 218 – The Convoy Inquiry: a narrative is juiced

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the Emergencies Act inquiry and how the narrative of what happened is spinning out in to defend its use.

Episode 217 – Who benefits from far-right hatred?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the recent attack on a queer bar in Colorado Springs, and untangle the question: who benefits from far-right violence? Plus they discuss COP 27 and ask what it is.

Episode 216 – The trap of mask discourse

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the healthcare crisis and how focusing so closely on masks is letting people with power off the hook for their inaction. Plus, they talk about what comes after Doug Ford repealed his attack on workers bill and Remembrance Day at the Toronto Stock Exchange?

Gofundme for Hodan Hashi: https://www.gofundme.com/f/svxqk-funeral-fund

Episode 215 – Notwithstanding a labour struggle

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about labour’s struggle against the notwithstanding clause, even though Doug Ford lost and the bill has been repealed. Plus they talk the future of Twitter and give several Freeland Watch updates.

Episode 214 – Live show in Montreal – part 2

In this episode, Sandy and Nora take audience questions and talk about the suburbs, police, online harm, neoliberalism and mutual aid.

Episode 213 – Sandy and Nora Live in Montreal – Part 1

Listen to Sandy and Nora LIVE in Montreal, recorded on October 20 in front of a jam-packed audience. They talk about individualism and isolation, and how it’s destroying social cohesion.

Part one features Sandy and Nora’s conversation. Part two will feature the Q&A.

Episode 212 – The struggle from below

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about municipal elections in Vancouver and the struggle happening in Haiti. Plus, Chrystia Freeland says something racist, protecting Canada’s international brand.

Episode 211 – War and hockey

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about Hockey Canada, and what is not allowed to be said about war in Ukraine. Plus, the Liberals do something good for international students … but promise that it’s only a temporary measure.

Episode 210 – The struggle for freedom in Iran

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the protests in Iran and around the work opposing the oppressive regime in Iran, and also how all police, really, are morality police. Plus, they talk about the Quebec election and ask: where is Chrystia Freeland?

Episode 209 – Survival and nothingness

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about hurricane Fiona, it’s devastating impact and how we need to have pre-disaster networks to help us weather any storm. Plus, we talk about the BC NDP, the Quebec election and why nothingness is critical to our happiness.

Episode 208 – Cops and extra-judicial killings

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about what happens when police kill suspects rather than taking them into custody. They also look at amber alerts, and ask: why are we OK with police having direct access to our phones?

Episode 207 – Poli-evre After

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the coronation of Pierre Poilievre and the election win of King Charles the Third. Wait, no, reverse that.

Episode 206 – Searching for power in stories of harassment

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about harassment, the far right and what is to be done all about it.

Episode 205 – Canada’s news crisis

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how Canada’s news ecosystem is incapable of challenging power, and as a result what we learn from the news isn’t the whole story. Plus, Elizabeth May gets a two-minute mention.

The Pope, hockey and Canada’s foundation of sexualized violence

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about institutionalized sexual violence, from the Papal visit to Hockey Canada. Plus, they talk about the climate crisis and why we need to think through clandestine approaches to getting us ready for several weather.

In this episode, Sandy mentions that Trump is speaking at the Capitol this week. She misspoke and meant to say “capital” aka Washington DC.

Episode 203 – Freedom of speech for who?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora deconstruct freedom of speech in Canada and argue that we should all be concerned that it’s under tremendous attack.

For more information about the image, check this out: https://dangerousminds.net/comments/disaster_capitalism_paintings_of_chase_bank_burning

Episode 202 – Telecomaggedon

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how incredible it is that a single communications company is responsible for basically everything. They also talk about Yesterday’s Man Patrick Brown.

Episode 201 – Why are we all falling apart?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how everything is going — people aren’t seemingly doing too well. They talk about the need for the left to get its shit together, to focus less on internal issues and start or continue doing anything.

Episode 200 – When the US falls, what happens to Canada?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora argue that the reluctance of anyone in power to discuss the fall of the American empire is going to come back to bite us all on the ass someday soon.

Episode 199 – Naming and blaming those responsible

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the refusal of people in power to accept blame and instead, externalize their guilt however they can. Plus, we talk about how everything in society feels to be hanging by a thread.

Episode 198 – Cops don’t know their own law

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about a new Toronto Star investigation that has found that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is regularly being violated by Canadian police.

Episode 197 – An Onterrible Election

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about what has just happened in Ontario, why voter turnout was so low and what we need to do to resist austerity. Plus, what are the lessons in other parts of Canada?

Episode 196 – Resisting goldfish takes on white supremacy

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the Buffalo shooting and how Canadians journalists have oriented around it. They call out journalists for not going deep enough into the issues and how liberal politics interact with the far right to make everything worse.

Episode 195 – The fight for abortion

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the fight for abortion in the US and what Canadian activists need to be watching for. Plus, they talk about lies and the Conservative leadership race.

Episode 194 – The Mayest of Days

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the rise in radical worker action across North America. Plus, they revisit the Disability Filibuster — this time, raising concerns about what we’ve already seen under expanded MAID.

Listen to Sandy and Nora on MAID last year: https://sandyandnora.com/episode-138-dignity-in-life-versus-dignity-in-death/

 

Image credit: CUPE

Episode 193 – Hurt vs. harm: curating our organizing spaces

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about organizing and relationships: are we striving too much to curate the perfect organizing spaces? Do we have the collective skills to ensure the level of accountability we wish we could see in organizing? Plus, we talk about Rich Chiarelli, the asshole and France’s new/old president.

Please check out: Anti-war workshop recording:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=1041515076791089

Document for anti-war coalition agendas:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hpt-qM4-lRjSe7kAUczIhiWKAzpijej3L5XU7GZR3-U/edit?fbclid=IwAR3r3u0Aj6rQkSuOk1JCyfsK8H4jWt0RKmaJxz_Wrmc-1VHLkrFCjY_B0jE

Document for anti-war coalition committees:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wbh6hoQRu1YnDw0awCKbAq7xXbWteD–PR0Hu-T8V6E/edit?fbclid=IwAR0BeJohWeuG9pi_Gv1mvO1VflKQSitF5ZtLLcUV5HnpDL-YpSo0tRe2i8g

Episode 192 – Making Canada Great Again

In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Leadership campaign and ask: why? What did we do to deserve this? Also, they talk about COVID again, but not that much.

Episode 191 – The NDP-Liberal pact fails its first test

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the federal budget and how much it sucks. Plus, they also talk about Palestine activism on campus, anti-Blackness within the Ontario NDP and Pierre Poilievre’s troll following.