Cherry Picking with Alexia Benn

Inspired by the recent 'atmospheric river' on Monday that delivered over an entire month of rain in one day in some areas, today on Episode 15 of Cherry Picking, we delve into the topic of climate change. And as of now, the lower mainland is extremely insecure in its supply chain connections with the rest of Canada due to this event. What does this mean?

Portions of the Coquihalla highway are down, entire cities are on mandatory evacuation notices, dairy farmers are reportedly pouring out vats of milk with no way to distribute their product, and at least 1 person has been killed in a mudslide on Highway 1. This all follows a summer that brought the province an astronomically destructive forest fire season, a heat dome that killed more than 600 people over the course of a single weekend, and recent abnormal weather events such as a tornado and 'bomb cyclone'. 

Climate change will be a defining factor for the trajectory of our lives, our children's lives, and all lives to follow. Our generation has been presented with quite the predicament. Right now, we have all the opportunity, hope, and possibility for genuine, positive change. If we miss the forest for the trees, the current events we are all bearing witness to will surely be just the beginning of the destruction yet to come. Why is climate change such a contentious, divisive topic? Is it really all so political? And what individual power do we have in all this, if any? 

I promise that we are all capable of far more than we may give ourselves credit. 

Cheers,

Alexia

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Today on Episode 14 of Cherry Picking we embark on a journey exploring the role that conspiracy theories play in supporting the ever quaking foundations of our social society as we know it. Why are conspiracy theories so appealing? And why are they oh so dangerous? 

The best conspiracies are ones that include pieces of truth, and the most notorious conspiracy theories are the ones that aren't theories at all. We'll discuss comments from whistleblower Edward Snowden, then, discuss links that one paper made between rising support for conspiracy theories and threats to the status quo of social society. From human trafficking to covid vaccines, conspiracy is contagious. They spread like wildfire and provide simple, digestible answers to explain the unexplainable evil that surrounds us. If only things could go on like this, and if only it were that simple. 

The reality of the world and the evil in it is that there are no easy answers, no easy fixes, and the problems we have are much bigger than the conspiracies make them out to be. Human trafficking is a billion-dollar international industry that spans far beyond pizza parlours and Jeffrey's island, and the covid vaccine conspiracy 'debate' does far more long term damage to the fabric of society than we may like to think. 

Finally, to wrap things up today, we close with a short discussion on tech's best dancer, Elon Musk.  The South African tweeted about donating $6 billion to world hunger should he be presented with a solution. Who's going to break the news he's the problem? Because perhaps a case study into the way he has manipulated the markets and minds of Western culture is the best illustration of conspiracies hidden in plain sight I can paint. 

Cheers,

Alexia

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This week on Episode 13, your host is dishevelled. Big changes are incoming and I am experiencing some existential dread. So, today, I just spoke from the heart. No notes, just cold. I'll be back next Wednesday with a carefully thought out episode topic, cohesive transitions of ideas, speaking on big concepts that matter and tie into the real world.  

But today I talked about myself, what's going on in my world, and how I'm making changes in my tiny little bubble that I can influence. Sometimes that means getting a job at a little bar to perform menial tasks and recuperate from an extremely emotionally taxing 3+ years working in senior care. And guess what? This also means more projects, wider prospects, interviews, all things that I am excited to work on. 

I also end up rambling about capitalism, consumerism, aspects of white supremacist new age spiritual movements, and much more! These are topics I will delve further into in the future, but this really is just for me, by me, put out there. Half-formed thoughts developed in sound, if you will. If you get something out of today's episode, please let it be; know thyself. I'm sharing a slice of my experience. The most beautiful thing that can come out of that is that it causes you to reflect on yours. 

Cheers,

Alexia

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Today on Episode 12 of Cherry Picking we dive right into the petrol tainted freshwater. In case you missed it, Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, is currently under a non-potable water advisory. This situation serves as a starting point to explore the relationship that Canada has with its freshwater supply. Why is water so important? What role has water played, or continues to play, in political discussions?

And why is this relevant?

So many reasons. Like many new technologies and developments, fracking was implemented perhaps a little bit preemptively, with minimal foresight and oversight. Today we'll also be engaging in a comprehensive review of public policy specifically regarding water waste disposal used in the practice of fracking. 

Water is life, and when our treatment and practices involving the use of water threatens its quality and quantity, we are threatening our own very existence. 

Cheers,

Alexia

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This week on Episode 11 we are all over the map, truly. Join today's episode to hear a recap of some of the motions made over the past few weeks regarding Fairy Creek. The fight is far from over, and really it's just begun. Having a clearer understanding of what we are working on within legal terms gives us more space to understand what can be done. 

Then, we talk about Squid Games. What do shows like this say about our society? As captivating and entertaining as it is, there's the truth behind the plot. We like to believe that there are winners and losers, and following a beautiful well-worn path will keep us safe as winners. But the way the world is heading shows us that these two paths run parallel, and the whole game is rigged. 

And finally, the roaring twenties may just be a covert return to the red scare. International moves being made in the present will be soon defining our future. Technology is scary, countries are constantly on the brink of war, and user data is a hot topic. While we live our little lives out here, remember that there are millions across the globe living their own lives, fighting their own fights, all on vastly different scales and slopes. One is never free of this as long as the world stays as connected as it is. Tune into it. 

Cheers,

Alexia

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Today on Episode 10 of Cherry Picking, we address the 'bombshell' of the Pandora Papers dropped on October 3rd, along with Frances Haugen's blowing of the whistle, followed by an honourable mention to the outages of Facebook, Instagram, Facebook messenger, and Whatsapp which caused a loss of billions (though I see stocks are now making a swift recovery, hmmm). 

I grew up with a dad who showed me Rocky Balboa clips. I now understand that this was preparation for this truly mean and nasty place that we live in. Articles online, such as those in The Guardian,  will slather pictures on their stories covering the news of these leaked documents. Putin and other world leaders pasted on a backdrop of pink skies, paper bills, palm trees, and a great big yellow sun setting behind them. 

The reality of these papers is this is not an accurate portrayal of what this money represents. This money represents the endless occupation and assault on Crimea, drug money, war money, stolen money, money withheld from the public, money withheld from our health care system, money that is starving families in 'developing countries, money that is killing our planet, money that is drilling into the core of the earth, sucking its soul out and suffocating our people. This is the money that owns us. And this represents but a fraction of it. I don't really talk about this much in the episode, but this is what is also real. 

Mark Zuckerberg and all these people count on us not to care, not to see, not to understand, not to engage. They count on us being hopeless. Don't do that. I promise this episode is a lot less hopeless than this all seems, and I try to make this somewhat understandable. I am still learning too :) that's the point. We all are. But it is of the utmost importance that you at least try to understand. 

Cheers,

Alexia

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Tomorrow is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a new holiday introduced by government this year in the wake of the now thousands of Indigenous children who have been recovered from mass graves at residential 'school' sites. While we should all be wearing orange to symbolically show our support for Indigenous communities, in episode 9 we will be digging a little bit deeper. We'll be looking at two surveys, one discussing the public perception of Indigenous people held by Canadians, and one discussing the disproportional rates of violence against Indigenous women and girls. 

While discussions of truth and reconciliation seem to centre around actions that have been taken by the Canadian state in the past, the reality of our present is that public perception of Indigenous people remains biased, skewed, and informed primarily by media and educational institutions, rather than Indigenous people themselves. While we mourn each and every child that is recovered from residential 'school' sites, we should also be supporting the individuals alive today who are their siblings, parents, and friends. We should also be actively listening to and learning from survivors, and children of survivors. We should be paying attention to the national crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women. We should be pressing to get clean water on each and every reserve, in protecting the future of Indigenous children alive today. 

I personally believe that all publically expressed opinions, actions, and allyship, at the end of the day, is preformative. From the Canadian state implementing a new national holiday to your corporate job encouraging employees to wear orange. So, if all allyship is preformative, make sure you perform in the most genuinely impactful way possible.  Attend an Indigenous planned event this Truth and Reconciliation day, call out a racist coworker or family member, and be conscious about intention. 

Cheers,

Alexia

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There's no way to summarize this appropriately. In Episode 8,  we'll be addressing Indigenous relations with the Canadian state from a variety of perspectives, grounded in history, and based on my education. We'll talk about whiteness, the media, and the Canadian State as factors in the perception of how one may view this topic. Then, we'll go over the 21 things of the book '21 Things you Might Not Know About the Indian Act' by Bob Joseph, with comments on my interpretations of specific socioeconomic issues and political tensions related to the points raised. We'll touch on two methods of governance reform avenues available for Indigenous communities that work with the Canadian Federal State, what that means,  and finally, address how one is possibly expected to face the reality of where the future can go. Which is- spoiler alert- anywhere.  

Is this a heavy topic? Yes. This is not light. Is it filled with heavy language? Yes. But did I do my best to explain it clearly, which is why it took an hour and 7 minutes? also yes. People who are alive today lived through the application of this legislation. I have sat across from John Elliot, in the pouring rain on ancestral land, which is now public parkland. I have heard history directly from the source that has been so desperately attempted to be buried. Please listen to this, and if you feel so inspired, go and hear from them directly too. This conversation with people who look like me is so necessary and so overdue. 

 HISKWE to Marcia Turner,  John Elliot, and Nick Claxton specifically for educating me and giving me the foundation to even begin to discuss this topic. And, thank you to Marie Clements for being my window into this community. She is such a creative and wonderful woman and has inspired so much curiosity for me. 

* I misspoke when I said over 14,000 Indigenous children have been found to date at residential schools. Over 14,000 is the total estimation based on current trends from 'schools' that have been searched. 1,802 children have been recovered as of Sept. 16th, 2021 from 8 of the 139 total 'schools'. 

Cheers,

Alexia

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Election day is only 5 days away. In today's episode of Cherry Picking, we'll discuss the ideologies that are represented by the active political parties in Canada, as well as jump into a few key issues present in this election cycle. 

At the end of the day, your vote is a representation of your support for a particular leader. Before we express this support, let's be clear about what it is exactly that we are supporting. Tune in to talk about what a pandemic election means, what the upcoming government will be inheriting, and how the parties aim to address some of these concerns. 

Cheers,

Alexia

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Today on Episode 6 of Cherry Picking with Alexia Benn, we dive into a quick but incredibly important conversation about voting. 

With the upcoming federal election coming in fast on September 20th, it can be difficult to figure out how to make the most of your vote. In BC, only 52% of eligible voters aged 18-24 voted in 2019.  We can't use the excuse that it's simply too complicated. Tune in today to figure out how to see your riding, view your candidates, and learn how to use the information available to you to your greatest advantage. Let's be smart about this! Stalk your candidates the same way you stalk your old grade 10 boyfriend's new girlfriend. 

Cheers,

Alexia

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