MEECH LAKE RADIO

Our good friend Claire stops by the show to talk about The Liam Project, a new harm reduction advocacy initiative in Calgary. We discuss what is actually meant by the term "harm reduction", and how it can be applied at the levels of personal outlook, interpersonal relationships, and public policy. We also have a conversation about the constantly accelerating trend of social media infographics, and what we think about their viability as a means of real political education. The episode wraps up with four minutes and thirty nine seconds of entirely optional poetry appreciation, as Ethan reads a poem from Don Paterson's "40 Sonnets". You can find The Liam Project on Instagram at @theliamprojectyyc. 

We belatedly celebrate the one year anniversary of our podcast by speaking calmly about Amazon's anti-union PR campaign and the hollowing out of the United States Postal Service. We then discuss a couple of excellent new singles that we've been listening to: Qualité Motel's "UV-B" and William Crooks' "BANNED".  It turns out that Dude Perfect is a sports and comedy group, which I didn't know while we were recording but honestly I don't think it's that important. The bottom line is that everything is beautiful and nothing hurts.

Kino Lefter's own Evan MacDonald joins us to discuss a couple of choice episodes of the classic 90s animated sitcom Daria. We talk about the rise of fandoms and influencer culture, pre-smartphone society, one-shot characters, and the importance of well-delivered insults. Follow Evan on Twitter at @MacDonaldTweets, and check out Kino Lefter wherever you get your podcasts for some incredible, always-on-point socialist film analysis!

We're back once more! Did we miss anything? We begin with a brief recap of some ridiculous and terrifying events of the last five weeks, including UCP travel scandal vibes, Québec's curfew, and the final death of Keystone XL. We then discuss the Infoman 2020 year-in-review special (with its enormous entertainment value and baffling politics), and wrap it up with two of our favorite strange and groundbreaking albums of the last while. Outro track is "Get Your Act Together and Move to Cornwall, Ontario, Okay?" by The Guy Who Sings About Cities & Towns.

For our last episode of 2020, we look into the enduring success and charm of both Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his brother Rob Ford before him. With the help of some great articles from the archives, we discuss class identity, beer, and the need for an authentic left-wing populism. Also included: a reluctant Alberta COVID update, Marina's hot take-laden pop anthem "Man's World", and some Québécois hunting brilliance with "Hooké a la chasse". 

Our good friends Claire and Will join the show to report on the ongoing fight for the soul of the American nation. We discuss the various fascinating and/or alarming subplots of the United States presidential election, including Republican lawsuits, lesser evilism and the almighty Four Seasons Total Landscaping. We then work to lighten the mood with a discussion of Seth Rogen and David Chang getting incredibly high in Vancouver during the opening episode of Netflix's "Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner". 

After a brief news summary of Canadian COVID escalation and white supremacist mob violence in Nova Scotia, we have an incredibly cerebral discussion about Ontario's wine industry, and the ways in which a hilariously destructive bureaucracy is hindering access to some amazing beverages. We then conclude by previewing Aeon Drive, a new speedrun-oriented platforming video game that's as beautiful as it is head-bashingly difficult.

We're back! After an unscheduled hiatus, we return to discuss the latest cowardly actions of the Canadian Green Party, do a deep dive into the United States' supreme court situation (featuring a profile of the exceedingly dull senate majority monster Mitch McConnell), and wax poetic about some 1960s-70s Canadian musical deep cuts. 

In this one, we hang out and discuss the excesses, insecurities and dangers of venture capitalists and Silicon Valley executives. Topics include Taylor Lorenz's reporting on the paradigm-shifting luggage company Away, the cautionary tale of Quibi, and the posting habits of father-of-note Elon Musk. We also talk about the season 30 Simpsons episode "Baby You Can't Drive My Car" and what it says about our fractured society.

We discuss Robin DiAngelo's corporate consulting bestseller "White Fragility" and the importance of supporting POC-run political media. We then share our thoughts on the 1997 "Swiss it Up" episode of 90's cancon The Red Green Show, and discuss regionalism, duct tape and camp value.