I love planning.

Not detailed plans.
No math.

More like that daydream scheming you do when you imagine your life made different somehow.

I think we all do it.

“Man, it’d be so great if I…”
”All I need to do is…”
or the dreaded, “I could do that easily.”

The trick isn’t in the imagining.
It’s in the doing.

I’ve learned this lesson countless times in my life yet still need to re-learn it constantly.

If you want to jump in the lake, you need to jump in the lake.

Why?

Because once you’ve done it, you’ll do it again.

Too many times we just stand on the dock waiting for the motivation to jump in.
That motivation won’t come until you jump in.

Whether it be going to the gym, checking off a to-do list, or being the person you want to be.

Motivation follows action.

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ON THE PODS

Politics Is Broken
This week Lisa and I discuss Alberta’s Slopaganda problem and the Dutch kids behind it.
PoliticsIsBroken.ca

Entertainment Is Broken
Richard and Sarah chat about how it’s okay to still like your favourite art even if the artist is a terrible person.
EntertainmentIsBroken.ca

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I generally don’t like people.

Not you, of course.
You’re great.

But the rest of them?
Urgh, they’re reliably and consistently awful.

Not all in extreme ways (though there are some real bad folk).
Some just taxing on my good graces.
Some just ever so mildly annoying.
What, with their free will and independent thoughts and feelings.

It can get messy.

And that’s where the good stuff is.

We need each other.
And not just for necessity and survival.

We need each other to fully enjoy this life.

You may be aware that I made some music at the beginning of this year. I decided to just go for it and let my creative thoughts breathe. It was joyous.

The next natural step (if you’re delusional like me) was to make a music video.

So I called up a talented filmmaker, went for a coffee, and they in turn recruited the required cast, we rented costumes, we booked a space to film and in a day it was done.

But what a day.

There was laughter, fatigue, dancing, back pain, enduring endless playback of a song they’d never heard before, and lunch.

We will look back on a ridiculous day together.
A shared experience.
And though our angles may be different, we all saw the same things, heard the same sounds, and shared the same time.

I love making things on my own.
No schedules or opinions to consider.
It’s part efficiency, part conflict avoidance.

But experiencing things with other humans is where the good stuff is.

In this age of algorithms delivering lonely experiences solely for me, shared experiences become more precious.

Spend some time with the rest of us.

###

ON THE PODS

Politics Is Broken
Is the Conservative/MAGA movement starting to crack?

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken

Listen: https://pod.link/1730993828

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Entertainment Is Broken
SNL and SNL UK just might save showbiz

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@EntertainmentIsBroken

Listen: https://pod.link/1855097197

Politics Is Broken Mugs!

https://peacelovecanada.ca/products/politics-is-broken-mug

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I’ve betrayed you a bit.

All 17+ thousand of you.

Many of you, if not most, signed up to my Substack because you enjoyed my writing (thanks for that).

Then as our podcast network started to grow, I only had time to send you podcast posts.
That ain’t right.

So, I’m going to make time to return to the word.
Me and my impinged right shoulder nerve will peck out a short piece of writing each week.

Let’s call them Extended Epigrams.

I’ll still tell you about the podcasts, mainly because they’re good, but also because baby needs shoes.
However, my main focus will be on sharing my thoughts on the current craptastic state of the world and any glimmers of hope I happen to find.

Like the Artemis mission.
Wasn’t that something?

Four people sent further away from Earth than ever before… and they returned… safely… with a renewed appreciation for just how lucky we are to have a planet like the one we’re on and how maybe, just maybe, we should treat each other a whole hell of a lot better.

There’s good out there.
Let’s find it together.

###

On the Pods

Politics Is Broken
Lisa and I discuss the astonishing number of floor crossers in Parliament and who we think will benefit and if it will be good for Canada.

click here

Entertainment Is Broken
Richard and Sarah chat about the explosion of interest in Angine de Poitrine and the strange attraction of being anti-fame famous in music.

click here

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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken

What happens when the headlines are too chaotic to ignore… but too exhausting to fully process?

You react.

This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa react to the biggest, strangest, and most concerning headlines from around the world—because picking just one story feels impossible right now.

From war-driven oil spikes to political chaos in the U.S.… to Canada’s policy curveballs… to a moon mission happening in the middle of it all… we break it down the only way we know how: by trying to make sense of it (and occasionally failing).

In this episode:

• Reacting to rising global oil prices and economic fallout

• Breaking down Trump’s latest moves and loyalty drama

• Canada’s “30 days or free” passport policy

• The EV debate and what it means for Canadian industry

• And yes… reacting to humans heading back to the moon while everything else feels like it’s falling apart

It’s real headlines, real reactions, and just enough humour to keep you from throwing your phone across the room.

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Listen: https://pod.link/1855097197

The Junos came and went… but where were Canada’s biggest stars?

In this episode of Entertainment Is Broken, Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon dig into the growing debate around Canadian identity in entertainment… and whether artists like Justin Bieber, Drake, and Tate McRae are still “Canadian” when it counts.

Is it about where you’re born… or where your career is built?

They break down:

• Why so many major artists skipped the Juno Awards

• Whether success in the U.S. changes an artist’s identity

• The idea of being “Canadian when convenient”

• Why artists like Joni Mitchell and Rush still feel deeply connected to Canada

• And whether Canada needs to rethink how it supports its own talent

It’s a funny, sharp, and surprisingly real conversation about culture, success, and what we actually mean when we say “Canadian.”

If you’ve ever wondered why Canada’s biggest stars don’t always come home… this one’s for you.

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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken

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What happens when you stop watching politics… and actually go see it?

This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar heads to Ottawa to speak at Carleton University’s Kesterton Lecture… and ends up going behind the scenes of Canadian politics.

From touring Parliament Hill and sitting in on Question Period… to meeting politicians in the hallway and eating in what may or may not be called “the cafeteria of power”… this episode is a firsthand look at how politics feels in real life.

And the biggest takeaway?

It doesn’t feel less broken…
…but it does feel different.

Less like chaos… more like choreography.
Less like villains… more like very tired humans trying to do a very public job.

Plus, an Alberta update featuring:

• The ongoing “Temu Tylenol” saga

• RCMP investigations

• And a golden cat that may or may not explain everything

So… is Ottawa really a bubble?
Or are we just watching it through one?

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Listen: https://pod.link/1855097197

Buffy is cancelled… again.

After years of development, a filmed pilot, and serious creative talent behind it, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot is suddenly dead — and the timing couldn’t be worse.

So what happened?

This week, we start with Buffy… and zoom out to the bigger question: why does Hollywood keep going back?

From The X-Files to a growing list of revivals, reboots and “reimaginings,” the industry seems stuck in a loop — mining the past instead of building something new.

Is it nostalgia?
Is it fear?
Or is it just good business?

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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken

In an episode that feels like a collision of two very different multiverses, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre finally sat down with Joe Rogan. It was over two hours of kettlebells, economic analogies, and some very selective storytelling.

Lisa and I have crunched the numbers, checked the facts, and counted the compliments so you don’t have to.

The Highlights (and Lowlights):

• The Gift: Poilievre opened with a 70lb Canadian-branded kettlebell. He seemed a little winded from the heavy lifting, but desperate to prove to Joe that “he lifts too, bro.”

• The “Prime Minister in Waiting” Rebrand: How Poilievre used the platform to position himself to an American audience, even weighing in on F-Series truck tariffs in Appalachia.

• The Dangerous Disinfo: We address the alarming claims made about Canada’s MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) program—specifically the false narrative about “seasonal depression”—that went entirely unchallenged during the interview.

• The “Walmart Effect”: Why Joe Rogan’s massive influence in Canada (where 8% of the population tunes in monthly) makes his lack of fact-checking a growing concern.

Is this a strategic masterstroke to legitimize his leadership, or just a politician looking for a “vibe shift” with the Manosphere?

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Listen: https://pod.link/1855097197

Remember when red carpets were about journalism… and not vertical video, viral moments, and whether someone got free cake?

This week on Entertainment Is Broken, hosts Richard Crouse and Sarah dive into the growing clash between influencers and traditional entertainment journalism — and ask the uncomfortable question: who actually belongs on the red carpet anymore?

From the Oscars red carpet controversy to the backlash surrounding TikTok influencer Jake Shane at the Vanity Fair party, we break down what happens when viral culture meets legacy media… and whether the result is evolution or erosion.

Along the way, we explore:

• How red carpet interviews have changed from journalism to content creation

• The rise of TikTok influencers in Hollywood spaces

• Whether viral moments are replacing meaningful conversations

• Behind-the-scenes stories from TIFF, press junkets, and old-school Hollywood access

• Why authenticity still matters — whether you have millions of followers or none

• Plus: BTS Army shows up in a big way, Richard shares wild junket stories (including Rome and the Vatican…), and Sarah defends the idea that maybe disruption isn’t the enemy — maybe it’s the point.

Are influencers ruining the red carpet… or just revealing what it’s become?

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Ontario’s government says it wants to modernize transparency laws.

But the proposed changes would do something unusual: they would reduce public access to information, exempting the premier’s office, cabinet ministers, and parliamentary assistants from Freedom of Information requests while stretching response timelines.

Which raises an obvious question.

Why now?

At the same time these changes are being proposed, the Ford government has floated a string of ambitious — and sometimes eyebrow-raising — ideas: opening parts of the Greenbelt to development, building a massive spa at Ontario Place, expanding alcohol sales into convenience stores, and proposing a 50-kilometre tunnel under Highway 401 that could cost tens of billions of dollars.

In this episode of Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa try to answer the bigger question:

Is there a governing philosophy behind all this…
or is Ontario being run on instinct, headlines, and vibes?

And more importantly:

If governments want fewer transparency rules…
what exactly do they not want us to see?

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Listen: https://pod.link/1855097197

BTS is back from military service — and their comeback show in Seoul is expected to draw 260,000 fans.

Yes. A quarter of a million.

Meanwhile, most bands can’t afford gas for the tour van.

In this episode of Entertainment Is Broken, Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon dive into the bizarre economics of live music:

• Why mega-concerts are getting bigger than ever

• Why the middle of the music industry is disappearing

• Why touring now costs so much artists sometimes lose money on the road

• And whether the future of music is stadium spectacles… or livestreams from someone’s living room

The music industry isn’t dead.

But it might be… broken.

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He met our eyes briefly and, even though it was 7AM (early for any self-respecting teen), he smiled and said “Good Morning!”

Then he went on his way to the breakfast room.

We’ve stayed in nicer hotels.
Most hotels we’ve stayed at are nicer hotels.

The room is… passable.
Worn carpets. Shower head and faucet holding on by habit.
Bed skirt salt-stained. God, I hope it’s salt.
Why would it be salt though? Oh god.

But it’s fine. Largely clean.
Modest. If hungover-chic was a type of modest.

Like many cheap hotels it has an included breakfast.
I am willing to overlook many flaws and many parking lots if a hotel has a waffle maker.

It was on my way to the breakfast room (tables, chairs, wall of prepared breakfast ingestibles, news channel on the tv) that I realized that these young families I was seeing weren’t fellow travellers.

This was home.

It may be a temporary home but for now, this was home.

A mom brought her young daughter, who was maybe about 8, in for yogurt and a muffin. A few minutes later her older brother, around 17, came in, fist bumped his little sister and off they went… to school I guess.

I don’t know what situation these kids came from before they ended up at this hotel by the highway but… they were happy.

Maybe Mom made the brave decision that enough was enough in an abusive relationship and escaped with the kids.

Maybe the family arrived from faraway lands in hopes of making a better life.

Maybe they were living day to day as they recovered from financial hardship.

I don’t know why they were here but they were happy they were here.

This hotel that I felt was a step or two beneath me was better than where they were before.

AND it has a waffle maker.
I guess this place isn’t that bad.

I hope they never lose that happiness.

###

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken

Brittlestar and Lisa tackle a week that somehow managed to get worse.

From Mark Carney’s principled Davos speech to his awkward endorsement of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Canada finds itself diplomatically sandwiched between its values and its geography. The hosts dig into why the timing of Operation Epic Fury feels suspiciously convenient — and what the avalanche of newly released Epstein documents might have to do with it.

They break down the growing list of resignations and arrests tied to the Epstein files, why Prince Andrew’s takedown was no ordinary trade-secrets scandal, and what it means that the US appears to be the only country where nobody powerful has faced real consequences. Plus: cornered-squirrel Trump, a congressman who can’t spell “fury,” Keir Starmer’s deeply unhelpful anger origin story, and the impossible chess game facing a Canadian prime minister who can’t afford to tell the truth — but probably can’t afford not to.

Funny where it can be. Worried where it has to be.

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Listen: https://pod.link/1855097197

The internet spent a week asking a very serious question:

Was that actually Jim Carrey… or someone wearing Jim Carrey?

When the comedy legend appeared at the César Awards in Paris, conspiracy theories exploded online. People compared eye colour, hand dominance, and facial features, trying to prove that the man on the red carpet couldn’t possibly be the real Jim Carrey.

Because obviously the most logical explanation is… a clone.

This week on Entertainment Is Broken, Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon unpack the strange online reaction and what it reveals about celebrity culture. Why do fans feel betrayed when stars change their appearance? Why did Jennifer Grey’s nose job derail her career? And why does Hollywood still pressure actors to look permanently 30 years old?

Along the way, Richard shares stories from meeting Jim Carrey before he was famous, interviewing Jennifer Lawrence early in her career, and why the new film Sweetness might be one of the year’s most interesting indie surprises.

What starts as a celebrity conspiracy theory quickly turns into something bigger:

A conversation about beauty standards, fame, identity… and why the internet thinks it owns your face once you’re famous.

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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken

Science says we’re getting dimmer…and politics is sprinting to the cognitive bottom.

In this episode of Politics Is Broken, Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa unpack the Reverse Flynn Effect (yes, it’s a real thing) and why critical thinking has been quietly leaving the group chat since the mid-’90s. We dig into “cognitive offloading” (Google, GPS, AI doing our thinking for us), the flood-the-zone strategy that keeps everyone overwhelmed, and how a world full of exhausted, distracted people becomes the perfect environment for bad ideas to look like leadership.

Along the way: Sharpie hurricanes, disinfectant “solutions,” conspiracy nonsense, and one Canadian MP hunting for “Antifa members” like it’s a sandwich club with a loyalty card.

It’s funny…until you remember these people run things.

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Listen: https://pod.link/1855097197

Why do we travel just to stand where a movie scene was filmed?

This week on Entertainment Is Broken, Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon explore the booming $73 Billion world of film and TV tourism — from Twin Peaks and Ghostbusters to Hollywood landmarks and Ontario’s suddenly famous Heated Rivalry cottage. They unpack the nostalgia, escapism, and surprising economics behind visiting fictional worlds in real life… and ask whether renting a famous filming location is pure fan magic or brilliant marketing.

Because sometimes the real destination isn’t the place — it’s the story.

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The truth may surprise you (if you were just born today).

Listen here: https://pod.link/1730993828

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken

Are you in or near OTTAWA?
Come see and hear Brittlestar as he delivers the 2026 Kesterton Lecture are Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication on Mar 25, 2026

Details and Free Registration here:
https://carleton.ca/sjc/cu-events/2026-kesterton-lecture-peace-order-and-good-journalism-with-a-side-of-comedy-by-stewart-brittlestar-reynolds/

Canadians are proudly buying local, waving the maple leaf, and rallying behind homegrown culture — so why are Canadian movie theaters suddenly empty?

This week on Entertainment Is Broken, Richard and Sarah unpack the surprising 40% drop in Canadian film attendance and ask a big question: if we love Canadian creators, why aren’t we showing up for Canadian movies?

From Mike Myers’ cultural rallying cry to the legacy of comedy icons like John Candy, plus a heartfelt tribute to the late Robert Duvall, the conversation dives into movie-going habits, streaming culture, national identity, and whether Canadian storytelling needs a reinvention… or just a bigger audience.

Are Canadian films overlooked, misunderstood, or simply waiting for their moment? Grab your popcorn — this one gets personal.

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In this episode of Politics is Broken, Stewart (Brittlestar) and Lisa start by acknowledging a heartbreaking tragedy in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., and the wave of grief, misinformation, and opportunistic culture-war blame that followed. From there, they zoom out and do what Canadians do best… compare ourselves to our loud neighbour with receipts.

They dig into the numbers on income, unemployment, healthcare costs, life expectancy, housing pressure, and gun violence, and ask what’s worth defending…and what we still need to fix. Along the way, they talk about political leaders showing unity, why scapegoating communities doesn’t solve anything, and how Canada can protect its “we’re in this together” instinct before it gets imported and ruined like acid-washed jeans.

Content note: discussion of a recent act of violence and its aftermath.

Listen here: https://pod.link/1730993828

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken

Subscribe now

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@EntertainmentIsBroken

Listen: https://pod.link/1855097197

Subscribe now

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