I took a photo of my stove and sent it to a robot.

One more sentence I never imagined uttering.

When I was a boy I was enthralled with the idea of a robot assistant… companion…
oh, who am I kidding, best friend.

The future that was promised to me as a child involved flying cars, stain-resistant jumpsuits, and robot pals.

We don’t have the flying cars completely yet, not nearly as many people as I thought are wearing jumpsuits, but we do have robots we can talk to.

As with most of my conversations with anyone or anything as an aging human, my choice of topics is usually centred around the weather and how to fix things.

So when our oven element broke on our 30+ year old stove I took a photo of it and sent it to the robots (Ai).

Within seconds it had deduced the make and year of the stove and told me where to find the model number.

Wow!

I took another photo of the model number and sent it back.

A second or two passed and it spat out the exact part number to be replaced.

Amazing!

Off I went to a big box store and bought the replacement part.

I returned home excited to bask in my manly-handiness aided by robots… only to find that though the part was correct, our old (vintage?) stove required special connectors.

This time we took the old broken element and raced to the local appliance store which was closer.

We arrived at 20 minutes past 3 o’clock, which being a small store meant they had been closed for 20 minutes on this sunny Saturday.

As we dejectedly returned to our car the owner appeared in the parking lot beckoning us back.
”I saw the broken element in your hand and thought that won’t get dinner made.”

She then eyeballed the broken element in my hand said “I’ve got one in the back.”

Within the hour the element was replaced, tested, and working great.

Ai has lots of uses and will only get better (hopefully) but my experience this past weekend reminded me of the other Ai… At-hand Intelligence.

The experts around you.

The small business owner who got into doing what they do because they love helping people.

Sometimes the community around you will be able to help you faster and better.

###

Be sure to pop by PeaceLoveCanada.ca to keep Shannon out of trouble.

In this episode of Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa B dig into Hoekstra reposting Donald Trump’s “51st state” comments, why Canadians are rightly furious, and what it says about the current state of Canada-U.S. relations under the Trump administration.

We also get into Alberta separatism, Danielle Smith’s referendum chaos, Wab Kinew calling things as he sees them, the Western Premiers Conference, tariffs, Trump’s social media diplomacy, and whether Canada should treat Hoekstra as a serious warning sign... or just another political buffoon with a login.

Is the 51st state talk just noise? Is Alberta separation still a serious threat? Should Canada be worried about the U.S. ambassador? And who exactly is still going to that July 4th party in Ottawa?

Canada is not for sale. But apparently some people keep checking the price.

In this episode:
Peter Hoekstra, Donald Trump, Canada-U.S. relations, 51st state comments, Alberta separation, Danielle Smith, Wab Kinew, Canadian politics, tariffs, Trump administration, Canadian sovereignty, Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar, Lisa B.

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This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa dig into the rise of insult politics, media scrums, political clapbacks, and whether “going high” still works when the other side is already rolling around in the democratic mud like a raccoon in a Tim Hortons dumpster.

They talk Alberta separatism, rallies, Pierre Poilievre’s press tactics, Mark Carney, Stephen Miller, Gavin Newsom-style political trolling, and whether a well-timed F-bomb can actually make politics feel more honest.

Subscribe for more sharp, funny Canadian political commentary from Brittlestar and Lisa.

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This week on Entertainment Is Broken, Richard and Sarah talk about younger audiences returning to theatres, the magic of indie cinemas, and why watching a film with strangers still hits differently than streaming it alone on the couch.

They also dig into the growing momentum behind Canadian films like Little Lorraine, Blue Heron, Nirvanna: The Band, The Show, The Movie, Undertone, and more... plus the importance of community theatres like The Revue, The Fox, The Plaza, and other independent spaces across the country.

Also discussed:
Canadian horror, Ginger Snaps, Black Christmas, post-pandemic moviegoing, theatre as a third space, and why some films simply need an audience.

Because maybe theatres aren’t dead after all. Maybe they were just waiting for us to remember why we loved them.

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Of course, why would it?

No one, when asking what the problem is, appreciates being told it’s them.
That it’s us.

I did a bit of travelling for work this past few weeks. There’s more coming up and, though it’s exhausting and draining, I love it.

I think I love it because it never fails to underline one very important fact…

People, no matter race, creed, or origin, are people.
Awesome.
Awful.
Adorable.
Appalling.
All of it.

Our little pocket computers (smartphones) have given us unfettered access to the entirety of human knowledge.
That’s a lot of information.
So much that we try to immediately compartmentalize it.
Sort it.
Prioritize it.
Divide it.

And oh… there’s the problem.

Part of that bottomless cup of knowledge is humans and how we see each other.

Faced with infinite variations and details we try to separate them into chunks.
You’re from that country? Then you’re this.
Your skin is that colour? Then this is who you are.

This, despite sounding evidently wrong, is useful.
It helps keep us sane.
At first.
But then it quickly creates walls between us.

We’re drowning in a shower of information that we’re addicted to but cannot possibly process without trying to simplify it.
And when we simplify it, we get things wrong.
We make assumptions.
We create stereotypes.

Until we actually talk to each other.
Then our similarities become impossible to ignore.

They becomes we.

Not always… but a lot.

Social Media is wonderful.
Ask me. It saved our family from losing everything and has provided me opportunities I never dare to dream of.

But recently, no thanks to shareholders and profits, it’s been building walls between us.
Turning genuine discourse into a shirts versus skins bloodbath.
Feeding us what we hate and fear because those two emotions are the easiest to monetize.

Here’s the kicker though…

The “social” in social media?
That’s us.

It’s what I told a room full of conference attendees recently when asked about the evils of social media and how we can fix it.

We need to fix us.
We need to teach children and adults alike that the scoreboard reality they see online isn’t entirely accurate.
The world isn’t black and white.
It’s every colour you can imagine and a few more.

People are people.
And a lot of them are great.

###

Keep Shannon Busy

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This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa break down the latest Alberta separatism talk, the confusing referendum question, and the myths being sold about what an independent Alberta would actually look like.

From pipelines and transfer payments to borders, currency, Indigenous treaty rights, military costs, federal programs, and the awkward little issue of Alberta being completely landlocked, we look at the real-world consequences of “just leaving Canada.”

Because breaking up is hard to do... especially when you still need to use your ex’s highways, ports, currency, passports, trade deals, and possibly their microwave.

In this episode:

• Why Alberta separation sounds simple online but gets very complicated very quickly

• The real costs of becoming a new country

• What Alberta gets from Canada right now

• Why transfer payments are more complicated than the slogan version

• How separatist rhetoric ignores healthcare, pensions, borders, disaster relief, and trade

• Why low-information voting is dangerous... even when people are frustrated for real reasons

• What happens next as Alberta heads toward an October vote

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

Listen: https://pod.link/1730993828

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This week on Entertainment Is Broken, Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon look at the past, present, and uncertain future of late night TV. Sparked by conversation around Stephen Colbert, they trace the format from Johnny Carson to David Letterman, Conan, Kimmel, Fallon, Colbert, and Canada’s own attempts to build a proper talk-show tradition.

Richard reflects on hosting Pop Life, his bar-set talk show on CTV, and why there is still value in long-form, relaxed, curious conversation on television. Sarah makes the case that Canada needs more talk and variety shows ... not just for entertainment, but as part of a real star-making system.

They also discuss Obsessed, Indie Navarette’s standout performance, Keke Palmer, Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters, and why smaller, stranger movies may be finding their way back into theatres.

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

Listen: https://pod.link/1855097197

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This week on Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa dig into the Alberta separation push, the nearly 302,000 signatures reportedly submitted, the voter data scandal, Danielle Smith’s “Sovereign Alberta within a United Canada” tightrope, First Nations treaty challenges, and why this may be less about Alberta actually leaving Canada and more about what happens when political grievance becomes a machine.

Also discussed: magic beans, King Charles conspiracy fears, Brexit warnings, separatist leaders who maybe shouldn’t be allowed near the steering wheel, and why “we’re just sending Ottawa a message” is a pretty risky way to flirt with constitutional chaos.

Watch, subscribe, and join the conversation.

###

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There’s no Politics Is Broken podcast this week as Lisa and I each stave off burnout.

That said, I’m also in the UK this week. “I burn my candle at both ends, it gives a lovely light…something something something”.

Who knows, there could be a sneaky podcast episode this week.

In the meantime, have you got one of our mugs yet?

Shipping included in Canada!

https://peacelovecanada.ca/products/politics-is-broken-mug?_pos=1&_psq=politics&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Stay sane everyone.

Thank you for your support!

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

Listen: https://pod.link/1730993828

There’s no Politics Is Broken podcast this week as Lisa and I each stave off burnout.

That said, I’m also in the UK this week. “I burn my candle at both ends, it gives a lovely light…something something something”.

Who knows, there could be a sneaky podcast episode this week.

In the meantime, have you got one of our mugs yet?

Shipping included in Canada!

https://peacelovecanada.ca/products/politics-is-broken-mug?_pos=1&_psq=politics&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Stay sane everyone.

Thank you for your support!

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

Listen: https://pod.link/1730993828

Subscribe now

Listen: https://pod.link/1855097197

Are The Beatles and The Rolling Stones still chasing the muse... or just refusing to leave the stage?

This week on Entertainment Is Broken, Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon dig into the eternal encore of rock’s biggest legacy acts. Paul McCartney has new music. Ringo is collaborating again. The Rolling Stones are still very much The Rolling Stones. And somehow, decades later, these artists are still not just symbols of the past... they’re active participants in the present.

Richard and Sarah talk about the difference between artist and act, why audiences will still pay stadium prices for nostalgia, whether older musicians are unfairly judged in a way writers and actors aren’t, and how “relevance” may be the wrong measurement for art in the first place.

Also discussed: Wings, Billy Preston, concert ticket prices, blue dot fever, Paul Rudd’s apparent immunity to time, and Sarah’s escalating squirrel situation... which may already be a Cronenberg film.

I didn’t plan any of it.

To be honest, it was nothing like I had imagined.

But it was exactly as I’d schemed.

I used to sit in the window of a coffee shop scribbling notes in a journal right down by the harbour in Kingston, Ontario and scheme.

The town, at least that part of it, would be quiet in the morning.
I could watch what few people would pass by and let their very different lives help shape my own. It’s easier sometimes to let what something isn’t define what it is…
and I isn’t them.

I returned to Kingston this past week.
It’s a lovely town. If you haven’t gone, do so. You’ll have a grand time.

As Shannon and I walked past the window I used to sit in I was reminded of how exciting those times were. Not my life in general at the time. I was going through a divorce. Which as a 24 year old can really make you feel like you’ve lost the game of life on the first roll of the dice.

The exciting part was the scheming.
Clearing your head and really letting the sky be the limit of what you want to do and who you want to be.

I still do it.
To this day.

As the saying goes, life can change on a dime.
What they don’t say is that you can throw the dimes down yourself.

Find some time to scheme.
All options open.

Where I am currently is nothing that I planned…
but, when I pull back an focus on the bigger picture, it’s exactly the result of those times spent scheming.

###

PODCASTS

Politics Is Broken - Mark Carney’s Mistake
Lisa and I talk about when we’re going to need to tell Prime Minister Carney to pump the brakes on cuts, plus what the hell is happening in Alberta.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken or here on Substack!

Listen: https://pod.link/1730993828

—

Entertainment Is Broken - HUGE Star Tiny Room
Richard and Lisa chat about the magic that happens when huge stars perform in tiny rooms. From The Rolling Stones to Olivia Rodrigo.

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

Listen: https://pod.link/1855097197

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In this episode of Politics Is Broken, Brittlestar and Lisa B dig into Althia Raj’s Toronto Star opinion piece about Carney’s economic update and what it may signal for pharmacare, child care, health transfers, and the future of progressive voters in Canada.

We also talk about the strange political mood in Ottawa, Stewart’s night at Politics and the Pen, Melissa Lantsman being funnier than expected, Alberta’s latest electoral-list mess, and whether the NDP can finally stop stepping on rakes long enough to become the “not Liberal” option.

Carney may still be the right person for a very difficult moment... but if the Liberals start trimming the very programs that helped define them, progressive voters may start asking a very dangerous question:

“Wait... why does the NDP exist again?”

Subscribe for weekly Canadian political conversations with Brittlestar and Lisa B... where the news is broken, the jokes are mostly intentional, and nobody should be taking medical advice from us.

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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.

###

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

///

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!

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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

-

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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