<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[BRITTLESTAR]]></title><description><![CDATA[Videos, podcasts, newsletters, and more. ]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7oYl!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f571431-1de6-42ed-abb9-562878f467b0_1080x1080.png</url><title>BRITTLESTAR</title><link>https://www.brittlestar.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 27 Jul 2026 05:38:17 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.brittlestar.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Stewart JW Reynolds]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[business@brittlestar.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[business@brittlestar.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[business@brittlestar.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[business@brittlestar.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Late Night Canada: Bridge Party, Carney Gets Intense, Pearson Airport]]></title><description><![CDATA[This Talk Show Doesn't Exist]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/late-night-canada-bridge-party-carney</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/late-night-canada-bridge-party-carney</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 23:20:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/208131410/20906f005880e39bc4dcc7d52d13c01d.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Well, the opening celebration for the new Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor and Detroit has been cancelled.</p><p>To be clear, the bridge itself is still opening.</p><p>We&#8217;re just not having a party anymore.</p><p>Which may be the most Canadian response to an international crisis imaginable:</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve completed one of the largest infrastructure projects in North America...</p><p>&#8230;but due to recent tensions, we&#8217;ve cancelled the BeaverTails truck.&#8221;</p><p>The joint Canadian-American ceremony was called off after Donald Trump announced an additional 50% tariff on many Canadian goods.</p><p>Apparently, Canada decided it would be inappropriate to celebrate a bridge connecting our two countries...</p><p>while one of those countries is actively trying to burn the bridge.</p><p>The Gordie Howe Bridge is still scheduled to open to traffic on July 27.</p><p>So Canadians will still be allowed to cross into America...</p><p>provided we declare all dairy products, alcohol...</p><p>and any lingering feelings of friendship and trust.</p><h2>Intensifying the Relationship</h2><p>Prime Minister Mark Carney says he and President Trump have now agreed to &#8220;intensify&#8221; trade negotiations.</p><p>Intensify.</p><p>That doesn&#8217;t sound reassuring.</p><p>You intensify a workout.</p><p>You intensify a search.</p><p>You intensify the flavour of Cool Ranch Doritos.</p><p>You don&#8217;t usually intensify a healthy relationship.</p><p>Nobody comes home from couples counselling and says:</p><p>&#8220;Oh honey, I&#8217;m so glad we&#8217;ve agreed to intensify.&#8221;</p><p>What does intensified trade negotiation even look like?</p><p>Are they negotiating while doing squats?</p><p>Does Dominic LeBlanc have to argue about softwood lumber while someone sprays him with a hose?</p><p>Canadian officials have spent months calmly presenting statistics, trade figures and sections of the existing agreement...</p><p>so presumably the next step is putting everything in ALL CAPS:</p><p>&#8220;AS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED, YOU SIGNED THIS.&#8221;</p><p>Carney said Canada would continue negotiating but would consider all options if the tariffs go ahead.</p><p>All options.</p><p>That&#8217;s diplomatic language for:</p><p>&#8220;We have a plan, but I swear to God, we&#8217;ll send Doug Ford and Danielle Smith to Mar-a-Lago just to hang out.&#8221;</p><p>Trump&#8217;s approach to trade negotiations is fascinating.</p><p>He signs a trade agreement...</p><p>complains that the agreement he signed is unfair...</p><p>imposes tariffs that violate the spirit of the agreement...</p><p>then demands a new agreement to protect America from the previous agreement...</p><p>which, once again, he signed.</p><p>At this point, Canada shouldn&#8217;t negotiate another trade deal.</p><p>We should just get Trump to sign a birthday card.</p><p>He&#8217;s good at that.</p><p>It&#8217;ll be just as legally binding...</p><p>and there&#8217;s a chance we&#8217;ll get twenty bucks.</p><p>Trump says Canada needs the United States to survive.</p><p>And he may have a point.</p><p>Without the United States, who would Canada sell all its lumber, aluminum and energy to?</p><p>Someone who pays the agreed price?</p><p>We&#8217;re not prepared for that kind of relationship.</p><h2>Canada Discovers Shipping</h2><p>Meanwhile, Canadian premiers have finally agreed to remove a major barrier to direct-to-consumer alcohol sales between provinces.</p><p>Nine provinces have agreed to let Canadians order Canadian alcohol directly from producers in other provinces.</p><p>That&#8217;s right.</p><p>After nearly 160 years of Confederation...</p><p>Canada has finally discovered shipping.</p><p>Until now, it could be easier for a Canadian winery to send a bottle to another country than to send it across a provincial border.</p><p>Because nothing says &#8220;one united nation&#8221; like:</p><p>&#8220;Sorry, your Pinot Noir doesn&#8217;t have the proper Saskatchewan paperwork.&#8221;</p><p>Premiers say removing the barriers will improve internal Canadian trade.</p><p>Which means Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs have finally convinced the provinces to work together.</p><p>So congratulations to the president.</p><p>He has achieved what generations of Canadian prime ministers could not...</p><p>getting Alberta and British Columbia to share a drink.</p><h2>Pearson&#8217;s $1.5-Billion Escape Room</h2><p>And finally, Toronto Pearson Airport has announced a $1.5-billion renovation of Terminals 1 and 3.</p><p>The airport says the work will modernize the terminals, create more space and make Pearson easier to navigate.</p><p>Easier to navigate?</p><p>That&#8217;s ambitious.</p><p>Pearson isn&#8217;t an airport.</p><p>It&#8217;s an escape room where the final clue is your gate number...</p><p>and if it changes, they&#8217;ll tell you at some point.</p><p>The renovations will include expanded terminal space, refreshed lounges, more charging stations and improvements to baggage handling.</p><p>More charging stations will be helpful.</p><p>Though it does diminish the prestige of sitting on the floor beside one of those columns with the loose outlet.</p><p>Pearson says it wants to improve the passenger experience.</p><p>Although you&#8217;ll still have to determine which of the two simultaneous gate announcements is for you...</p><p>and where exactly are these &#8220;travelling animals&#8221; they keep talking about?</p><p>Are we talking about a poodle with a suitcase on a business trip?</p><p>Or a group of cats heading to an all-inclusive?</p><p>The renovations will apparently make the terminals more modern, comfortable and efficient.</p><p>Pearson also plans to improve its baggage systems.</p><p>That&#8217;s good news.</p><p>Currently, checking a suitcase at Pearson feels less like transportation...</p><p>and more like releasing an animal into the wild.</p><p>You attach a tag, say goodbye...</p><p>and hope someone spots it in Manitoba three months later.</p><p>Airport officials say the upgrades will allow Pearson to handle more passengers.</p><p>Fantastic.</p><p>Because the only thing missing from Pearson was...</p><p>more people.</p><p>And you just know the renovations themselves will make travelling through Pearson easier.</p><p>Nothing improves an airport experience like years of construction.</p><p>&#8220;Welcome to Toronto. Baggage claim is temporarily located in Barrie.&#8221;</p><p>Still, it&#8217;s nice to see Canada investing in infrastructure that connects us with the rest of the world.</p><p>Canada is removing barriers everywhere.</p><p>Meanwhile, the United States is adding tariffs.</p><p>Which means the Canada&#8211;U.S. relationship can now be summarized like this:</p><p>We built them a bridge...</p><p>cancelled the party...</p><p>ordered ourselves some wine...</p><p>and started looking for flights elsewhere.</p><p>We&#8217;ve got a show!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Late Night Canada: Tariffs, Trump, Sleep Country Canada]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why Buy An 11th Province Anywhere Else?]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/late-night-canada-tariffs-trump-sleep</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/late-night-canada-tariffs-trump-sleep</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:53:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/207924624/4f2b9db7f3c42c197745f22778870364.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Donald Trump announced today that he&#8217;ll slap an additional 50% tariff on many Canadian goods, saying it&#8217;s retaliation for Canada taking American alcohol off store shelves, along with ongoing disputes over dairy and automobiles.</p><p>So, let&#8217;s get this straight.</p><p>Trump disregarded his own trade agreement with us...</p><p>CUSMA... a trade deal for CUSMA.</p><p>He levelled some goofy tariffs at us.</p><p>He threatened to make Canada the 51st state.</p><p>So, we stopped buying American booze...</p><p>And suddenly <em>that&#8217;s</em> a bridge too far?</p><p>Bridge joke intended.</p><p>Remember when Trump honked, &#8220;We don&#8217;t need anything from Canada&#8221;?</p><p>Well, Mr. President, you forgot one important thing you apparently do need...</p><p>Functioning Canadian alcoholics.</p><p>I love that bourbon is apparently the breaking point.</p><p>The United States has spent months suggesting Canada is weak, subsidized by America and should become the 51st state...</p><p>But now they&#8217;re furious because we won&#8217;t stock Kentucky&#8217;s pumpkin-spice whiskey.</p><p>Of course, this is all part of Trump&#8217;s attempt to get &#8220;a better deal&#8221; for the United States.</p><p>It&#8217;s a fascinating negotiation strategy.</p><p>&#8220;Join America!&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;No, thanks.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Fine... then we&#8217;re going to pay more for your wine, hockey sticks, cement and a wide variety of other goods.&#8221;</p><p>That&#8217;s less international diplomacy...</p><p>And more Facebook Marketplace.</p><p>The tariffs will not apply to oil or gas because...</p><p>Of course they won&#8217;t.</p><p>Speaking of not taking &#8220;no&#8221; for an answer...</p><p>Did you see Donald Trump manage to insert himself into Spain&#8217;s World Cup celebrations?</p><p>He lingered in the trophy-presentation photos long enough that Spain later released an edited version with him removed.</p><p>Even <em>The Guardian</em> photo credit read:</p><p>&#8220;Gianni Infantino carefully explains to Donald Trump that he is not part of the Spanish national team.&#8221;</p><p>It was like watching someone&#8217;s grandpa wander into the wedding photos.</p><p>&#8220;No, Grandpa... you&#8217;re not in the wedding party.&#8221;</p><p>Wild.</p><p>You know you&#8217;ve overstayed your welcome when an entire country Photoshops you out faster than an ex-boyfriend.</p><p>And finally...</p><p>Trump may have threatened to take over Canada...</p><p>But Americans had better sleep with one eye open.</p><p>Sleep Country Canada...</p><p><em>&#127925;why buy a mattress anywhere else&#127925;</em></p><p>...is buying the American mattress company Sleep Number and says it plans to expand into the United States.</p><p>This is how Canada invades.</p><p>Not with tanks...</p><p>But well-rested, with adjustable lumbar support.</p><p>America keeps threatening economic warfare...</p><p>Meanwhile, Canada quietly buys the bed it&#8217;s sleeping in.</p><p>That&#8217;s the most Canadian military strategy imaginable.</p><p>It&#8217;s our own version of liberating a country from a horrible regime.</p><p>We&#8217;ll win the hearts and minds of Americans...</p><p>And relieve their lower-back pain.</p><p>We&#8217;ve got a show!</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Late Night Canada: Smoke, Explosive Diarrhea & Death Pants]]></title><description><![CDATA[People Seem To Like These]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/late-night-canada-smoke-explosive</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/late-night-canada-smoke-explosive</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 18 Jul 2026 17:54:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/207577116/52afe55b5e73299f4eb58b08c95ad52f.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Summer is flying by, right?</p><p>While Politics Is Broken and Entertainment Is Broken take a well-earned break (both return in September), I&#8217;ve been hard (not that hard) at work putting together Late Night Canada.  A fictitious late night talk show in&#8230; well, Canada. </p><p>People seem to be enjoying them elsewhere (about 80K people watched this one so far) so I thought why not share them here in both video and written form.</p><p>So here you go!</p><p><strong>Late Night Canada Monologue - 17 July 2026</strong></p><p>Well, much of Canada was covered in wildfire smoke this week.</p><p>Toronto briefly had some of the worst air quality in the world with the Air Quality Index hitting 11 in some locations.</p><p>You know things are bad when they start using the Spinal Tap scale.</p><p>The smoke was so thick, even vape shops had to shut their doors.</p><p>There are currently more than 850 wildfires burning across Canada, with more than 100 considered out of control.</p><p>Out of control?</p><p>So that means the 750 remaining wildfires are misnamed, no?</p><p>The smoke spread south into the United States, affecting more than 100 million Americans.</p><p>And some American politicians are furious with us.</p><p>Republicans in Michigan and Ohio accused Canada of failing to manage its forests and threatened sanctions.</p><p>Sanctions!</p><p>Trump immediately put a 25% tariff on the smoke.</p><p>American lawmakers say Canada needs to take responsibility for allowing the smoke to cross the border.</p><p>Which is interesting coming from a country whose emissions have been crossing our border for roughly a century.</p><p>Canada sends America smoke for a few weeks and suddenly they&#8217;re furious.</p><p>America has been sending Canada reality television, conspiracy theories and Kid Rock since the 1990s.</p><p>The noxious fumes emanating from the Oval Office for the past 10 years have caused lots of headaches here in Canada.</p><p>Did you see the terrifying video of the CN railworkers surrounded by flames?</p><p>One of them calmly radioed, &#8220;Y&#8217;all need to hurry up here. Like, seriously, we&#8217;re encased in flames now,&#8221;</p><p>How was that guy so calm??</p><p>It was like he was ordering from a Tim&#8217;s drive-thru&#8230;</p><p>&#8220;Yeah, I&#8217;ll get a Farmer&#8217;s Wrap, and a double double. If you can make it quick, I&#8217;m encased in flames&#8230; oh, almost forgot, and an Apple Fritter please&#8221;</p><p>Of course, this is a very serious issue and entire communities have suffered tremendous losses</p><p>However, there&#8217;s also the uncomfortable subject nobody wants to mention...</p><p>climate change.</p><p>Some politicians are insisting the solution is simply better forest management.</p><p>Which is comforting.</p><p>Because apparently the planet isn&#8217;t getting dangerously hotter...</p><p>Canada just forgot to rake Northern Ontario.</p><p>Maybe we should try their 2-step climate plan.</p><p>Step one: deny climate change.</p><p>Step two: complain when climate change reaches your house.</p><p>And despite some questionable decisions by various governments, Canada is taking climate action.</p><p>We&#8217;ve set ambitious emissions targets for 2030.</p><p>Which is good...</p><p>because at our current pace, by 2030 we&#8217;ll be able to cook dinner by holding it near Saskatchewan.</p><p>But there was some other environmental news in America this week.</p><p>A massive outbreak of cyclosporiasis has been linked to shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in five states.</p><p>However more than 30 states have been affected</p><p>Leading Taco Bell to say &#8220;This one&#8217;s not all our fault&#8221;</p><p>Health officials say the parasite can cause severe diarrhea.</p><p>&#8220;Severe diarrhea&#8221; being the medical term.</p><p>&#8220;Explosive diarrhea&#8221; being the term that gets people to stop eating the lettuce.</p><p>Taco Bell has temporarily stopped using the lettuce.</p><p>&#8220;temporarily&#8221;??</p><p>Just stop.</p><p>But the good news is, Taco Bell is once again safe...</p><p>by Taco Bell standards.</p><p>The company is now serving its food without contaminated lettuce.</p><p>Just meat fired from a caulking gun directly into a tortilla shell.</p><p>And finally, a popular pair of wide-legged Zara trousers has gone viral because wearers say they keep tripping over them.</p><p>The trousers are now known online as the &#8220;Zara death pants.&#8221;</p><p>Death pants!</p><p>Remember when the worst thing clothing could do was make your bum look big?</p><p>Now your outfit is actively trying to end you.</p><p>The pants are apparently so long and flowing that the fabric becomes tangled around the wearer&#8217;s ankles.</p><p>Women say they have fallen down stairs, tripped in the street and been caught on escalators.</p><p>Which finally answers the question:</p><p>What would happen if you dressed like a curtain?</p><p>Zara has not announced a recall.</p><p>Fashion experts say wearers could solve the problem by having the trousers shortened.</p><p>Sure.</p><p>But then you just own regular pants.</p><p>You paid Zara $65 for the thrill of dressing like a Victorian ghost being sucked into an escalator.</p><p>Some people have suggested tying elastic bands around the ankles.</p><p>But then you end up with MC Hammer pants</p><p>The &#8220;death pants&#8221; are part of the return of extremely wide-legged trousers.</p><p>We finally escaped skinny jeans...</p><p>only to discover the alternative is being hunted by our own clothing.</p><p>Skinny jeans cut off your circulation.</p><p>Wide-legged pants throw you down a staircase.</p><p>There is apparently no safe way to cover a human leg.</p><p>At this point, the safest summer outfit is an N95 mask, no pants...</p><p>and absolutely no lettuce.</p><p>We&#8217;ve got a show!</p><p>###  </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Do What You Can Because You Can]]></title><description><![CDATA[How To Remember To Use All The Arms You Have]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/do-what-you-can-because-you-can</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/do-what-you-can-because-you-can</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2026 17:30:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIwR!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6f33e88-90b9-45e4-ad8c-2a745f9973d3_3021x2266.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sorry for being so absent.  My arm briefly stopped working. </p><p>Hilariously (to my arm, or God, or fate), it happened right in the middle of lots of work.  The kind that really only becomes challenging when you don&#8217;t have two working arms. </p><p>It&#8217;s largely back working again.<br>It seems to have been a trapped nerve situation. <br>In my neck. <br>Caused by bad posture&#8230; caused by too much phone and laptop. <br>No severe pain, just an arm who&#8217;s Arm IQ (I just made that up) plummeted.</p><p>I certainly hope it continues its current trajectory of getting better.</p><p>I know there are lots of proverbs and parables and Joni Mitchell songs about not knowing what you&#8217;ve got until it&#8217;s gone but here&#8217;s one more&#8230;</p><p>Pause.<br>Briefly.<br>Think of all the things you can do, all the things you&#8217;re capable of doing, all the things you want to do, and then&#8230;</p><p>Do them. </p><p>Or at least ask yourself why you aren&#8217;t doing them. </p><p>Then do them. </p><p>There may come a day when you don&#8217;t get to choose to NOT do something. <br>There may come a day when your stupid arm just stops working. </p><p>(This was typed slowly, badly, but sufficiently using two arms.  Both mine. )</p><p>### </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIwR!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6f33e88-90b9-45e4-ad8c-2a745f9973d3_3021x2266.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIwR!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6f33e88-90b9-45e4-ad8c-2a745f9973d3_3021x2266.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIwR!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6f33e88-90b9-45e4-ad8c-2a745f9973d3_3021x2266.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIwR!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6f33e88-90b9-45e4-ad8c-2a745f9973d3_3021x2266.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIwR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6f33e88-90b9-45e4-ad8c-2a745f9973d3_3021x2266.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIwR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6f33e88-90b9-45e4-ad8c-2a745f9973d3_3021x2266.jpeg" width="1456" height="1092" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIwR!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6f33e88-90b9-45e4-ad8c-2a745f9973d3_3021x2266.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIwR!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6f33e88-90b9-45e4-ad8c-2a745f9973d3_3021x2266.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIwR!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6f33e88-90b9-45e4-ad8c-2a745f9973d3_3021x2266.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aIwR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6f33e88-90b9-45e4-ad8c-2a745f9973d3_3021x2266.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">(Pictured: three fully working arms)</figcaption></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[EXPLAINING CANADA DAY TO AMERICANS]]></title><description><![CDATA[Happy Canada Day!]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/explaining-canada-day-to-americans</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/explaining-canada-day-to-americans</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:57:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/204128282/9fb72dc2565b5231e5b87d8151128ebe.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I guess we DO have some stuff to celebrate.</p><p>Happy Canada Day!</p><p>Here&#8217;s a shareable link for this video:<br></p><div id="youtube2-l1Nog51C5sA" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;l1Nog51C5sA&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/l1Nog51C5sA?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Canada’s Social Media Ban Problem]]></title><description><![CDATA[Politics Is Broken w/ Lisa and Brittlestar]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/canadas-social-media-ban-problem</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/canadas-social-media-ban-problem</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 14 Jun 2026 18:55:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/202016631/0aff39dbdc46123d11213ff8e5bfdc7f.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Canada wants to protect kids online, regulate social media, crack down on deepfakes, and make streaming giants pay more into Canadian content. But will any of it actually work?</p><p>This week on <strong>Politics Is Broken</strong>, Brittlestar and Lisa dig into Bill C-34, the proposed under-16 social media ban, age verification, AI guardrails, online harms, and whether government rules can keep up with kids, parents, tech companies, and the internet being... the internet.</p><p>Plus: Canadian culture, streaming platforms, the CRTC, Netflix, TikTok, Canadian creators, and why relying on American companies to save Canadian stories might not be the strongest national strategy. Also, somehow, butter tarts.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Other Ai]]></title><description><![CDATA[or How To Make Friends With Robots But Not Fall In Love]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/the-other-ai</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/the-other-ai</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:21:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FS0y!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FS0y!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FS0y!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FS0y!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FS0y!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FS0y!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FS0y!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg" width="1456" height="1164" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1164,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:850139,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/i/201195849?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FS0y!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FS0y!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FS0y!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FS0y!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f9808d-8c49-413e-973a-33b14179330a_3031x2424.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I took a photo of my stove and sent it to a robot.</p><p>One more sentence I never imagined uttering.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">BRITTLESTAR is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>When I was a boy I was enthralled with the idea of a robot assistant&#8230; companion&#8230;<br>oh, who am I kidding, best friend.</p><p>The future that was promised to me as a child involved flying cars, stain-resistant jumpsuits, and robot pals.</p><p>We don&#8217;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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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). </p><p>Within seconds it had deduced the make and year of the stove and told me where to find the model number.</p><p>Wow!</p><p>I took another photo of the model number and sent it back.</p><p>A second or two passed and it spat out the exact part number to be replaced.</p><p>Amazing!</p><p>Off I went to a big box store and bought the replacement part.</p><p>I returned home excited to bask in my manly-handiness aided by robots&#8230; only to find that though the part was correct, our old (vintage?) stove required special connectors. </p><p>This time we took the old broken element and raced to the local appliance store which was closer.</p><p>We arrived at 20 minutes past 3 o&#8217;clock, which being a small store meant they had been closed for 20 minutes on this sunny Saturday. </p><p>As we dejectedly returned to our car the owner appeared in the parking lot beckoning us back.<br>&#8221;I saw the broken element in your hand and thought that won&#8217;t get dinner made.&#8221;</p><p>She then eyeballed the broken element in my hand said &#8220;I&#8217;ve got one in the back.&#8221;</p><p>Within the hour the element was replaced, tested, and working great.</p><p>Ai has lots of uses and will only get better (hopefully) but my experience this past weekend reminded me of the other Ai&#8230; At-hand Intelligence.</p><p>The experts around you. </p><p>The small business owner who got into doing what they do because they love helping people. </p><p>Sometimes the community around you will be able to help you faster and better.</p><p>### </p><p>Be sure to pop by <a href="https://PeaceLoveCanada.ca">PeaceLoveCanada.ca</a> to keep Shannon out of trouble.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">BRITTLESTAR is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[HOEKSTRA GO HOME!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Politics Is Broken w/ Brittlestar and Lisa B]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/hoekstra-go-home</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/hoekstra-go-home</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 07 Jun 2026 10:20:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/200940476/7e654d779960877670a3bdbfdf6317d7.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>U.S. Ambassador to Canada Peter Hoekstra has somehow turned one of the easiest diplomatic jobs in the world into an international group project no one asked for.</p><p>In this episode of <strong>Politics Is Broken</strong>, Brittlestar and Lisa B dig into Hoekstra reposting Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;51st state&#8221; comments, why Canadians are rightly furious, and what it says about the current state of Canada-U.S. relations under the Trump administration.</p><p>We also get into Alberta separatism, Danielle Smith&#8217;s referendum chaos, Wab Kinew calling things as he sees them, the Western Premiers Conference, tariffs, Trump&#8217;s social media diplomacy, and whether Canada should treat Hoekstra as a serious warning sign... or just another political buffoon with a login.</p><p>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?</p><p>Canada is not for sale. But apparently some people keep checking the price.</p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong><br>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.</p><p>Buy a PiB mug! <br><a href="https://peacelovecanada.ca/products/politics-is-broken-mug">https://peacelovecanada.ca/products/politics-is-broken-mug</a></p><div><hr></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[F-Bombs In Politics]]></title><description><![CDATA[Politics Is Broken w/ Brittlestar and Lisa B]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/f-bombs-in-politics</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/f-bombs-in-politics</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2026 10:01:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/199910751/009269758179b58c63220c6a95b3424d.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Political discourse is getting uglier... but is that always a bad thing?</p><p>This week on <strong>Politics Is Broken</strong>, Brittlestar and Lisa dig into the rise of insult politics, media scrums, political clapbacks, and whether &#8220;going high&#8221; still works when the other side is already rolling around in the democratic mud like a raccoon in a Tim Hortons dumpster.</p><p>They talk Alberta separatism, rallies, Pierre Poilievre&#8217;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.</p><p>Subscribe for more sharp, funny Canadian political commentary from Brittlestar and Lisa.</p><p><strong>Grab a Politics Is Broken mug before they&#8217;re gone!</strong><br><a href="https://peacelovecanada.ca/products/politics-is-broken-mug?_pos=1&amp;_psq=politics&amp;_ss=e&amp;_v=1.0">https://peacelovecanada.ca/products/politics-is-broken-mug?_pos=1&amp;_psq=politics&amp;_ss=e&amp;_v=1.0</a></p><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">BRITTLESTAR is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Theatres Are Back, Baby!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Entertainment Is Broken w/ Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/theatres-are-back-baby</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/theatres-are-back-baby</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 19:18:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/199642495/8e5d1c1cb9316086a149dbd484e86975.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After years of hearing that movie theatres were dying, Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon ask whether the big screen is having a real comeback... and what that means for Canadian cinema.</p><p>This week on <strong>Entertainment Is Broken</strong>, 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.</p><p>They also dig into the growing momentum behind Canadian films like <strong>Little Lorraine</strong>, <strong>Blue Heron</strong>, <strong>Nirvanna: The Band, The Show, The Movie</strong>, <strong>Undertone</strong>, and more... plus the importance of community theatres like The Revue, The Fox, The Plaza, and other independent spaces across the country.</p><p>Also discussed:<br>Canadian horror, Ginger Snaps, Black Christmas, post-pandemic moviegoing, theatre as a third space, and why some films simply need an audience.</p><p>Because maybe theatres aren&#8217;t dead after all. Maybe they were just waiting for us to remember why we loved them.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Uh Oh, I Think The Problem Is Us]]></title><description><![CDATA[Depeche Mode were right]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/uh-oh-i-think-the-problem-is-us</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/uh-oh-i-think-the-problem-is-us</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 24 May 2026 13:45:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dzdc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3fc104c-d36a-4a72-91cc-8ca5b5aa2c43_4032x3024.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My answer didn&#8217;t get a warm response.</p><p>Of course, why would it? </p><p>No one, when asking what the problem is, appreciates being told it&#8217;s them. <br>That it&#8217;s us. </p><p>I did a bit of travelling for work this past few weeks.  There&#8217;s more coming up and, though it&#8217;s exhausting and draining, I love it.</p><p>I think I love it because it never fails to underline one very important fact&#8230;</p><p>People, no matter race, creed, or origin, are people. <br>Awesome.<br>Awful.<br>Adorable.<br>Appalling.<br>All of it.</p><p>Our little pocket computers (smartphones) have given us unfettered access to the entirety of human knowledge.<br>That&#8217;s a lot of information.<br>So much that we try to immediately compartmentalize it. <br>Sort it.<br>Prioritize it. <br>Divide it.</p><p>And oh&#8230; there&#8217;s the problem.</p><p>Part of that bottomless cup of knowledge is humans and how we see each other. </p><p>Faced with infinite variations and details we try to separate them into chunks.<br>You&#8217;re from that country? Then you&#8217;re this.<br>Your skin is that colour? Then this is who you are.</p><p>This, despite sounding evidently wrong, is useful.<br>It helps keep us sane. <br>At first.<br>But then it quickly creates walls between us.</p><p>We&#8217;re drowning in a shower of information that we&#8217;re addicted to but cannot possibly process without trying to simplify it. <br>And when we simplify it, we get things wrong.<br>We make assumptions.<br>We create stereotypes.</p><p>Until we actually talk to each other.<br>Then our similarities become impossible to ignore. </p><p>They becomes we. </p><p>Not always&#8230; but a lot.</p><p>Social Media is wonderful.<br>Ask me.  It saved our family from losing everything and has provided me opportunities I never dare to dream of.</p><p>But recently, no thanks to shareholders and profits, it&#8217;s been building walls between us.<br>Turning genuine discourse into a shirts versus skins bloodbath. <br>Feeding us what we hate and fear because those two emotions are the easiest to monetize.</p><p>Here&#8217;s the kicker though&#8230;</p><p>The &#8220;social&#8221; in social media?<br>That&#8217;s us. </p><p>It&#8217;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.</p><p>We need to fix <em>us</em>. <br>We need to teach children and adults alike that the scoreboard reality they see online isn&#8217;t entirely accurate. <br>The world isn&#8217;t black and white.<br>It&#8217;s every colour you can imagine and a few more. </p><p>People are people.<br>And a lot of them are great. </p><p>### </p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Keep Shannon Busy</strong></p><p>Buy some merch! <a href="https://PeaceLoveCanada.ca">PeaceLoveCanada.ca</a></p><div><hr></div><div data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://photos.fife.usercontent.google.com/pw/AP1GczPhbnFdD6k9pKyACN6yPWbexNkpry0YA3cSz8r83qm5CMQLdKhYFRn6xw=w1176-h1568-s-no-gm?authuser=0&quot;}" data-component-name="AssetErrorToDOM"><picture><img src="/img/missing-image.png" height="455" width="728"></picture></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dzdc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3fc104c-d36a-4a72-91cc-8ca5b5aa2c43_4032x3024.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dzdc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3fc104c-d36a-4a72-91cc-8ca5b5aa2c43_4032x3024.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dzdc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3fc104c-d36a-4a72-91cc-8ca5b5aa2c43_4032x3024.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dzdc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3fc104c-d36a-4a72-91cc-8ca5b5aa2c43_4032x3024.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!dzdc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3fc104c-d36a-4a72-91cc-8ca5b5aa2c43_4032x3024.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img 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class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">BRITTLESTAR is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Should Alberta Leave Canada: Pros and Cons]]></title><description><![CDATA[Politics Is Broken w/ Brittlestar and Lisa B]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/should-alberta-leave-canada-pros</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/should-alberta-leave-canada-pros</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 24 May 2026 10:01:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/198996844/06d3e652fcda454c568aa807e62ff459.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Is Alberta separation actually possible... or is it just political theatre with a very expensive price tag?</p><p>This week on <strong>Politics Is Broken</strong>, 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.</p><p>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 &#8220;just leaving Canada.&#8221;</p><p>Because breaking up is hard to do... especially when you still need to use your ex&#8217;s highways, ports, currency, passports, trade deals, and possibly their microwave.</p><p>In this episode:</p><ul><li><p>Why Alberta separation sounds simple online but gets very complicated very quickly</p></li><li><p>The real costs of becoming a new country</p></li><li><p>What Alberta gets from Canada right now</p></li><li><p>Why transfer payments are more complicated than the slogan version</p></li><li><p>How separatist rhetoric ignores healthcare, pensions, borders, disaster relief, and trade</p></li><li><p>Why low-information voting is dangerous... even when people are frustrated for real reasons</p></li><li><p>What happens next as Alberta heads toward an October vote</p></li></ul><p><strong>Watch:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken">https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken</a></p><p><strong>Listen:</strong> <a href="https://pod.link/1730993828">https://pod.link/1730993828</a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Did Colbert Kill Late Night?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Entertainment Is Broken w/ Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/did-colbert-kill-late-night</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/did-colbert-kill-late-night</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 23 May 2026 19:37:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/198993734/2d43bf066203128d94300da23d98e86f.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Is late night television dying, or has it just been chopped up into clips, podcasts, TikToks, and celebrity interviews designed for the algorithm?</p><p>This week on <strong>Entertainment Is Broken</strong>, 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&#8217;s own attempts to build a proper talk-show tradition.</p><p>Richard reflects on hosting <em>Pop Life</em>, 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.</p><p>They also discuss <em>Obsessed</em>, Indie Navarette&#8217;s standout performance, Keke Palmer, Boots Riley&#8217;s <em>I Love Boosters</em>, and why smaller, stranger movies may be finding their way back into theatres.</p><p><strong>Watch:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@EntertainmentIsBroken">https://www.youtube.com/@EntertainmentIsBroken</a></p><p><strong>Listen:</strong> <a href="https://pod.link/1855097197">https://pod.link/1855097197</a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Roasts Stop Being Funny]]></title><description><![CDATA[Entertainment Is Broken w/ Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/when-roasts-stop-being-funny</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/when-roasts-stop-being-funny</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2026 10:00:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/198101937/0a4419078a7853e5c1bcb127d7f8ebf8.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Comedy makes us laugh&#8230; so why do we treat it like it&#8217;s less serious than drama?<br><br>This week on Entertainment Is Broken, Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon dig into why comedy is one of the hardest art forms to pull off&#8230; and one of the easiest to dismiss.<br><br>From the craft of timing, rhythm, structure, improv, physical comedy, and invisible choices&#8230; to the modern roast culture of Kevin Hart, Shane Gillis, Tony Hinchcliffe, Chelsea Handler, Sheryl Underwood, and the Joe Rogan comedy universe&#8230; Richard and Sarah ask whether comedy has become sharper, crueler, lazier, or just more revealing.<br><br>Plus: Kinky Boots, Mr. Dressup, Gary Shandling&#8217;s devastating silent review, Jim Carrey&#8217;s physical genius, why roasts may not be for everyone, and underrated comedy picks including After Hours and I Love You to Death.<br><br>Comedy may not get enough credit&#8230; but this episode does the work. Possibly in heels.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Should We Take Alberta Separation Seriously?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Politics Is Broken w/ Lisa and Brittlestar]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/should-we-take-alberta-separation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/should-we-take-alberta-separation</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2026 09:36:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/198100006/2c2ab8e93f6e2b78cb84cf965b5d8722.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Alberta probably isn&#8217;t leaving Canada tomorrow... but the people, politics, money, data, and foreign attention surrounding the separation movement may be worth taking seriously.</p><p>This week on <em>Politics Is Broken</em>, Brittlestar and Lisa dig into the Alberta separation push, the nearly 302,000 signatures reportedly submitted, the voter data scandal, Danielle Smith&#8217;s &#8220;Sovereign Alberta within a United Canada&#8221; 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.</p><p>Also discussed: magic beans, King Charles conspiracy fears, Brexit warnings, separatist leaders who maybe shouldn&#8217;t be allowed near the steering wheel, and why &#8220;we&#8217;re just sending Ottawa a message&#8221; is a pretty risky way to flirt with constitutional chaos.</p><p>Watch, subscribe, and join the conversation.</p><p>### </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[It’s Better To Not Burnout, Guvnah]]></title><description><![CDATA[Politics Is Broken w/ Brittlestar and Lisa B]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/its-better-to-not-burnout-guvnah</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/its-better-to-not-burnout-guvnah</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 10 May 2026 11:02:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2TA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2TA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2TA!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2TA!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2TA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2TA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2TA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg" width="1456" height="1456" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1456,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2007488,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/i/197063942?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2TA!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2TA!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2TA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2TA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F318a2137-2236-46d0-af80-75382d20be70_3684x3684.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>There&#8217;s no Politics Is Broken podcast this week as Lisa and I each stave off burnout.</p><p>That said, I&#8217;m also in the UK this week. &#8220;I burn my candle at both ends, it gives a lovely light&#8230;something something something&#8221;.</p><p>Who knows, there could be a sneaky podcast episode this week.</p><p>In the meantime, have you got one of our mugs yet?</p><p>Shipping included in Canada!</p><p><a href="https://peacelovecanada.ca/products/politics-is-broken-mug?_pos=1&amp;_psq=politics&amp;_ss=e&amp;_v=1.0">https://peacelovecanada.ca/products/politics-is-broken-mug?_pos=1&amp;_psq=politics&amp;_ss=e&amp;_v=1.0</a></p><p>Stay sane everyone.</p><p>Thank you for your support!</p><p><strong>Watch:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken">https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken</a></p><p><strong>Listen:</strong> <a href="https://pod.link/1730993828">https://pod.link/1730993828</a></p><p>There&#8217;s no Politics Is Broken podcast this week as Lisa and I each stave off burnout.</p><p>That said, I&#8217;m also in the UK this week. &#8220;I burn my candle at both ends, it gives a lovely light&#8230;something something something&#8221;.</p><p>Who knows, there could be a sneaky podcast episode this week.</p><p>In the meantime, have you got one of our mugs yet?</p><p>Shipping included in Canada!</p><p><a href="https://peacelovecanada.ca/products/politics-is-broken-mug?_pos=1&amp;_psq=politics&amp;_ss=e&amp;_v=1.0">https://peacelovecanada.ca/products/politics-is-broken-mug?_pos=1&amp;_psq=politics&amp;_ss=e&amp;_v=1.0</a></p><p>Stay sane everyone.</p><p>Thank you for your support!</p><p><strong>Watch:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken">https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken</a></p><p><strong>Listen:</strong> <a href="https://pod.link/1730993828">https://pod.link/1730993828</a></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Beatles or The Stones... Forever?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Entertainment Is Broken w/ Sarah Hanlon and Richard Crouse]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/the-beatles-or-the-stones-forever</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/the-beatles-or-the-stones-forever</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 17:17:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/196804126/d3d57b99c1b55736e0e087c8b27dc909.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Watch:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@EntertainmentIsBroken">https://www.youtube.com/@EntertainmentIsBroken</a></p><p><strong>Listen:</strong> <a href="https://pod.link/1855097197">https://pod.link/1855097197</a> </p><p><strong>Are The Beatles and The Rolling Stones still chasing the muse... or just refusing to leave the stage?</strong></p><p>This week on <strong>Entertainment Is Broken</strong>, Richard Crouse and Sarah Hanlon dig into the eternal encore of rock&#8217;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&#8217;re active participants in the present.</p><p>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&#8217;t, and how &#8220;relevance&#8221; may be the wrong measurement for art in the first place.</p><p>Also discussed: Wings, Billy Preston, concert ticket prices, blue dot fever, Paul Rudd&#8217;s apparent immunity to time, and Sarah&#8217;s escalating squirrel situation... which may already be a Cronenberg film.</p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Remember to Scheme]]></title><description><![CDATA[I put the old white guy in Kingston]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/remember-to-scheme</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/remember-to-scheme</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 15:28:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qpHI!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qpHI!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qpHI!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qpHI!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qpHI!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qpHI!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qpHI!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png" width="1456" height="1048" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1048,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2553162,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/i/196318537?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qpHI!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qpHI!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qpHI!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qpHI!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fb88429-e9a2-4b6c-af25-97ec0a0c9f38_1456x1048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I didn&#8217;t plan any of it. </p><p>To be honest, it was nothing like I had imagined.</p><p>But it was exactly as I&#8217;d schemed. </p><p>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.<br><br>The town, at least that part of it, would be quiet in the morning. <br>I could watch what few people would pass by and let their very different lives help shape my own.  It&#8217;s easier sometimes to let what something isn&#8217;t define what it is&#8230;<br>and I isn&#8217;t them. </p><p>I returned to Kingston this past week.<br>It&#8217;s a lovely town.  If you haven&#8217;t gone, do so.  You&#8217;ll have a grand time. </p><p>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&#8217;ve lost the game of life on the first roll of the dice. </p><p>The exciting part was the scheming. <br>Clearing your head and really letting the sky be the limit of what you want to do and who you want to be. </p><p>I still do it. <br>To this day. </p><p>As the saying goes, life can change on a dime.<br>What they don&#8217;t say is that you can throw the dimes down yourself. </p><p>Find some time to scheme.<br>All options open. </p><p>Where I am currently is nothing that I planned&#8230;<br>but, when I pull back an focus on the bigger picture, it&#8217;s exactly the result of those times spent scheming. </p><p>###  </p><div><hr></div><h2>PODCASTS</h2><p><strong>Politics Is Broken - Mark Carney&#8217;s Mistake</strong><br>Lisa and I talk about when we&#8217;re going to need to tell Prime Minister Carney to pump the brakes on cuts, plus what the hell is happening in Alberta. </p><p><strong>Watch:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken">https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticsIsBroken</a> or <a href="https://www.brittlestar.com/p/mark-carneys-mistake">here on Substack</a>!</p><p><strong>Listen:</strong> <a href="https://pod.link/1730993828">https://pod.link/1730993828</a></p><p>&#8212;</p><p><strong>Entertainment Is Broken - HUGE Star Tiny Room</strong><br>Richard and Lisa chat about the magic that happens when huge stars perform in tiny rooms.  From The Rolling Stones to Olivia Rodrigo.</p><p><strong>Watch:</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@EntertainmentIsBroken">https://www.youtube.com/@EntertainmentIsBroken</a></p><p><strong>Listen:</strong> <a href="https://pod.link/1855097197">https://pod.link/1855097197</a> </p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mark Carney's Mistake]]></title><description><![CDATA[Politics Is Broken w/ Brittlestar and Lisa B]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/mark-carneys-mistake</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/mark-carneys-mistake</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 11:02:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/196272352/a3c16884f7954a968eaccdce36e77c01.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Is Mark Carney accidentally giving the NDP its best opening in years?</p><p>In this episode of <em>Politics Is Broken</em>, Brittlestar and Lisa B dig into Althia Raj&#8217;s Toronto Star opinion piece about Carney&#8217;s economic update and what it may signal for pharmacare, child care, health transfers, and the future of progressive voters in Canada.</p><p>We also talk about the strange political mood in Ottawa, Stewart&#8217;s night at Politics and the Pen, Melissa Lantsman being funnier than expected, Alberta&#8217;s latest electoral-list mess, and whether the NDP can finally stop stepping on rakes long enough to become the &#8220;not Liberal&#8221; option.</p><p>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:</p><p>&#8220;Wait... why <em>does</em> the NDP exist again?&#8221;</p><p>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.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Motivation Follows Action]]></title><description><![CDATA[Which Makes The Action Part Kinda Hard]]></description><link>https://www.brittlestar.com/p/motivation-follows-action</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.brittlestar.com/p/motivation-follows-action</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Brittlestar]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:01:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M4dz!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M4dz!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M4dz!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M4dz!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M4dz!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M4dz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M4dz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg" width="1456" height="970" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:970,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:547173,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/i/195518963?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M4dz!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M4dz!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M4dz!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M4dz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2dab87f5-0a69-4d9b-9f52-ad6047966b6c_2048x1364.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I love planning. </p><p>Not detailed plans.<br>No math.</p><p>More like that daydream scheming you do when you imagine your life made different somehow. </p><p>I think we all do it.</p><p>&#8220;Man, it&#8217;d be so great if I&#8230;&#8221;<br>&#8221;All I need to do is&#8230;&#8221;<br>or the dreaded, &#8220;I could do that easily.&#8221;</p><p>The trick isn&#8217;t in the imagining.<br>It&#8217;s in the doing. </p><p>I&#8217;ve learned this lesson countless times in my life yet still need to re-learn it constantly. </p><p>If you want to jump in the lake, you need to jump in the lake. </p><p>Why?</p><p>Because once you&#8217;ve done it, you&#8217;ll do it again.</p><p>Too many times we just stand on the dock waiting for the motivation to jump in.<br>That motivation won&#8217;t come until you jump in. </p><p>Whether it be going to the gym, checking off a to-do list, or being the person you want to be. </p><p>Motivation follows action. </p><p>###  </p><div><hr></div><h2>ON THE PODS</h2><p><strong>Politics Is Broken</strong><br>This week Lisa and I discuss Alberta&#8217;s Slopaganda problem and the Dutch kids behind it.<br><a href="http://PoliticsIsBroken.ca">PoliticsIsBroken.ca</a></p><p><strong>Entertainment Is Broken</strong><br>Richard and Sarah chat about how it&#8217;s okay to still like your favourite art even if the artist is a terrible person.<br><a href="http://EntertainmentIsBroken.ca">EntertainmentIsBroken.ca</a></p><div><hr></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.brittlestar.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe 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