Cherry Picking with Alexia Benn

What does it mean to be Canadian?Come one, come all. Welcome back to the pod. Today we talk about titles, the genuine joy of fulfilling employment, and a pressing question of necessity when it comes to Canada's status as a Commonwealth country under the British monarchy. There's been a petition initiated by a man in Abbotsford, brought to the House of Commons by the Conservative candidate for Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon. Let's talk about it, we have time. And there's an email? Refer here to the aforementioned petition and consider your own opinion. I trust myself, and I trust and value my peers' insight. What do you think?The quote regarding Listening, Understanding, and Acting comes from a lecture on March 30th 2021 by Stó:lō Tribal Chief Tyrone McNeil through remote learning via Zoom, University of Victoria :PCheers,Alexia Instagram

Baby we are back in a big way.It's been a year! Literally. I hope it has been a good one for you. Your host Alexia has been caught up in the world in a whirlwind. It's been so long I barely know where to begin! So, without further ado, lets get into it. Today's episode is really more of a catch up, recorded in January of 2023. This one is to those who are personally invested.  A book on the horizon? What was that? The bottom line is, I've missed this, I've missed us, and despite the break in the show the world has continued to turn. Download this episode if you want to hear about what's been going on in my world, and check back next week to zoom out and take a bigger peak at the world at large.  As an aside, please forgive any potential janky audio. We are testing an upload in .wav format although the diva host is so out of practice it's already a botched trial because she recorded the whole episode in mono! Oopsies. Bare with me friends as we figure this out together.Cheers,Alexia Instagram

Hello and welcome to Episode 21 of Cherry Picking with Alexia Benn. This Episode comes as an interlude, bridging the first and second seasons of the show together. This episode stands unique as it is probably the most scattered chronologically thus far. How so? This episode was recorded on February 2nd, 2022 and edited on July 5th 2022. In it, I share an old blog post I'd written on January 9th 2021 following the USA Capitol terrorist attacks that resulted in the loss of lives. This story comes to contrast the January 22nd 2022 Freedom convoy, which has since evolved and developed in character. Even editing this episode felt like peering back in time, now that the vaccine mandates are gone. What were we all so worked up about? Time changes our perspective maybe more than anything else.I hope you enjoy this little bonus episode, a little bit shorter than the average but may suffice until more is to come. As the situation stands, there is a lot more to be worked up about, and a lot more to work on. Since season one, wars have started—refugee crises. International travel is booming amidst a recession. Roe v Wade has been overturned. NFT markets have crashed. On a more local level, John Horgan has announced he will be stepping down from his role as Premier before the next election. Saanich will have a municipal election on October 15th, which will leave lasting impacts on local response to issues such as climate change, the opioid crisis, and the housing crisis. We have lots of catching up to do...

Hello everyone! Today marks our 20th episode of the show, and with that milestone, also the conclusion of our first season.  And what a season it has been! Today we go over some pleasantries and I lay out my plan for this break, catching listeners up on what I have in store for season 2 and what can be expected. Lots of little tweaks and improvements to be made, and I couldn't be more excited!  I also reiterate some of the lessons I've learned during the process of becoming acquainted with podcasting, discussing some of the challenges I've had as well as all the ways this adventure has opened up my mind to a world of possibilities. Most importantly, I also thank my listeners for their endless support. Whether you've listened to one episode or listened every week, you're a part of the tree. Researching, recording, and editing is fun and all. But being able to share the finished product with you? Now that's something else.Finally, if you want to skip to about 20 minutes into the episode, I also cover and discuss the very recent news which broke on December 20th updating the cost of RCMP enforcement at Fairy Creek to $6.8 million. And that's a wrap! Happy happy holidays, take care, and enjoy your time with family, friends, and loved ones. While I won't be publishing new episodes for a little while, all my current episodes are all up and here to stay. I'll catch you in the New Year. Until then, stay frosty. 

Good morning and happy Wednesday! I'm pleased to have my first episode out on time in a little while here and man, does it feel good. Today on Episode 19 of Cherry Picking we talk about the Metaverse. Or Meta? The Meta. Metaverse. Something vaguely reminiscent of Facebook but more ominous and somehow even less cool. This episode covers a brief history of a long slew of the legal entanglements of FB and Mark Zuckerberg, our favourite lizard barbeque, before getting into some more.. opinion driven ideas of what this transition to 'augmented reality means for us. In all honesty, I am a nerdy granola girl at heart. I love reading and I love being outside, and technology has a way of keeping me from doing that sometimes. I despise the metaverse and everything it seems to stand for, but, each day that passes I am reminded of how thin a line we walk as our own lives become more and more integrated digitally with technology. The social, economic, and political implications of the modern trajectory of social media are already profound, and what is sure to come next will be... more profound? If any of this is interesting to you, hope on and join the ride. It is a weird world to exist in when the promise of an ideal, online, augmented, artificial reality has genuine appeal to ANYONE over the real thing. And if this world gives you the ick, you're not alone. 

Hello! Before anything else, I would like to answer the above question with a resounding no! However, in today's episode of Cherry Picking, we'll dive into the opinion of someone who might disagree. To start off we'll discuss the concept of racialization, the process of developing and attributing features to a group of people on the basis of race with the intention of justifying a specific form of treatment. We'll be piggybacking off of some content from last week for this, so if you want to, check that out first! It isn't necessary though. Then, we'll apply this concept to Indigenous people and the Canadian state, and how the social construction of race was used to differentiate Indigenous Peoples from the rest of Canada. This was done in order to apply them to a system of civic stratification, or the conditional application of rights and privileges based on one moral and legal social standing in society. Finally, we'll close the episode off with a reading of one of the most interesting Instagram captions I've ever read. Yes, this is where the title of the episode comes from, and yes, it's because a white woman feels left out and wants to be Indigenous. This caption provides an excellent case of white privilege and the entitlement and ownership that many people express towards Indigenous identity and culture. Yes, these are sensitive topics to engage in. But it is valuable work to do and there is so much to learn from perspectives that are different from yours, even perspectives we may write off as wrong or bad. Additionally, I would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who regularly listens and downloads the podcast supporting me and my creative pursuits. We've had over 400 downloads of the podcast now, and I am so happy and grateful to have each and every one of you here

If you're anything like me, you might have a pile of dirty laundry somewhere in your room. On a chair, on the floor, maybe it's in a basket. It's a human ailment, clothes get dirty and need to be cleaned, they're worn again and it all starts over. What a thing. We all have different systems of organization we use on a day to day basis, even as ordinary as moving piles of clothes around. In Episode 17, we do not talk about dirty laundry, but instead, a different endless cycle. Capitalism! The system that governs the functions of our everyday lives, the one that was created through legislature written in the 16th and 17th century, that spread across the globe through colonialism and slavery, among an endless list of genuinely sinful and evil crimes against humanity. People hate it, people love it (allegedly), but what is it?That is a loaded question, highly philosophical, and answered in-depth many-a-times in the most brain-numbing way by many white men that died before your great-grandparents were even born. I am not them, but I have been forced to learn about them, and this is my rendition, to the best of my knowledge, of what this petrifying system is. Listen to this if you want to maybe learn some interesting and loosely objective thoughts, theories, opinions, and tidbits of info about capitalism. Some from me, some borrowed from professors accumulated over time, some from old white dudes. The more you know about something, the better you can use it. In all seriousness though, if you made it this far, give it a listen. There's a little bit of gross academic language I use, but breaking this down in a clear(ish) way might make some space for that laundry. When systems I use don't make sense to me anymore, I run into a bit of resistance to changing them. But then one day something clicks and a better way to do things was found without even thinking about it. Until then, fold your laundry and enjoy the show :)

This week on Episode 16 of Cherry Picking, we take a look at exactly how much money was spent in just 5 months on RCMP enforcement of logging up at Fairy Creek, alongside numbers from the enforcement of Coastal Gaslink on Wet'suwet'en territory. But, it runs deeper than that. A few weeks ago, we discussed Trudeau's promise to increase military spending by 70% over the course of 20 years. In addition to RCMP enforcement of resource extraction projects and Trudeau's commitment, we're also seeing examples of budget increases to municipal police departments such as Victoria and Vancouver. So, where does all this money come from? Chances are, it's your parent's property taxes. The collection, allocation, and distribution of tax money always raise grunts and groans. However, severe concerns are raised when money is hastily thrown in the direction of publically opposed RCMP enforcement while each year, issues of homelessness continue to grow. There are so many public issues that can desperately use this money and yet without fail, budgets continue to rise for law enforcement. And which laws is it again that are being enforced? Last week's flooding throughout the province has proved to have drastically impacted supply chains, distribution, and, even everyday citizens felt panic over limited gas supplies which were put under restriction. Now, photos have been released that show portions of the TransMountain Pipeline exposed following mudslides and flooding in the Coldwater River area. These resource development projects are - in theory - safe. And yet protests against Coastal Gaslink have been ongoing for almost two years saying exactly the opposite. Indigenous activists have been warning us about unseen complications of such projects, and these photos only serve to reinforce the messages that we should have listened to years ago. The climate is changing, and if we don't change with it, this is only the beginning of such unforeseen complications. Also, if you listen until the end, you get to hear about some pretty interesting survey results from a group project I conducted with my pals Aidan, Andrew, and Nick. You don't wanna miss it! 

Inspired by the recent 'atmospheric river' on Monday that delivered over an entire month of rain in one day in some areas, today on Episode 15 of Cherry Picking, we delve into the topic of climate change. And as of now, the lower mainland is extremely insecure in its supply chain connections with the rest of Canada due to this event. What does this mean?Portions of the Coquihalla highway are down, entire cities are on mandatory evacuation notices, dairy farmers are reportedly pouring out vats of milk with no way to distribute their product, and at least 1 person has been killed in a mudslide on Highway 1. This all follows a summer that brought the province an astronomically destructive forest fire season, a heat dome that killed more than 600 people over the course of a single weekend, and recent abnormal weather events such as a tornado and 'bomb cyclone'. Climate change will be a defining factor for the trajectory of our lives, our children's lives, and all lives to follow. Our generation has been presented with quite the predicament. Right now, we have all the opportunity, hope, and possibility for genuine, positive change. If we miss the forest for the trees, the current events we are all bearing witness to will surely be just the beginning of the destruction yet to come. Why is climate change such a contentious, divisive topic? Is it really all so political? And what individual power do we have in all this, if any? I promise that we are all capable of far more than we may give ourselves credit. 

Today on Episode 14 of Cherry Picking we embark on a journey exploring the role that conspiracy theories play in supporting the ever quaking foundations of our social society as we know it. Why are conspiracy theories so appealing? And why are they oh so dangerous? The best conspiracies are ones that include pieces of truth, and the most notorious conspiracy theories are the ones that aren't theories at all. We'll discuss comments from whistleblower Edward Snowden, then, discuss links that one paper made between rising support for conspiracy theories and threats to the status quo of social society. From human trafficking to covid vaccines, conspiracy is contagious. They spread like wildfire and provide simple, digestible answers to explain the unexplainable evil that surrounds us. If only things could go on like this, and if only it were that simple. The reality of the world and the evil in it is that there are no easy answers, no easy fixes, and the problems we have are much bigger than the conspiracies make them out to be. Human trafficking is a billion-dollar international industry that spans far beyond pizza parlours and Jeffrey's island, and the covid vaccine conspiracy 'debate' does far more long term damage to the fabric of society than we may like to think. Finally, to wrap things up today, we close with a short discussion on tech's best dancer, Elon Musk.  The South African tweeted about donating $6 billion to world hunger should he be presented with a solution. Who's going to break the news he's the problem? Because perhaps a case study into the way he has manipulated the markets and minds of Western culture is the best illustration of conspiracies hidden in plain sight I can paint. 

This week on Episode 13, your host is dishevelled. Big changes are incoming and I am experiencing some existential dread. So, today, I just spoke from the heart. No notes, just cold. I'll be back next Wednesday with a carefully thought out episode topic, cohesive transitions of ideas, speaking on big concepts that matter and tie into the real world.  But today I talked about myself, what's going on in my world, and how I'm making changes in my tiny little bubble that I can influence. Sometimes that means getting a job at a little bar to perform menial tasks and recuperate from an extremely emotionally taxing 3+ years working in senior care. And guess what? This also means more projects, wider prospects, interviews, all things that I am excited to work on. I also end up rambling about capitalism, consumerism, aspects of white supremacist new age spiritual movements, and much more! These are topics I will delve further into in the future, but this really is just for me, by me, put out there. Half-formed thoughts developed in sound, if you will. If you get something out of today's episode, please let it be; know thyself. I'm sharing a slice of my experience. The most beautiful thing that can come out of that is that it causes you to reflect on yours. 

Today on Episode 12 of Cherry Picking we dive right into the petrol tainted freshwater. In case you missed it, Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, is currently under a non-potable water advisory. This situation serves as a starting point to explore the relationship that Canada has with its freshwater supply. Why is water so important? What role has water played, or continues to play, in political discussions?And why is this relevant?So many reasons. Like many new technologies and developments, fracking was implemented perhaps a little bit preemptively, with minimal foresight and oversight. Today we'll also be engaging in a comprehensive review of public policy specifically regarding water waste disposal used in the practice of fracking. Water is life, and when our treatment and practices involving the use of water threatens its quality and quantity, we are threatening our own very existence. 

This week on Episode 11 we are all over the map, truly. Join today's episode to hear a recap of some of the motions made over the past few weeks regarding Fairy Creek. The fight is far from over, and really it's just begun. Having a clearer understanding of what we are working on within legal terms gives us more space to understand what can be done. Then, we talk about Squid Games. What do shows like this say about our society? As captivating and entertaining as it is, there's the truth behind the plot. We like to believe that there are winners and losers, and following a beautiful well-worn path will keep us safe as winners. But the way the world is heading shows us that these two paths run parallel, and the whole game is rigged. And finally, the roaring twenties may just be a covert return to the red scare. International moves being made in the present will be soon defining our future. Technology is scary, countries are constantly on the brink of war, and user data is a hot topic. While we live our little lives out here, remember that there are millions across the globe living their own lives, fighting their own fights, all on vastly different scales and slopes. One is never free of this as long as the world stays as connected as it is. Tune into it. 

Today on Episode 10 of Cherry Picking, we address the 'bombshell' of the Pandora Papers dropped on October 3rd, along with Frances Haugen's blowing of the whistle, followed by an honourable mention to the outages of Facebook, Instagram, Facebook messenger, and Whatsapp which caused a loss of billions (though I see stocks are now making a swift recovery, hmmm). I grew up with a dad who showed me Rocky Balboa clips. I now understand that this was preparation for this truly mean and nasty place that we live in. Articles online, such as those in The Guardian,  will slather pictures on their stories covering the news of these leaked documents. Putin and other world leaders pasted on a backdrop of pink skies, paper bills, palm trees, and a great big yellow sun setting behind them. The reality of these papers is this is not an accurate portrayal of what this money represents. This money represents the endless occupation and assault on Crimea, drug money, war money, stolen money, money withheld from the public, money withheld from our health care system, money that is starving families in 'developing countries, money that is killing our planet, money that is drilling into the core of the earth, sucking its soul out and suffocating our people. This is the money that owns us. And this represents but a fraction of it. I don't really talk about this much in the episode, but this is what is also real. Mark Zuckerberg and all these people count on us not to care, not to see, not to understand, not to engage. They count on us being hopeless. Don't do that. I promise this episode is a lot less hopeless than this all seems, and I try to make this somewhat understandable. I am still learning too :) that's the point. We all are. But it is of the utmost importance that you at least try to understand. 

Tomorrow is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a new holiday introduced by government this year in the wake of the now thousands of Indigenous children who have been recovered from mass graves at residential 'school' sites. While we should all be wearing orange to symbolically show our support for Indigenous communities, in episode 9 we will be digging a little bit deeper. We'll be looking at two surveys, one discussing the public perception of Indigenous people held by Canadians, and one discussing the disproportional rates of violence against Indigenous women and girls. While discussions of truth and reconciliation seem to centre around actions that have been taken by the Canadian state in the past, the reality of our present is that public perception of Indigenous people remains biased, skewed, and informed primarily by media and educational institutions, rather than Indigenous people themselves. While we mourn each and every child that is recovered from residential 'school' sites, we should also be supporting the individuals alive today who are their siblings, parents, and friends. We should also be actively listening to and learning from survivors, and children of survivors. We should be paying attention to the national crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women. We should be pressing to get clean water on each and every reserve, in protecting the future of Indigenous children alive today. I personally believe that all publically expressed opinions, actions, and allyship, at the end of the day, is preformative. From the Canadian state implementing a new national holiday to your corporate job encouraging employees to wear orange. So, if all allyship is preformative, make sure you perform in the most genuinely impactful way possible.  Attend an Indigenous planned event this Truth and Reconciliation day, call out a racist coworker or family member, and be conscious about intention. 

There's no way to summarize this appropriately. In Episode 8,  we'll be addressing Indigenous relations with the Canadian state from a variety of perspectives, grounded in history, and based on my education. We'll talk about whiteness, the media, and the Canadian State as factors in the perception of how one may view this topic. Then, we'll go over the 21 things of the book '21 Things you Might Not Know About the Indian Act' by Bob Joseph, with comments on my interpretations of specific socioeconomic issues and political tensions related to the points raised. We'll touch on two methods of governance reform avenues available for Indigenous communities that work with the Canadian Federal State, what that means,  and finally, address how one is possibly expected to face the reality of where the future can go. Which is- spoiler alert- anywhere.  Is this a heavy topic? Yes. This is not light. Is it filled with heavy language? Yes. But did I do my best to explain it clearly, which is why it took an hour and 7 minutes? also yes. People who are alive today lived through the application of this legislation. I have sat across from John Elliot, in the pouring rain on ancestral land, which is now public parkland. I have heard history directly from the source that has been so desperately attempted to be buried. Please listen to this, and if you feel so inspired, go and hear from them directly too. This conversation with people who look like me is so necessary and so overdue.  HISKWE to Marcia Turner,  John Elliot, and Nick Claxton specifically for educating me and giving me the foundation to even begin to discuss this topic. And, thank you to Marie Clements for being my window into this community. She is such a creative and wonderful woman and has inspired so much curiosity for me. * I misspoke when I said over 14,000 Indigenous children have been found to date at residential schools. Over 14,000 is the total estimation based on current trends from 'schools' that have been searched. 1,802 children have been recovered as of Sept. 16th, 2021 from 8 of the 139 total 'schools'. 

Election day is only 5 days away. In today's episode of Cherry Picking, we'll discuss the ideologies that are represented by the active political parties in Canada, as well as jump into a few key issues present in this election cycle. At the end of the day, your vote is a representation of your support for a particular leader. Before we express this support, let's be clear about what it is exactly that we are supporting. Tune in to talk about what a pandemic election means, what the upcoming government will be inheriting, and how the parties aim to address some of these concerns. 

Today on Episode 6 of Cherry Picking with Alexia Benn, we dive into a quick but incredibly important conversation about voting. With the upcoming federal election coming in fast on September 20th, it can be difficult to figure out how to make the most of your vote. In BC, only 52% of eligible voters aged 18-24 voted in 2019.  We can't use the excuse that it's simply too complicated. Tune in today to figure out how to see your riding, view your candidates, and learn how to use the information available to you to your greatest advantage. Let's be smart about this! Stalk your candidates the same way you stalk your old grade 10 boyfriend's new girlfriend. 

Today on Episode 5 of Cherry Picking we are joined by Matt Swiech, a hospitality worker turned entrepreneur. Matt began investing in a business idea of his back in December of 2020, driven by the lack of food security on Vancouver Island. He's identified a problem with the relationship to the food that we eat, taken a creative approach to solve challenges in setting up his business, and is set on spreading information on the topic while helping his broader community in the process. Tune in this week to understand how our mind, body, and health is impacted by what we eat and where it comes from.

Today on Episode 4 of Cherry Picking with Alexia Benn, we dip our toes into the world of modern agriculture production. Food is how we fuel our bodies to get us where we need to go and do what we need to do. However, humans are more disconnected now than ever before from the food we eat. What is the impact of the way we grow food, fund, and fuel our agricultural production on the climate? How much money is lost annually in Canada due to poor management of consumable goods? Who benefits from the way our food systems have been set up, and more importantly, who doesn't?  Grab a snack, sit down, and enjoy today's episode. The answers might surprise you. 

Today on Episode 3 of Cherry Picking with Alexia Benn, Saanich City Council member and CRD Director Ned Taylor joins the show to discuss municipal government.  At 19, Ned became the youngest Saanich City Council member elected. On the show, we'll discuss how he became involved in politics, why involvement at the local level is so important and influential, while also getting into the topic of youth involvement in politics as a whole. How much impact does social media have on this? Why is engagement in municipal elections so low compared to federal elections? Tune in to find out.

Today in Episode 2 we take a deep, yet incredibly shallow, dive into the broader concept of Canada. Intended to set the stage for future discussion, we'll touch on how Canada came to be and the basics of issues that define our current political state. Topics such as colonialism, immigration, resource extraction, trade relationships, and the democratic deficit will be introduced and described. The goal today: to begin to understand the past before we jump in and decide our future. 

Welcome to Episode 1 of Cherry Picking with Alexia Benn. Today's episode introduces your host, Alexia, and what lead her to create this podcast.  We'll explore several key themes that will be prominent throughout the episode, what this show sets out to do, and what you can expect from future episodes. Come as you are with an open mind.