The Charles Adler Show

Charles welcomes back Warren to the Charles Adler Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles welcomes back Warren Kinsella. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back. Sad day for 4800 employees at Bell Media: Bell announced they were firing 4800 people today. They are also selling half of their radio stations to suckers who want them and blamed the government for years of stripping profits and assets from their media division. - Why? Is it systemic, or is Bell a shitty company (both)? - Bell's CEO emailed staff, and we read it on the show. It's hilarious. He blames everyone but himself for trying to cut their way to better profitability! - Why publicly traded companies should never be allowed to deliver news to anyone - Is radio dead, or is Bell just really bad at it? - The human cost and what you must remember today if you're one of the 4800. It's not you; it's them and the industry... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Warren Kinsella returns for Kinsella Fridays. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back, and not a moment too soon!! All this Taylor Swift backlash deserves context: Charles Adler's mom turned 90 this week. She survived the holocaust and made it out of Hungary with a 2-year-old Charles Adler in a backpack. She didn't give Charles's dad a choice: SHE was the boss. "We're leaving, and if you're not coming, I'm leaving with this child to North America for a better life..." Charles knows two things better than anyone I've met: 1. Authortitrian messaging and 2. Strong women intimidate weak men. ...which explains the Taylor Swift backlash. Authoritarians don't like more successful non-authoritarians. Weak men all have authoritarian dreams, so it stands to reason, Taylor Swift Intiidtaes the shit out of #MAGA/MAPLEMAGA. Weak men are more intimidated by strong women than strong men because they look at women like objects. They don't think there's a world where a woman should be more successful than a man. It was a great conversation where Chuck told personal stories he's never said about the Ultimate "Boss Woman" and why strong women have never been more critical in our history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chuck and Warren are back for their Friday dance! Chuck's on lead, but Warren brought a bazooka today. . - Racist White Supremacist Tucker Carlson was paid millions to visit Canada's rebel Province, Alberta, this week. He dubbed it the "Liberate Canada" movement. Warren gave Tucker a second asshole today, and rightfully so. Tucker is a racist opportunist who projects hatred of democracy, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community because he's an opportunist and a racist who's projecting against his own (rumored) sexuality. (Like I said, Warren brought a bazooka). Warren turned his Bazooka on Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for paying and inviting white supremacist Tucker Carlson to two sold-out shows that SHE helped moderate. She's getting CRUSHED for it today, and Warren wonders how this will affect "Idiot" Danielle Smith, who continues to sell out Canadians to American/MAGA demagoguery because she's a moron. Chuck and Warren talk about the IJC decision to absolve Israel of war crimes and how Netanyahu is not ISRAEL. The Israeli people are also not Netanyahu. Also, two tragedies are occurring to foment antisemitism worldwide. Downlaod and Sub Charles's podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adler and Dean are back to LOW KEY to argue about political rhetoric recited by the Edmonton Shooter. With political lies, rhetoric, and gaslighting at an all-time toxic high, can we assign blame to certain political messaging when it appears in a domestic terrorist Manifesto? What comes first - radicalization or mental illness and can we assign blame to bad actors for the firehose of radicalized political and cultural propaganda? A lot of people in Canada are mentally ill and don't shoot up City Hall. You can make a case that mentally or emotionally damaged people are more susceptible to being radicalized by ongoing hate speech disguised as stochastic messaging, but will it end, or is this just the beginning of hate-fueled political messaging in Canada? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off of stepping down as the Alberta NDP leader, former Premier Rachel Notley chose to speak to the legendary Charles Adler. Rachel and Charles dish on the rule of law in politics and how "both sides" things don't work in a functional government. Rachel tells a story about what the rule of law meant in the legislature 20 years ago and how it doesn't seem to matter anymore. Lying in politics? If everyone lies, how does Rachel see that as a strategy for serving the public? Pro Tip: She doesn't and talks about the growing strategy of lying in chambers to obfuscate intention. Rachel is from political royalty in Alberta; her father, a disciple of Tommy Douglas, died in a plane crash in 1984. She relives that defining day and the legacy her father and Tommy Douglas left for so many socially minded Westerners who were able to lead social governments to major victories in the conservative West and what that means for Canada today. Have we seen the last of Rachel Notley, the politician?? Not so fast... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We welcome back Warren Kinsella for another instalment of Kinsella Fridays. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we discuss the Energy Capital of Canada and how it ran out of Energy during its recent "freeze-your-balls-off cold snap." Max is the lead columnist for Canada's National Observer and is a climate change expert as well as an energy expert. He details Alberta's teetering energy grid and how GREED almost led to 4.45 million people freezing to death. We talked about what went wrong, messaging, and how the current government of Alberta decided to blame Trudeau and renewable resources (which ended up saving Albertans) for their greedy oil and gas "donors" shitty energy plan and profit-taking. Speaking of Profit - How about those SWEET carbon tax rebate checks that dwarfed the Carbon Tax? That's right, the government of Canada gave back $2.3 billion to taxpaying Canadians in the form of a rebate check. We pondered how many people would cash those checks who said the Carbon Tax would ruin them. And is it FREE money when the government gives you back more than you paid? We end with Dean's issue with urinal etiquette. There is proper Urinal etiquette btw... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles and Dean are back and coming to grips with their programming. How to challenge it. How do we escape the rat race of political belief systems and what our parents told us was right? Religion. Poltiics. Media. Ideologies and operating systems. They are all "learned". What happens when you encounter information that makes more sense than what you were told to believe? What happens if you read a book challenging your operating or belief system? Chuck and Dean used to hold fast to old thinking, culture wars, and class elitism. Enjoy this conversation about challenging where you are from with who you want to be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's program we welcome back Warren Kinsella from his car! We discuss the unrest in the Middle East, Wokeism and Pierre vs Justin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chuck and Dean are BACK with a post-Christmas discussion on Pierre Poilievre's fake "War On Christmas." Conservatives want you to think Muslims are coming for your Christmas greetings! Not so fast. Chuck is a traditionalist, and Dean is not. Can Chuck get behind Dean's Economical Christmas Greeting Hack of "Happy Holidays?" Has anyone ever been confronted by someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas in real life or on Twitter? Probably not, but certain political institutions want you to think Canada is banning "Merry Christmas" from our holiday greetings. We're not. We explain who started this war on "Merry Christmas" with some truth bombs from Chuck, who knows "The War On Christmas" is good for conservative business and donations": We talked about radio names. You see, old-school radio people were forced to take different names. Charles Alder isn't Charles Adler, and he blew Dean's mind! Dean, in turn, shares his first fake Radio name, which still gives him seizures. Enjoy this titillating Dualcast with two people who agree to disagree. After all, it's Christmas!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our last show before the holiday break is with Warren Kinsella. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0-11:00 Radio voices and the time Charles Interviewed Frank Sinatra. That's right, Chuck partied with "The Chairman." AND Englebert Humperdink. 11:00-40:00 Hamas supporters and misguided Palestinian protestors took to the Malls across Toronto this weekend to threaten families and scare the shit out of Mall Santas. Job done. As immigrants to Canada, Dean and Chuck take the laws of this country very seriously because their parents would have deported them if they threatened Xmas shoppers in a mall. Why doesn't Canada follow the rule of law about protests? What happened in the last three years that neutered law enforcement's ability to arrest people who make death threats while flash mobbing and scaring the shit out of Christmas shoppers? Seriously? They get into some context about the Charter of Rights and weigh the supportive Hamas protests to the Freedom Convoy and how law enforcement of the Charter seems to be a joke. 40-50:00 - The Big Economic Lie is a problem for Chuck. He wants Canadians to stop buying Conservative messages about the death of Canada's economy. Comparatively speaking, Canada is in INCREDIBLE financial shape, and Charles explains why you're being told it is not. 50:00-1:05:00 Michelle Ferreri is a redneck politician in Ottawa who spent A LOT of time complaining about the cost of putting tampons in men's washrooms for Trans men. And women who might need one. Michelle has been getting dragged for the last four days since she recorded the worst thought-out video in the history of political hillbilly videos. Why Michelle's video wasn't about cost-effective spending and a dog whistle to other hillbillies who hate trans people. We hope you enjoyed Dean and Chuck cutting through the information life and dog whistling today. Tune in for another Chuck and Dean dual cast next Tuesday, and give us both a follow wherever you download podcasts!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tune in as Warren Kinsella joins Charles Adler to dissect Pierre Poilievre and Justin Trudeau's impact on recent poll numbers. From contrasting policies to public perception, Kinsella's insights delve deep into the political landscape, offering a compelling analysis of Canada's key leaders and their evolving popularity.

Welcome to another dual cast. "Chuck & Dean" break a few pressing issues down FROM THE INSIDE: - Chuck has a medical confession to start the show and challenges medical hypochondriacs not to diagnose themselves with multiple cancers with every ache and pain. Go To A Doctor. Chances are you're fine. Charles spent 30 years in Conservative political messaging war rooms with almost every conservative PM in the last 30 years. He's also been a HUGE part of conservative media's political ecosystem for longer. Many believe Charles is the Godfather of Conservative political shitposting and gaslighting, and he agrees. We talked about where the Trudeau hatred, F Trudeau flags, bumper stickers, and death threat hatred for Trudeau comes from. It's way easier to understand than you think. Trudeau has a significant problem on his hands. He might be TOO good-looking. And, of course, he's well-dressed, so hillbillies believe he's a gay pedophile because Terry6969 probably wants a piece of JT's ass. Charles and Dean break down the choice between both cultures come election season. It's a toss, but hatred is polling better than Trudeau. That's not an excellent sign for Canadians. When hate-mongering and racist, homophobic assholes outnumber common sense and inclusiveness. Charles is uniquely qualified to discuss the subject of exclusionary hate-filled politics. Several years ago, Charles lost his job and career as Canada's only nationally Syndicated Talk show host for challenging then Alberta Premier Jason Kenny to apologize to the gay community for one of his MP's admission that gay people weren't human. Charles is from a family of Holocaust survivors and sacrificed his career and ALL of his professional relationships to advocate for the LGBTQ community that day, and his recounting of the story will leave you breathless. Enjoy, and thanks for listening. D

Join Charles Adler in a riveting episode of his podcast as he delves deep into the intriguing world of Canadian politics with the esteemed CEO of Abacus Data, David Coletto. In this episode, the spotlight is on Pierre Poilievre's poll numbers, offering a comprehensive analysis of the political landscape and the impact of these figures on Canada's socio-political sphere.

Charles welcomes the venerable Warren Kinsella back for another spin into the weekend! It's Hanukkah, and Mayors/politicians around North America are skipping lighting ceremonies because they have no clue how to separate Jewish Christmas from Politics. The Mayor of Calgary and a few other politicians refused to show up for Menora lightings in case they offended Hamas supporters. Is that a real thing? Yup/ Warrena and Chuck explain. MIT, Harvard, and UPenn presidents said calling for the genocide of Jews on their campuses was totally acceptable. Chuck and Warren give some background on the financial model of international students and why post-secondary education institutes have become a breeding ground of hatred towards democracy and the Jewish faith. We close with Pierre Poilievre's Carbon tax stunt. Warren is pro-stunt. Charles is not. I love it when two legends disagree with respect. You could learn a lot about discourse from these two men.

In today's instalment of 3 Minutes That Matter, Charles thanks Leslie Horton for wearing the pants in Canada.

We did a joint podcast with the Dean Blundell Show with Professor Michael Geist. Professor Michael Geist stops in to give us the details of Canada's Google tax breakthrough and why news outlets are pissed they didn't get more from Google. Will Meta be next and the latest from his hearing with the CRTC today on Bill C-11. Is the government going to regulate or tax all podcasts.

In this 2 minute rant, I discuss the Canadians who think Pierre Poilievre is going to make Canada more affordable.

Charles welcomes his old battery mate, legendary Political Insider, Lawyer, and author Warren Kinsella to his show! - October 7th and the rise of Anti-Semitism requires a history lesson - Fomenting Anti-Semitism at bookstores and Cafe in Toronto a world away: how does it happen and who's to blame? - Support for the terrorist organization Hamas is a red herring, and it's fomenting hatred for Hebrews worldwide. - Why are Jews always the Target of cultural hatred? - According to polls, Trudeau is done, but is it just conservative voters who can't stand him? Warren, a card-carrying Liberal, has some surprising stats... - Does a Trump re-election bode well for Trudeau? - Pierre's a dick, but he'll be the next PM...

I can't mourn the loss of Henry Kissinger. He was a war criminal, good riddance.

In today's episode of 3 Minutes That Matter, we discuss how all my friends with any ilk in the media business have been fired. It's not personal, it's just business.

Legendary broadcaster Charles Adler takes the side of every Canadian struggling right now, with Anger over being told. Told what to hate or love. Told who to support or not. Told who we could gather with and when. Told who we can visit relatives or dying loved ones. Told who we had to vote for. Told what we have to believe. Canadians can't afford to the basics, and we're being told to fight each other in our spare time. Dean and Chuck talk about the overwhelming majority of us being on the same page yet so far apart, and the rage Index proves it. We're in this together, and Chuck hits the nail on the head again. We can be upset, but we must be upset together to truly affect change.

In this episode of 3 minutes that matter, Charles says the quiet part out loud!

Marching in support of besieged Palestinian civilians is not antisemitic. Calling for a ceasefire is not antisemitic. Denouncing Israel's far-right government is not antisemitic. But blaming ordinary Jewish people in Canada for the military actions of a foreign government is antisemitic. It is also antisemitic.. to suggest that Jewish people in Canada have no right to their fears because thousands of innocents are dying in Gaza." Emma Teitel writing for the Toronto Star. Pierre Poilievre did not have a good week. He ordered his caucus to vote against the update of a free trade deal with Ukraine - claimed it had something to do with his favourite political football that he can't stop kicking - the carbon tax...every conservative must swear allegiance to being opposed to the carbon tax even when the bill they are voting is as connected to the carbon tax as the Israel Hamas war is connected to pineapple juice...So Poilievre wasn't having a week trying to justify denying aid to Ukraine ....made him look like just a putrid Putin hand puppet and then there was the car accident on the American side of Niagara Falls. It happened during Question Period in the Commons and Poilievre insisted it was terrorism. Why does Fox say so? The following day when a Canadian Press journalist asked him about jumping the gun, he jumped on the journalist the way a sugar addict jumps on a bag of Reeses Pieces. Poilievre looked like a bully, like a jerk, like an insecure little man. Hard to believe that much insecurity in a person whose party is leading the governing Liberals by double digits. Poilievre's corps of sycophants is focused on media coverage of Poilievre's terrible week by claiming the media dogpiling dear leader because the government is subsidizing media and so the media hounds are gratefully licking their master. My master is the clock. My time is up.

Matt Gurney is a regular contributor to the podcast, he is a journalist based in Toronto and hosts The Daily Edition on SiriusXM every weekday morning. Matt and Charles dive into talks on the rainbow bridge explosion and how it was deemed not be a terrorism attack. They also talk about how that incident really showed how different Canadian and American Media is. On the same page of the explosion both journalists explore how Pierre Poilievre had a big speech blaming Justin Trudeau for the hatred towards Canada. This prompted a larger talk on how the two large party leaders use attack dogging and dodging to create more issues for the other. Matt Gurney also expressed how his political views are in the minority as compared to years prior and this shift in even his own political views has adjusted the political landscape in favour of fringe parties like the NDP. You can find Matt Gurney's substack here. Matt's X (formerly known as twitter) is here.

Charles is joined by Conservative writer, newspaper columnist, talk show host, and Substacker Tasha Kheiriddin to discuss her research and opinions on the international discourse surrounding the Israel/Hamas conflict. They touch on the (often hypocritical) Colonialist narrative that many Governments around the world use to paint the US, Canada and other countries, as well as the ease of spreading disinformation and propaganda in the age of social media.

Max Fawcett from the National Observer is back once again to speak with Charles about how the Manning leaked email is causing ripples throughout Canada. They also talk on how when a government says they are going to cut spending it always comes from another source creating more and more issues. This can be seen in Argentina's recent election as the new leader had a campaign where he wants to chainsaw government spending. Other issues brought forward include the Alberta NDP considering a rebrand and Max's article in the National Observer on that. Finally, the pair discuss potential politicians who could take the next step forward for their respective parties including Manitoba's Wab Kinew.

Is it time to simply say publicly what so many knowledgeable say privately. Donald Trump wants a second shot. But what he really wants is to become his country's first authoritarian and let's go one step further, America's first Fascist President....Let me take you to the Front Page of the venerable NY Times. "Trump's Dire Words Raise New Fears About His Authoritarian Bent" Here' just one excerpt from a powerful piece of front page analysis. "During a Veterans Day speech, Mr. Trump used language that echoed authoritarian leaders who rose to power in Germany and Italy in the 1930s, degrading his political adversaries as “vermin” who needed to be “rooted out.” “The threat from outside forces,” Mr. Trump said, “is far less sinister, dangerous and grave than the threat from within.” This turn inward has sounded new alarms among experts on autocracy who have long worried about Mr. Trump's praise for foreign dictators and disdain for democratic ideals. They said the former president's increasingly intensive focus on perceived internal enemies was a hallmark of dangerous totalitarian leaders. Scholars, Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans are asking anew how much Mr. Trump resembles current strongmen abroad and how he compares to authoritarian leaders of the past. Perhaps most urgently, they are wondering whether his rhetorical turn into more fascist-sounding territory is just his latest public provocation of the left, an evolution in his beliefs or the dropping of a veil." I will leave it there for now except for this. All the polls show an election today would have Donald Trump beating Joe Biden like a drum. Biden just turned 81. He might as well be 181. Politically he is well past his Best Buy date. The Democratic Party has plenty of talent that can take it to Trump on the number one issue. Democracy or Dictatorship. Which will it be. The Democratic Party has a talented bench. But the person they want to re-elect as President might as well be a bench, too wooden at this stage of his career to have the elasticity that is necessary to defeat Donald Trump.

We have a combination of Armchair Generals and Armchair Peacemakers weighing on Israel vs Gaza.  A Ceasefire is needed now And after a ceasefire. a two state solution. Question: Do people pushing for this know anything? Jonathan Freedland writes columns for the Guardian in Great Britain. In recent days he decided to impart something that so many activists, slacktivists, academics, journalists and even western government officials seem to lack - Knowledge. If knowing things matters to you this is an opportunity to become aware of what is known by a very knowledgeable writer in the UK. Jonathan Freedland is speaking directly to those who argue that Hamas will abide by a ceasefire because Gaza has been so badly damaged by Israel. Multiple thousands of Palestinans are dead and much of Gaza is rubble. So why wouldn't Hamas change its tune and abide by a ceasefire. Freedland says Such thinking fundamentally misunderstands the nature of that organisation. Because Hamas is a different kind of enemy, one that does not fit the usual theories of war. Put simply, it does not mind if its own people die. Recall how counter-terrorist strategists had to rethink all that they knew when first confronted with suicide bombers. It's hard to deter a terrorist who does not fear death. That's true writ large for an organisation that has explicitly said it is “proud to sacrifice martyrs” This is why Hamas has spent hundreds of millions of dollars – much of it international aid money – not on basic services for Gazans, but on building and equipping a network of underground tunnels that, again, it has explicitly said are exclusively for its own use. As one Hamas leader put it, ordinary people in Gaza who need protection should look to the UN. It's this that explains why, whatever truth eventually emerges about the recent role of the al-Shifa hospital, a former director of a major aid organisation operating in Gaza testified this week that “it was broadly suspected/understood as far back as 2014 that Hamas used the al-Shifa hospital complex as a command centre and base for operations” – just as it has long been understood that Hamas is not afraid to use schools or UN buildings when it comes to raining rockets down on Israel. The calculation for Hamas is that either Israel hits back, killing innocents – thereby losing legitimacy in the eyes of the world – or it does not, thereby allowing Hamas to keep firing. Either way, Hamas wins.

Nate Pike is a frontline paramedic in Calgary. Nate also hosts his own podcast The Breakdown. On his podcast he goes over the ongoing changes to Alberta Health Care as well as overarching politics in Alberta. In this episode, Charles and Nate dive into the current issues tied to the Manning COVID Report as well as how health care in Alberta is being affected. Nate and Charles also discuss how many provincial issues, especially in Alberta, are often scapegoated and sent federally. This approach is often demonstrated due to Alberta's general views against Justin Trudeau.

I view my columns the same way that I view my podcast episodes: As a personal letter to my audience. Whether it's Manitobans, who make up the bulk of the Free Press readership or Canadians and Americans who make up most of people listening to this, it's always a personal message to you. If I fail to come across as writing or speaking to you one on one face to face, heart to heart, what's the point of touching the keyboard? And so when I was thinking of the veterans, I was thinking of a dream that's been recurring in my life ever since I can remember being alive. In the dream I am a much younger man, in a military cemetery in France. There is a shovel in my hand with freshly dug burial ground dirt. I am digging my own grave. I am bailing out of a life I should be grateful for, given to me my two wonderful people called Mum and Dad, who could never have met in 1951 had it not been for the heroes buried in the cemetery of my personal nightmare. My buried heroes sacrificed themselves in World War II. A war against Fascism. A war where people of my heritage were targeted, where my parents were marked for death, forced to wear the Yellow Star and most likely bound for a cattle car journey to a place called Auschwitz . In 1944, over 434,000 Jews were deported on 147 trains, most of them on the 500 kilometer journey to Auschwitz in Nazi occupied Poland. 4 out of 5 were gassed. Before they were exterminated with a powerful insecticide, their living eyes met three words on the gates of Hell. Three words constituted one of Hitler's bushel of big lies. Three German words- Arbeit Macht Frei- translated into four English words. "Work Sets You Free." Unless of course you're too old or too young or too disabled to work. In that case you're hours away from being forced to inhale the pellets of Xyklon B Gas. Within moments your brain is as dead as cold shovel, and within hours your incinerated body, now in ashes, finds a chimney. Ashes to ashes. The journey from Yellow Star to Chimney is one short journey that my so called sleep has seen thousands of times. Those scenes I just described happened in real life to many members of my extended family, who were rounded up by the forces of Totalitarian darkness in 1944, never to be seen again. Some were shot. Most were gassed. All had a strong work ethic, but nothing in their character could make those three words on the gates of Auschwitz ring true. And so by now you know that the younger version of this exhausted writer is me, in a cemetery in Northern France digging my grave, while remembering the heroes who fought for Canada and the UK and the USA and other countries to defeat Hitler and so my father and mother who were in the devil's waiting room, in end were spared the gas pellets. And because of my heroes, my parents stayed alive and ten years later, gave me life. So here's to the veteran in your family, or your friend's family. Here's to the person whose heroic service helped many millions of families around the world including my own. How do I thank a veteran, alive or dead? By Remembering. In my life every day is Remembrance Day. It does not matter to me which day you choose to listen this message. But if it brings meaning to your life, I only ask that you pass it on to someone who might benefit from knowing the veteran in their family has the gratitude of many millions who they don't know, and one person who they now do know. The young man with the shovel is now a seasoned citizen of Canada with a keyboard, a microphone and a 7 word message. Thank you for the oxygen of life. 

Because Matthew Perry is still very much on my mind. Because I am still not sure why he died. Only know that they found him unresponsive in a Jacuzzi. Don't know what he did before he climbed into the tub. Don't know whether helped any alcohol or any other substance to climb into his capillaries. I don't know what I don't know. And maybe when I do I'll stop thinking about Matthew Perry. But for some reason I don't think I ever well. A long time ago, I lay awake for hours, terrified that they would be my last ones on earth. The sentiment of Patti Davis daughter of Nancy Davis better known as Nancy Reagan. The Reagans' daughter Patty says she committed to quitting cocaine, was devoted to “cleaning up and getting healthy." She writes, “But then a friend called who I had routinely done coke with and who always had a supply of the drug. Earlier on that black night, I'd careened backward into the familiar land of white lines on a mirror and a heart racing way too fast. It was pounding so hard, so fast, so loud, I was certain it and I couldn't survive. I saw the fact that I did survive as somewhat of a miracle. It would be a nice, clean story if I said I never did drugs again. But addiction is never nice and clean. I did go back to trying to clean up my life, and truthfully I backslid only a couple of times after that — and never as severely as on the night I thought might be my last. I don't think back on those days too often, but with Matthew Perry's death, the memories have coiled around me because of how honest he was about his own addiction. I want to tell you something about addiction: No matter who it is or what substance that person is hooked on, loneliness is at its root. For whatever reason — and I have no theory as to why — there are those of us who feel isolated in this world, as if everyone else had some secret formula for getting along, for fitting in, and no one ever let us in on it. That loneliness resides deep inside us, at our core, and no matter how many people try to help us, no matter how many friends reach out, support us, show up for us, it never entirely goes away. It's vast and shadowy and also part of who we are. Something happens when we discover a drug or alcohol: Suddenly we have a companion holding our hand, propping us up, making us feel we fit in, we can be part of the club. It's there for us in the empty hours when it seems no one else is." Patty Davis, the daughter of Nancy and Ronald Reagan, this week in the New York Times.

From Alberta Podcaster Nate Pike, he hosts the breakdown.. Today Danielle Smith was asked if she would apologize for the $100,000,000 she wasted on knock off Turkish Tylenol.  Her response? "Nope" Then she claimed that her actions alleviated the crisis. They didn't. The supply chain corrected before her drugs even arrived. Those are Nate Pike's words which are undeniably true. Now these are are my words in response. To say that Danielle Smith lies easily, casually and frequently is to repeat what someone said about her months before voters had a chance to reward the lies, which they did. I am that someone and for saying what I said, the truth, I have been called an evil socialist bastard and worse - much much worse. Matthew Perry is dead at 54. Found drowned in a Jacuzzi at his California home. My friend Dean Blundell says Perry should be known for what he wanted to known for not the TV show he starred in, but the real show he struggled in - Alcohol addiction.  My biggest takeaway from Perry's memoir says Blundell, was his courage never to quit asking for help, no matter how deep he was. He never gave up on the idea of a happy, sober Matthew Perry. He perpetuated that courage while struggling to stay sober. By setting up a sober living house and helping countless friends into the same treatment facilities and meetings he'd frequent, Perry, who shunned the spotlight later in life, quietly went about living his courage by giving it out as a gift to those who needed his. It's the same for most of us. We get to a point where the misery outweighs the fleeting nature of booze (or drugs). We search for happiness and joy instead of a chemical experience and want to share those secrets with others. That's what Matthew Perry spent the remaining years of his life doing.  Someone needs to investigate why Pierre Poilievre isn't secure enough, hasn't yet applied for top security clearance. So he cannot view secret documents that are generally available to Canada's opposition leadership. I don't want to speculate on what skeletons may be in Pierre Poilievre's closet. There may be none. But his decision to steer clear of getting a top security clearance is odd and awkward and it's worth asking what a Prime Minister Poilievre would do if Justin Trudeau were in opposition and chose not to get top security clearance. Poilievre without a lick of evidence would drive Trudeau to the digital media slaughterhouse.  Many so called Progressives are history's abominable apologists - No one will forget the stand many progressives did not take in the wake of October 7th. Instead of condemning beatings, burnings, beheadings & kidnappings they made excuses for the executioners of Hamas.

Jason Markusoff has worked in Alberta for the last 20 years at the Edmonton Journal, the Calgary Herald, MacLeans and now the CBC. He joins Charles Adler to discuss the ongoing banter surrounding Alberta Separation, and the notion of the province leaving the Canada Pension Plan which has received opposition from diverse groups, including labor unions, academics, and conservative politicians. In this episode, you will hear Charles express his concern about voting for the pension plan without knowing how much money will be in the pot, and how he would feel if he voted yes and the actual amount was less than expected, and Jason state that there is no guarantee of pension plan portability between provinces, and it may take a lot of tallying and negotiation to calculate and transfer pension contributions.

Matt Gurney returns to The Charles Adler show once again, to discuss the impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza: What it's already done to foster anti-Jewish hate in North America, and what it means for countries (and Jews) around the world. Matt Gurney is a contributor at The Line, a collection of Canadian newspaper and magazine writers creating an outlet for engaging, irreverent writing. He also hosts The Line podcast, which interviews former and current military personnel to explore the theoretical "line" between right and wrong in warfare. Matt's Substack can be found here: https://substack.com/@mattgurney47

Jana G. Pruden is an award-winning feature writer at The Globe and Mail. She is the former crime bureau chief of the Edmonton Journal, and previously worked at the Regina Leader-Post, the Medicine Hat News, the Prairie Post and the Interlake Spectator. Jana Pruden is the host of the true crime podcast "In Her Defence" features an exclusive interview with Helen Naslund who was imprisoned for a double digit sentence for the murder of her late husband Miles Naslund. .Helen Naslund was sentenced to 18 years for manslaughter after killing her abusive husband in self-defense, highlighting the inconsistency in the legal system's treatment of women in similar situations. Enjoy this Sunday morning conversation with Jana and Charles about this podcast which is currently #1 on the Apple Charts in Canada. You can connect with the podcast here.

Bob Rae is a former Ontario Premier. He's a former interim Liberal Party leader. He's a Rhodes Scholar and at this moment he is Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations. Bob Rae has a private Twitter account in which he says his opinions are his own. They do not represent the government and never has that been more true than right now. A tweet the whole world is retweeting and liking from Bob Rae who says ''Need to understand the systematic, brutal cruelty of Hamas. Any organization like this has to be destroyed.'' These words are attached to words spoken by a volunteer rescuer in Southern Israel, an eyewitness to what Hamas did to men women and children, what Hamas did to babies. The torture and mass murder of Civilians. Bob Rae's message is that an organizaton this brutal needs to be destroyed. The government of Canada takes no such position. Scores of Liberal MPs actually want the Prime Minister to call for a ceasefire. Hamas Terrorists struck only two weeks ago today, October 7th, 2023 a day to borrow a former US President's words will live in infamy. The message that more than 20 Liberal MPs want Justin Trudeau to carry would live in insanity, some would say. Imagine telling the US to declare a ceasefire with Japan two weeks after Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941 or a ceasefire with al-Quaida two weeks after September 11th, 2001. Canada's Prime Minister has a political problem on his hands. If the Conservative Party of Canada agrees with Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations and the Prime Minister is found equivocating on the biggest geopolitical event of this year, Canadians may view Poilievre as a better representative of Canadian values than the current Prime Minister. But I am now in the realm of speculation. I don;t know that Canadians want Hamas destroyed. I have no data to support that. And Canadians may say Yes to the simple question do you want the terrorist organization destroyed but they may give a different answer if the question, Do you want Hamas destroyed even if the military operation to end Hamas may cost the lives of a hundred thousand Palestinians in Gaza? Tough times come with tough questions. This is not a video game. It's a real war, with real suffering and while Canadians can make judgements about Bob Rae and Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre this war is not about them. But this war that Hamas started two weeks ago with the mass murder and torture and kidnapping of Israeli civilians is not anywhere close to a ceasefire and may not be anywhere close to one a month from now and possibly a year from now. There is no way of knowing today how many countries will get militarily involved in this war. But we do know now that what happened two weeks ago today in Israel, the Israeli equivalent of 15 Nine Elevens, what happened on October 7th, 2023 will never be forgotten - Never. 

Dr. Kristopher Wells is an Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Youth Care, Faculty of Health and Community Studies, MacEwan University. He holds the Canada Research Chair (Tier II) for the Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth and serves as the founding Director for the MacEwan Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity. He's also the creator of Pride Tape, which has seen its sales increase since the NHL ruled that the tape would not be allowed on sticks; a follow up to the announcement earlier this year that pride jerseys would no longer be worn during warmups.

Gentle reminder from Hen Mazzig on Twitter : if Hamas did not send thousands of terrorists into Israel on October 7, murdered 1,300 innocent civilians, and kidnapped 200 babies and elderly women, there would be no war. Mazzig is right and he is not illustrating the many atrocities that made up the days of Hamas Terror. Many people apparently don't want to hear those stories. Many even call them lies. Call it Hamas Denial if you like but it's a growing movement. Many progressives who claim to believe in Women's rights, Civil Rights, LGBTQ rights and workers rights appear to give Hamas a pass for not only denying those rights to Palestinians but murdering those who try to exercise them. Try organising a union in Gaza. Try having an openly Gay relationship. Try being a woman, dressing the way you want, working where you want getting an education, and getting a life where you are not treated like a milking cow. Gaza is where progressivism goes to die. But progressives give Hamas a pass, because Hamas does whatever they can to exterminate the Jewish state. Hamas doesn't want peace. They want genocide. I get that it's tough for a progressive to hear. Their problem. Not mine. I am not a progressive. I am a moderate, or what we once called normal. So Bruce Arthur is a Toronto Star writer I love to bring on the podcast. He made his bones in Sports but he has a great to deal to add to the dialogue of a nation. His most recent column is about The reason I wrote about Nate Erskine Smith, a Liberal MP who might be just the ticket for the leader of the Ontario Liberal party. Bruce says Erskine Smith is policy-obsessed and also lives in the real world and when we're having multiple crises, it might be a good thing to have an Ontario Premier who understands policy. Can't disagree with Bruce. The current populist premier is a train wreck on so many tracks. It would be better to have a premier who doesn't have populist contempt for people who know things, a Premier who isn't filling time with Hey Folks Hey Folks Hey Folks when he has nothing of substance to offer.  Jim Jordan a Congressman from Ohio wants to have one of the most powerful positions in the world. Wants to be Speaker of the US House of Representatives. All money bills begin the House. Nothing can get done unless it's paid for. This is the House Jim Jordan wants to lead. In an interview with Dana Bash, Jordan says If Donald Trump wants to store classified material in a box in a bathroom, his bathroom he can do it." Jordan isn't fit to run a dog kennel. Hopefully Republicans will kennel him like they have their predecessors. Who let these dogs out? Donald Trump. We'll see if American justice will kennel America's wolf in wolf's clothing.

Brian Topp headed up the campaign that saw Wab Kinew elected as Premier of Manitoba. Brian is a Canadian political strategist, joins Charles Adler to discuss his role in Jack Layton's campaign. In this episode, you will hear Charles reflect on his past work with the NDP, particularly with Jack Layton, and how the party's reputation has evolved. Charles Adler noted how Heather Stefanson for looking down at her notes during a debate, suggesting it gave the impression she wasn't interested in connecting with voters, her opponent Wab Kinew used the debate to make a connection with voters, smiling into the camera and addressing his opponents' charges directly. You will also hear a discussion on how the incumbent government in Manitoba used dog whistles tactics to stir up fear about crime among indigenous people. And how did that Lloyd Axworthy endorsement come about? We hope you enjoy this special Sunday morning discussion.

Bruce Arthur is a Columnist for the Toronto Star and was named sportswriter of the year by Sports Media Canada in 2012. Charles and Bruce go into the NHL's decision to ban Pride tape and how the repercussions may affect hockey as a sport.

Reading Robert DiNiro's words about Donald Trump...I need to share. One of the greatest actors ever says I've spent a lot of time studying bad men. I've examined their characteristics, their mannerisms, the utter banality of their cruelty. Yet there's something different about Donald Trump. When I look at him, I don't see a bad man. Truly.  I see an evil one. Over the years, I've met gangsters here and there. This guy tries to be one, but he can't quite pull it off. There's such a thing as “honor among thieves.” Yes, even criminals usually have a sense of right and wrong. Whether they do the right thing or not is a different story — but — they have a moral code, however warped. Donald Trump does not. He's a wannabe tough guy with no morals or ethics. No sense of right or wrong. No regard for anyone but himself — not the people he was supposed to lead and protect, not the people he does business with, not the people who follow him, blindly and loyally, not even the people who consider themselves his “friends.” He has contempt for all of them. Confirmed by the Ministry of Defence in Israel. Israeli children we don't yet know precisely how many, were handcuffed, tortured and then slaughtered, some burned alive by Hamas terrorists. Question: what does one say when a father finds his 8 year old daughter, murdered by Hamas and is relieved to know she wasn't taken hostage by Hamas, to Gaza. That's how eight year old Emily's father feels about having lost Emily to terrorism  For the last few years I have focused on how many on the right have polluted their minds - lost their way. Little did I know that one day Hamas would be burning & beheading Jewish children. Many on the left choose not to respond with empathy & indignation. They prefer Antisemitism. I don't have to tell them who they are. And then there are the enablers of Hamas propaganda, like the leader of CUPE Ontario. I'm looking at you - ashamed of you and your enthusiastic willingness to be a useful idiot for Hamas by playing this sophomoric game where ends justify means, when they just don't.  Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz says “At this moment, there is only one place for Germany — the place at Israel's side. Our own history, our responsibility arising from the Holocaust, makes it a perpetual task for us to stand up for the security of the State of Israel.” Thank you very much German Chancellor Scholz. Dankeschön

Max Fawcett from the National Observer is a regular contributor to the show and speaks to Charles about Canada's role and reaction in wake of the Hamas Attack on Israelis. Max notes that a recent statement from a group of 5 countries (Quint) calling out Hamas did not include Canada, leading some conservatives to claim that Canada is not taken seriously on the international stage. Charles Adler disagrees, pointing out that Japan and Australia are also not part of Quint and yet are considered serious countries. Max also noted that conservative politicians' constant outrage over minor issues can lead to a lack of energy and engagement from the broader population when it comes to serious issues like Canada's international standing. Other issues covered include Hamas' treatment of Palestinians in Gaza, the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and the need for soul searching within the progressive community. Finally, the pair discuss affordability and potential for growth in Calgary compared to Vancouver, with Adler expressing frustration at the moratorium on alternative energy projects and Fawcett highlighting the city's affordability and potential for saving money.

David McLaughlin, political insider with experience in multiple Canadian governments; he is the CEO of the Institute on Governance. He discusses the Israeli-Hamas conflict, noting the lack of clear solutions and the importance of understanding the region's history, and the irony of Israel being surprised by attacks on Jewish holidays, and the ongoing challenges in intelligence gathering, and the lack of transparency and accountability in Israel's intelligence community has led to concerns about the reliability of intelligence gathering and the potential for political interference. David believes there is a deep connection between Iran and Hamas, with Hamas being funded by Iran and taking instructions from them. McLaughlin is wary of drawing conclusions about Iran's involvement in the recent massacre in Israel, as there is limited information and the risk of driving conflict with Iran. In the second half of the show, they discuss the election results and campaign strategies of the recent Manitoba election. David headed up Brian Pallister's election campaigns in 2016 and 2019. Charles Adler questions the accuracy of Marni Larkin's claim that the Manitoba PCs were threatened with losing 45 seats in the legislature, which David dismissed Larkin's claim as "windmill size spin," as the PCs actually retained 15 seats instead of losing 45. Also covered: What this means for Conservative election strategies going forward and what challenges the Manitoba PC's face due to branding and how they have positioned themselves, potentially impacting their next leader and future political efforts.

Kim Ghattas is an author contributor to the one of the best English language magazines in the world - The Atlantic. Ghattas is in Washington and Beirut. She says the Massive operation by Hamas inside Israel is very different from anything in past. It is Well planned, and must have taken months and must have outside support from Iran and it's force based in Lebanon know as Hezbolla. Ghattas says this is a huge intelligence failure by Israel, caught totally unaware. At the moment of this recording we do not know how many Israeli Civilians and Military Personnel have been killed in Israel by Hamas and we do not know how many Israelis have been forcibly taken to Gaza. We do know that the Yom Kippur War began 50 years and 1 day ago. We don't know how large this war will get. But we do know it will get much larger and bloodier than it is on this first day the War between Israel and Hamas. Will it become a wider war with Iran? That's the major fear at the moment expressed by observers around the world. From my Saturday Free Press Column, I wrote about the great mistake the Manitoba PCs would be making if they drift further right. The Right Wing thing doesn't work in Winnipeg where 2/3 of the population lives. The Tories took only 3 out of 32 Winnipeg ridings and only won Tuxedo by 263 votes. I mention Tuxedo because the very reliable PC riding was was created 42 years ago. and has been held for nearly 23 years by Heather Stefanson, the person who will earn a footnote in history for being an elected Premier for nearly two years. Her riding bleeds blue. It has never been captured by another party. In the 10 elections up until this one, the PCs won every single time. The election math tells you that switching was going on everywhere from Tory Blue to NDP Orange. Winnipeg has 32 of the province's 57 seats. On Oct. 3, the PCs took only three — barely more than 10 per cent. Call this year's edition of the Manitoba PCs, “Ten per cent Tories.” The Manitoba Conservatives are at a crossroads. Go right or left. That's the choice. If they go right, they will deliver a string of governments to the Ndp. As I say in my column they will turn Premier Kinew into King Kinew.

Charles and Senator Paula Simons dive into how propaganda is occurring again and how the youth view democracy in North America. They discuss the sensitive issue of unsealing information on the Holocaust file, with Simons sharing her personal connection to the topic and the insult caused by a recent incident in Canada. Senator Simons also discusses complexities of naming individuals mentioned in a commission report, including those who were not Nazis but were affected by the war effort, and how Ukrainian Canadian and Jewish Canadian communities must have nuanced conversations about WWII history, acknowledging shades of gray in the conflict. Senator Simons also questioned the difficulty of accessing government archival records, particularly those related to the Holocaust, due to their physical nature and lack of digitization, and acknowledges the complexity of government decision-making and the need for transparency in releasing historical records, while also expressing frustration with the slow pace of progress in this area. Finally, a wonderful glimpse into the inner workings of passing laws when Senator Paula Simons discusses the challenges of passing legislation in a timely manner.