Thorn in Your Side

Episode 22 - A very special TIYS xmas episode with Father Rod Bower

On this late xmas eve we have plonked this special xmas episode of TIYS. m* speaks with Father Rod Bower of the Gosford Anglican Church about the true meaning of xmas, and given its on this podcast channel its bound to have something to do with being political :)

We also discuss Father Rod's claim to fame with his progressive church signs gracing the interwebs, the current COVID-19 wave getting around places north of Sydney, and also discussing the similarities between both religious and unionist forms of activism. 

Links:

A handy profile on the Venerable Father Rod - Rod Bower: Australian Anglican priest and social activist .

 

Also look up the Gosford Anglican Church on Google reviews, you wont be sorry!

 

 

Episode 21 - The union movement explains the clusterfuck that's the Cyberpunk 2077 release

m* speaks with Teja, an organiser with the Sydney branch of the game workers' union Game Workers Unite Australia (GWU Australia).

Teja explains the forms of labour exploitation regularly confronting games' workers worldwide, particularly the workplace phenomenon known as 'crunch'. This provides a further opportunity to discuss the present problems confronting the present release of the video game Cyberpunk 2077, and how it could all have been avoided if proper labour practices were adhered to in the first place.

Links:

Join GWU Australia! - Join The Movement – Game Workers Unite Australia.

A recent Gamespot review of Cyberpunk 2077, a critical and thorough review launching a million gamers' butthurts - Cyberpunk 2077 Review - GameSpot.

The Netflix doco series High Score (m* mistakenly calls it Game Over in the episode), more particularly watch episode two - High Score | Netflix Official Site. 

Episode 20 - m* and John discuss a Wolverine podcast and then get stuck in a pop culture loop

While this episode starts off as a reaction to listening to two seasons of the Wolverine podcast found on Stitcher, it then brought up much political analysis of pop culture and how it all helps your garden variety lefty geek understand the world. 

Quite profoundly, there is also significant mention of the Saved by the Bell TV show, so much ground ended up being covered.

Links:

Access to Wolverine podcast season 1: Listen to 'Wolverine: The Long Night' for Free | Marvel.

Access to season 2: Marvel's "Wolverine: The Lost Trail" (wolverinepodcast.com)

As per prior experience it can be a hit-and-miss process finding these podcast episodes for free, if anyone gets stuck drop me a message on the TIYS FB page and happy to help a geek in need :)

And possibly the most useful link produced on this podcast channel thus far: Zack Morris Is Trash - Funny Or Die.

Episode 19 - Has the Trumpageddon ended?

m* chats with Jason, a high school teacher, historian and writer from the US to find out just exactly what is happening in the US at this present weird and scary time. It all appears to be just as uncertain as Trump actually leaving the White House come next year. 

Links:

"These Are America's Brezhnev Years" - recent post by Jason on his blog "Tropics of Meta" - These Are America’s Brezhnev Years – Tropics of Meta.

"Twenty-First Century Victorians" - Jacobin article written by Jason and how I initially found the guy through this fine piece of writing - Twenty-First Century Victorians (jacobinmag.com).

The YouTube article I mention in the episode explaining the legal goings-on of Trump's election fraud claims - I mention it mainly as it has a Simpson's reference in it :) - Will the President’s Lawsuits Overturn the Election? - YouTube. More particularly, refer to 9:30 in the clip.

Episode 18 - Organise the bookshop, organise the union

m* interviews Hayden, a worker in the biggest bookshop in the Southern Hemisphere and member organiser for the Retail And Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU). Hayden shares his experiences organising within the bookshop and their relations with the union in doing so. Both m* and Hayden conclude some union affiliates are just better than others.

Links:

Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU) - www.raffwu.org.au.

Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA) - www.sda.org.au.

Episode 17 - Student activism - a new hope!

m* interviews Swapnik, newly-elected soon-to-be president of the University of Sydney student representative council. Swapnik reflects over their time within student politics to date, and how recent social changes have led to a renewed student movement. Both also discuss the tension between 'career activism' and student councils as a handy resource for activism.

Episode 16 - Meanwhile, in Syria...

m* speaks with Michael Karadjis, an academic at Western Sydney University and a fervent follower and activist on issues centering on the ongoing Syrian conflict. Michael believes events of Syria expose a contradiction within western lefty discourse, that is, a version providing a truthful account on what is happening in Syria and then one not so accurate.

The not-so one, both agree, gives another opportunity to talk more on the toxicity of the 'Tankie politics' phenomenon within lefty discourse and how this serves as a potential barrier towards true solidarity with Syrian peoples.

In other good news, its an episode where I barely talk about COVID-19 for once! Hooray!

Episode 15 - m* gets their clothesline fixed

m' returns to do the oddjob of restringing m*'s clothesline, and amidst ironic non-washing-friendly pouring rain both tend to some political discussion. As a job well done m* allows m' to reflect on their recent entry into lefty politics through online encounters. 

Links relevant to episode:

"Some More News" - The online entry point for anti-capitalist dialogue for m' - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvlj0IzjSnNoduQF0l3VGng?fbclid=IwAR2MCfwHiNJnA6mch0y5WrLaFppB7Vi-xLhdMfWabVUvfyQyKQaBsYByIdQ

 

"NonCompete" - Another initially handy YouTube channel m' found - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZFKKK-0YB0FvwoS8P7nHg?fbclid=IwAR1vYPH_Sg6X7k5dI7p6aTjtgHrm8XNKikP5fQ3w7_iO2klg5Y6R5Z_gilg

 

Some useful reddit channels m' also discoverd early on:

For anarchists: 

https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchism/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarchy101/

 

For socialists:

https://www.reddit.com/r/socialism/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Socialism_101/

 

For Marxist-Leninists (or if you're into self-induced torture):

https://www.reddit.com/r/communism/

https://www.reddit.com/r/communism101/

Episode 14 - Two community services workers talking shop

m* chats with Kate, a recently hired uni graduate into mental health services. m* and Kate reflect over both Kate's new role and the community services sector overall.

Kate also talks about her community building project for social (and community development!) workers in Sydney - The Sydney Social Work Community (SSWC).

Disclaimer: Views expressed within this episode are those owned by both m* and Kate, and may not necessarily be reflective or representative of the services both work at!

Links:

Sydney Social Work Community - https://www.sydneyswc.com/

HS Net - https://www.hsnet.nsw.gov.au/

NSW Social Housing - https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/housing/help/ways/social-housing

National Disability Insurance Scheme - https://www.ndis.gov.au/

Medicare - https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/medicare

Cool NSW govt spectacle scheme Kate mentions - https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-nsw-spectacles-program

Psychological Support Services program, providing FREE psychological services for people falling within service gaps -  https://www.cesphn.org.au/general-practice/help-my-patients-with/mentalhealth/psychological-support-services-pss?

Ask Izzy (awesome google-like platform to find services) - https://askizzy.org.au/ 

 

Episode 13 - A mystical lucky 13th episode reflection on podcasting

m* and John take the time to reflect on where Thorn in Your Side has gone so far, where future episodes may go, and if the Australian PM indeed shat his dacks in the late 1990s at Engadine Maccas.

Episode links: 

Article on ScoMo Dackgate: https://thebrag.com/sco-mo-shat-his-pants-at-engadine-maccas

The WSU book burying scandal: https://honisoit.com/2017/04/six-feet-under-why-uws-buried-tens-of-thousands-of-usyds-books/

The Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/inside-of-you-with-michael-rosenbaum