Whiskey & Cream Podcast with Ari Shapiro

Latest Episodes:

Whiskey & Cream: Episode XIII Mar 20, 2021

Show notes

Whiskey & Cream for March 20th, 2021.
Host: Ari Shapiro
0:45-16:12: "Lincoln would be proud"
By now you've probably heard about that scrappily intrepid American political action committee known as The Lincoln Project. Formed in late 2019 as a bulwark against Trumpism while ultimately endorsing future President Joe Biden, this band of political brothers named after the illustrious Abraham Lincoln is essentially bent on preserving democracy by respecting the country's constitution during a post-modern authoritarian wave that's swept across the globe much like the virulent nature of the pandemic.
Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) is the executive director and co-founder of The Lincoln Project. As a veteran of both conventional and political warfare, he remains a crusader of free and truthful speech - something that's in short supply across his country and over social media. That's why his heart and soul is about being more than just an anti-Trump Republican but in representing a strong and heavily patriotic number of traditional economic conservatives who deserve a party that's less about demagoguery and racism, and more about progressive agenda-building and the pursuit of real social justice.
16:13-23:51: "A species bent on psychological annihilation"
On some micro-level, it pays to be a human being. Our individualized, self-actualized thoughts offer a myriad of mental and physical realities that rely us to endorse a balanced measure of rational thought and primal instinct when it comes to dealing with everything from the coronavirus to which breakfast sandwich is worth your attention in the morning. But in the final analysis, an abdication of this characteristic of free will can also lead to a herd mentality resembling scared and desperate lemmings going over a cliff. And when the priority of the day is about educating yourself about health dangers and mitigating poor decisions with wise practices, you can imagine how frustrating it can be for the men and women of science.
Dr. Allen Frances (@AllenFrancesMD) is a writer, professor and America's most prominent psychiatrist. Aside from writing a number of books and medical journals on the importance of how mental health and wellness is diagnosed and treated, he's also become politically active in the fight against voter suppression and gerrymandering across the United States. In his view, our species doesn't stand a chance for survival if we keep ignoring the most basic and elementary ways of treating everything from pandemics to climate change to the rise of stone cold authoritarianism.
23:51-39:45: "A basketball culture second to none"
It may seem like the Toronto Raptors won the NBA championship eons ago even if it's been only a year and a half. I suppose throwing in the arrival of a dystopian plague mixed with revealing traces of institutionalized racism will do that to even the most hardy of basketball crusaders, and this team is no exception. Even as they continue their 2021 campaign in Tampa during these unusual times, it's refreshing to know that the character and class of an organization that was built by Masai Ujiri and driven by Nick Nurse has continued to shine as a true example of human dignity during largely indignant times.
Eric Smith (@Eric__Smith) is the voice and host of the Toronto Raptors basketball team on Fan 590 and Sportsnet TV. In covering the team for over 20 years, he's not only perfectly positioned to offer his perspective on the leadership and personnel nuances of the 2019 NBA champs, but to further elaborate on what's been a positive cultural impact across an entire country that's not only stood up to the pandemic but also challenged the conventional ways in which we look at athletes and their intangible contributions to society.
39:45-48:49: "Cosmic storms and our global reckoning"
There's an electricity in the Ontario air that I haven't felt since I was a very young boy. After years of assigning myself to an urbanized existence based around the notion that the city can protect us from the weather, I've come to appreciate why living in the country opens a small portal to the mind when it comes to understanding nature and why the symptoms of our organic existence are always on display around us - if we take the time to notice and analyze the sad and grim reality that is climate change.
Tom Eves (@EvesTom) lives in Barrie and is Canada's Storm Chaser. His penchant for investigating volatile weather patterns and earth-shattering climate events has made him a popular authority over social medias and on this side of the pond. In devoting a life to understanding the elements, he's endeared himself to tends of thousands over Facebook and beyond who seek a better awareness of the unpredictable reality that constitutes our cosmic storms and their global reckoning.
“Whiskey & Cream Theme” written and performed by Chris Henderson.

Whiskey & Cream: Episode XII Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

Whiskey & Cream for March 15th, 2021.
Host: Ari Shapiro
0:44-9:01: "A different kind of Kryptonian"
Once upon a time there was a civil servant who lived in Canada who dared to question what his government stood for and believed in. An organic on-line crusader of the old school who took a half dozen followers and turned them into tens of thousands of admirers; he unexpectedly began to grow into a national social media celebrity of sorts when it became abundantly obvious that a love of thinly-veiled sarcasm and delicious irony would serve him well in skewering a country's elites who insisted on manipulating the masses during a pandemic with their corporate doubletalk and penchant for dark and dirty lies.
Neil Waytowich (@WaytowichNeil) is better known as Neil before Zod, a powerful social influencer in Canada on all things related to ideological politics and humanistic philosophy. When it comes to dissecting the truth and exposing hypocrisy in all forms, Neil is a throwback to an era where you were called out for bullshit and forced to pay the piper. He's a true empiricist living in an era where superstition and conspiracies may run amok like galactic villains, but if they happen to cross the path of this pseudo-Kryptonian while he's delivering his gospel of truth and fairness, they simply won't stand a chance.
9:02-19:31: "Introducing the 3HL Tour"
Imagine going to an arena and watching a 3-on-3 hockey tournament. Think about that that for a moment as I'll let it ferment in hockey-crazed minds across North America and allow you to savour what has been arguably the most important advancement in hockey since Jacques Plante and his revolutionary idea of wearing a protective hockey mask. The NHL turned a page in their history by endorsing a newly proposed format in June of 2015 that heralded a paradigmatic shift in the way the game is enjoyed. It instantly created more space on the ice, more goals scored during overtime, and more thrills and chills in way that's brought the faithful out of their seats and often to their knees.
Justin Fox (@itsJustinFox) is the CEO and Founder of the 3HL Tour - Ontario's first ever professional three-on-three hockey league that exists to bring small-town Ontarian communities together through their shard love of Canada's national sport. Be it in Collingwood or Sarnia, Orangeville or Georgina, Wasaga or Grimsby; this is a form of escapism not seen in many years and one that's meant to inspire young and old alike in their love of grass roots hockey.
19:32-28:29: "The guardians and destroyers of Dr. Seuss'
As the toxic winds of our cancel culture and penchant for historical literary revisionism grows, who knew that it was time for Dr. Seuss to become the latest victim of our collective existential angst. Who knew that a writer and illustrator of children's books, someone who identified as a Democrat his entire political life and fought endlessly against the forces of fascism - could also be found guilty of imperfections in his work. And while Theodor Geisel was always heralded as a champion of our collective childhood sensibilities in his prodigious works of cartoon satire and fable story-telling, it's sad to see how easily his reputation is being politicized between the forces of the offended left and the righteous right.
Brian Bradley (@brianjbradley) is a digital content publisher and podcaster with the Toronto Star. He's a pleasure to interview; not just because of his intelligent perspectives on freedom of speech and the daunting reality that is modern day racism, but because he genuinely offers reverence where it's warranted and not because it's been superimposed by the digital forces of the day.
28:30-33:59: "Rolling with the punches, jabbing with your words"
The pandemic has devastated an industry that once gave hope to many young writers and ambitious university grads looking for a career in sports journalism. But in an era where resiliency and perseverance will become their hammer and sickle, it's nice to hear about success stories in the form of a former athlete who embraced sports journalism on all fronts; as an accomplished writer, an engaging host and a bona fide media personality.
Justin Bourne (@jtbourne) is the co-host of Hockey Central on the FAN 590 and writes hockey for Sportsnet. For him, the city of Toronto is essentially right on the cusp of a golden era with their hockey, baseball and basketball teams. Never has it become more important to believe in the spirit of their accomplishments, and that has him excited about what the post-pandemic future has in store.
“Whiskey & Cream Theme” written and performed by Chris Henderson.

Whiskey & Cream Round Table: Toronto Blue Jays Edition (03-05) Mar 05, 2021

Show notes

Whiskey & Cream Round Table for March 5th, 2021.
Host: Ari Shapiro
Guests: Eric Rosenhek, Jesse Goldberg-Strassler & David Morassutti
Narratives: Toronto Blue Jays Baseball; the end of the radio experience courtesy of Rogers, why MLB continues to struggle through the pandemic when it comes to their publicity, and why a great reckoning is at hand if baseball doesn't get their priorities in order.
Duration: 34:48
WARNING: Listener discretion is advised. This podcast contains seriously blunt truths, excessively mature language, ruthlessly candid perspectives, and the kind of intellectual discourse that serves to enlighten, educate and punch through the darkness until it bleeds daylight.

Whiskey & Cream: Episode XI Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

Whiskey & Cream for March 2nd, 2021.
Host: Ari Shapiro
0:44-17:21: "Extraordinary times require extraordinary leaders"
What does it take to be a trusted politician during the pandemic? I mean, seriously, do we even have any true leaders left once the dust from all the hypocrisy and lies settles like a lukewarm, mediocre blanket around our endlessly cold and cynical ankles? For some, the cosmic vital alignment between actions and values, principles and beliefs ends up forming what can best be described as a rare clarity of purpose or the sense of a higher calling armed with the incredulous notion that instead of playing petty politics, it might be better to trust leaders who who say as they do and do as they say.
Maurizio Bevilacqua (@mbmayor) is the Mayor of Vaughan, a bustling cosmopolitan force of a city in Ontario, Canada that will likely be in the news for decades to come. This mayor is both a realist and an idealist; someone who profoundly believes in sharing in the benefits and risks of what it means to be a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen. In doing so, he remains a champion of respecting and empowering people to make decisions for the greater good while knowing that the imperfection of the human condition is such that common sense and intelligence simply can't be taken for granted.
17:21-27:12: "There's always someone out there who thinks they can do what you do"
Podcasting has become a natural extension of social media in ways that simply couldn't be predicted. Powerhouses like Howard Stern are raking in $100 million dollars a year while Joe Rogan commands a half a billion empire from Spotify, and suddenly it's an audiophile entrepreneur's paradise - but it came at the cost of radio. With the passage of time, the permeating nature of the medium finds itself under siege and is gradually being rendered extinct. Whereas satellite was predicted as the AM/FM killer, it now seems that the desire to thrust one's voice into the public sphere has forever changed the way we look at a decaying industry while struggling through the best and the worst in ourselves.
John Derringer (@JohnDerringer) is a Canadian radio personality whose indelible voice is instantly recognizable for anyone from my generation that grew up in Toronto. Besides setting the standard for lovers of radio everywhere with his work at Q107, he's also a student of history, a motorcycle aficionado and a bloody good drummer. For him, the rise and monetization of podcasting should be seen as a form of evolution that heeds a cautionary tale in a world full of hot air supposition, cold-hard extremism and the rise of the gig economy.
27:12-36:01: "We get hired alone, we get fired alone"
Kicking and screaming, we've officially entered the era of mass layoffs punctuated by the deeply unsettling and traumatic reality of having modern technology showing us the door on the way out. Being told that you no longer have a job was difficult enough back when humans communicated and sympathized face-to-face; now it's something straight out of a bad science fiction film. When taxpayer-subsidized media companies decide to justify their austerity by parting ways with contractors and stalwarts alike, people are finding themselves robbed of the opportunity to communicate back - even if it's just to vent. With companies downsizing relentlessly and removing thousands of jobs while small businesses are going the way of the dodo, at some point it all begins to feel like a cruel joke.
Jacob Lorinc (@jacoblorinc) is an investigative journalist and reporter with The Toronto Star. He sprung to action in profiling the recent spate of news concerning mass layoffs conducted via Zoom and realized that something inherently dystopian was transpiring before his very own eyes. For him, a pandemic future where people have to struggle alone under the weight of heavy psychological trauma caused by unemployment is like harbouring a festering wound in society that's refused to heal even as we've become more aware of just how static and disconnected the western capitalist economic model has become.
36:02-45:11: "It's time to challenge the stigma of concussions"
Did you know that you brain has 100 billion neurons firing in all directions and that we're all wired differently when it comes to how we experience life? Even though many of us enjoy discussing this fact in the context of what's inside our heads and how our thoughts distinguish us from one another, there's still not enough being done to address a fundamental lack of concussion awareness. Not understanding the clarity behind the nature of injuries has created a level of personal suffering on an absolutely unprecedented scale that's being ignored. There's barely enough empathy and compassion left in this world as it is; many people simply don't get the help they need nor realize how badly hurt they really are.
Seth Mendelsohn (@headsupcan) is the co-founder and Creative Director of Headsupcan, a non-profit concussion advocacy network that looks to spread bona fide awareness and challenge the stigma of concussions through grass-roots community action and high school visitations. For him, knowing that 70% of concussions aren't sports-related affords him the chance to take on the misconceptions caused from a culture where hyper-masculinity and general ignorance has clouded our dwindling personal health priorities in this regard.
“Whiskey & Cream Theme” written and performed by Chris Henderson.

Whiskey & Cream Round Table: Toronto Raptors Edition (02-26) Feb 26, 2021

Show notes

Whiskey & Cream Round Table for February 26th, 2021.
Host: Ari Shapiro
Guests: Stephen Burns and Marshall Auerback.
Narratives: Toronto Raptors basketball; Adam Silver's weaksauce apology to Masai Ujiri, Doug Smith and the tyranny of words when using social media, and why the sport itself is a blessing during dark times.
Duration: 31:47
WARNING: Listener discretion is advised. This podcast contains seriously blunt truths, excessively mature language, ruthlessly candid perspectives, and the kind of intellectual discourse that serves to enlighten, educate and punch through the darkness until it bleeds daylight.

Whiskey & Cream: Episode X Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

Whiskey & Cream for February 17th, 2021.
Host: Ari Shapiro
0:42-7:38: "When familiarity breeds contempt"
Once upon a time, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators had the kind of rivalry that transformed their respective cities in what was fondly referred to as The Battle of Ontario. And if you're old enough to remember what those halcyon days were like during the mid 2000's with names like Daniel Alfredsson and Darcy Tucker leading the charge, then you'll appreciate why the NHL's new divisional re-alignment can be seen as a throwback to the time-honored notion that familiarity breeds contempt. The excitement and animosity generated by provincial rivals is something that Gary Bettman and the NHL front office are hopingto help mitigate the fallout from a pandemic reality that's transformed the way one looks at professional hockey competition.
Steve Warne (@TSNSteve) is a broadcaster, writer and podcaster who spent over two decades hosting on TSN morning radio. His appreciation for the Ottawa Senators and the NHL's newfangled North division is clearly on display when he looks at the value of having geographic enemies face-off against each other on a regular basis. For him, the league is creating home-and-home series with potentially indelible confrontations that could serve to bolster fan interest in familiar and yet unprecedented ways.
7:39-15:21: "The forced quiet that saved her life"
Anxiety and despair seem to have become the pandemic's best friends, and thanks to the rampant nature of our increasingly volatile and uncontrollable world, most people are ignoring the steps necessary to avoid forming destructive habits and holding patterns that lead to the kinds of coping mechanisms which hold us back rather than freeing our minds. It's hard enough dealing with the financial devastation and emotional pain of displacement caused by our divided world, but soon the word "self-care" began to lose all meaning when treated like a romanticized stigma rather than an open concept to explore how to get at the root of mental health challenges. And although big corporations with their glitzy social marketing campaigns try to sell you the notion that everything is hunky-dory if you just send a text or make a donation, the truth is that without real grass-roots awareness it all becomes just a series of empty buzzwords and nonchalant lip service.
Sammy Nickalls (@Sammynickalls) is a freelance writer, editor and social influencer who believes that the world is filled with inordinate amounts of pain and grief that shouldn't simply be covered up and shelved away. She created the popularized hashtag #talkingaboutit which invites social media users to openly and seamlessly share their feelings about mental wellness in a manner that underscores the importance of honesty over stigma, openness over shame, and diligence over complacency.
15:22-21:34: "To have no master and become untouchable"
From the earliest days of Lenny Bruce through to Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Bill Hicks and Greg Giraldo, the history of comedy is paved with trailblazers who refused to accept the limitations of the business they were in and embraced free speech as a true mantra. In an era where social media and internet politics can make or break a career, more artists have taken to the internet to create exposure and weaponize it without the permission of Hollywood or big tech companies. As a result, there's a seismic shift in play where creative and financial success can be found through personal resiliency rather than public affirmation.
Josh Denny (@JoshDenny) is an actor, podcaster and a stand-up comedian who has done work with The Food Network. He's no stranger to controversy by virtue of his position on political incorrectness and the growing cancel culture in the United States, but it's his knowledge of the industry and love of comedy that's allowed him to empower himself and others in embracing technology to help overthrow the traditional gatekeepers who have exploited artists in the name of stone cold profit.
21:35-31:18: "A blockbuster trade that made sense"
The Winnipeg Jets have the unenviable task of trying to work with an established nucleus of players who may have missed the chance for ultimate glory. Although they remain laden with enormous amounts of overall talent - players such as Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Jacob Trouba and sensational netminder Connor Hellebuyck, something simply wasn't clicking. With the recent decision to trade their 2nd overall draft pick in the 2016 lottery, the team said farewell to the gloriously talented goal-scoring machine that was Patrik Laine and replaced him with Pierre-Luc Dubois; a centre whose rare mixture of size high-end skill represented a rare "win-win" scenario for both teams involved.
Scott Billeck (@ScottBilleck) is a multimedia journalist with the Winnipeg Sun and NHL.com. For him, the Jets remain a bona fide contender because of their ingrained leadership and key personnel that captivated an entire country's imagination several years ago. The decision to part ways with a cog in their wheel should be seen as a chance to format the right kind of chemistry for a ravenous fan base hoping for legitimate reasons to cheer in the spring.
“Whiskey & Cream Theme” written and performed by Chris Henderson.

Whiskey & Cream: Episode IX Feb 04, 2021

Show notes

Whiskey & Cream for February 4th, 2021
Host: Ari Shapiro
0:46-11:08: "Discovering the tools left by our fathers"
The journey we all tend to go on after suddenly losing a parent is not only unique to each and every human born on this planet, but it tends to codify and amplify our future outlook on life itself. It can in essence steer us down into an abyss of self-loathing and deep regret but it also offers us the chance to recalibrate our priorities on what really matters. Although death is often talked about as being a part of life, it also offers us the rarest of opportunities to find solace in the places that were constructed by those who loved us most. In doing so, we not only honor their memory but also restore our faith in the face of lingering despair and perpetual grief.
Dan Robson (@RobsonDan) is an author and sports writer who suffered the loss of a parent when he least expected it. As his childhood anxieties overwhelmed him in facing the reality that the person who fixed everything everyday was gone, he used any feelings of guilt or abandonment to learn how to use the very tools that his father left behind - literally. His upcoming book "Measuring Up: A Memoir of Fathers and Sons" is a powerful autobiography which chronicles the importance of learning to grow while keeping things together after the end of an era for a traditional, close-knit family.
11:08-19:40: "When things are getting objectively worse"
Remember when you were a kid and you held this utopian resolve that things would eventually get better because grownups had your best interests at heart? The truth is, it feels like we haven't made much progress in the past few decades. Almost every measure of momentum in modernized society has failed to live up to its billing. With a caretaker President taking over from a destructive administration built on the foundation of a colonial legacy that's produced a brand of crisis capitalism not seen before, the stakes are higher than ever. Over 400,000 Americans and 19,000 Canadians are dead alongside evidence of a disproportionate impact on racialized and indigenous communities, it seems that families across North America have been thrown into chaos under the weight of corrosive neoliberalist policies that never birthed the very ideals they claimed to represent.
Nora Loreto (@NoLore) is an author, podcaster and activist from Quebec City. She's been featured in The Washington Post and National Observer and writes passionately about feminism and labour unions in the post-modern world. For her, the last couple of years have shown us the full scope of the damage caused from political hypocrisy and the scourge of Trumpism. As such, this brand of capitalism built on the shoulders of disenfranchised and marginalized labour has revealed a disturbing trend that's leading North America on a downward spiral.
19:40-29:31: "Going to California with tear-stained eyes"
California has always caught the attention of anyone who subscribes to the belief that the American dream still exists. As a trailblazer for conversations about politics, art, and technology, it's very much the epicentre of modern progressive thought for an entire nation. With a population of over 40 million that's defined by urban and rural diversity in ways you couldn't possible imagine, it remains one of the most enigmatic states of the union and is considered both a progressive beacon and a stunning indictment of how the best laid plans have gone awry. Between struggling with a profound underinvestment in their public health system, overlapping government control with a tendency for passing the buck, and an existential struggle for truth on social media, California has never seen these kinds of problems all happening at the same time.
John Myers (@johnmyers) has spent more than two decades in radio and television news. He's an award-winning reporter who's cited by state and national organizations as one of the country's top political journalists. Although he remains optimistic about the lessons learned from the pandemic and our societal discord, his belief that we need to support the places which generate truth is also underscored by a fundamental desire to see a new paradigm in managing delicate democracies across the globe.
29:31-36:02: "In search of dinosaur bones and long-term fan equity"
The Toronto Raptors are a basketball team out of time and space; besieged by a virulent pandemic and dealing with the loss of fan favourite stalwarts as they transition their identity to a younger nucleus of developed talent. Between the logistics associated with playing in a US city during a pandemic and having to deal with an unprecedented level of family displacement, it's hard to tell what they've become or which direction they're heading. The team continues to struggle mightily with media exposure even though they've become the gold standard for NBA franchise success given what they've achieved on and off the basketball court.
Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Toronto Raptors and has worked for Vice, Dime Magazine and FanGraphs. Although he concedes that hockey and baseball will always dominate his city's sports culture, he remains intrinsically hopeful that the profound afterglow of a championship in 2019 coupled with the legacy of contending for eight straight post-seasons will be more than enough to compete for fan interest for years to come.
“Whiskey & Cream Theme” written and performed by Chris Henderson.

Whiskey & Cream: Episode VIII Jan 23, 2021

Show notes

Whiskey & Cream for January 23rd, 2021
Host: Ari Shapiro
0:46-8:30: "There is increased fire here"
It's still very early in the abbreviated and pandemic-influenced NHL season, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are already feeling the weight of fickle fans who scrutinize their every win and loss in much the way you'd cheer for heavyweight fighters exchanging blows. But this year, there's a bona fide sense of urgency and a real commitment to team defense. Although the Northeast division will undoubtedly make it easier for them to avoid some of the juggernauts of the past such as Boston and Tampa Bay, the team is poised to succeed if goaltender Frederik Andersen can do his best to resemble Grant Fuhr rather than Andrew Raycroft. But with all their young and highly coveted talented players, this would seem to be the year that they could find a way to win a single playoff round.
Luke Fox (@lukefoxjukebox) is an NHL writer with Sportsnet in Canada and has published a variety of books on rap music. In covering the team on a national level, he believes that there's increased fire in the way the team has been constructed under general manager Kyle Dubas, and that by adding players like Wayne Simmonds, Joe Thornton and Jimmy Vesey, he believes that the team infused a measure of toughness, leadership and skill that offers priceless intangibility in a payroll that's dominated by a nucleus of game-breaking talent short on professional success.
8:50-15:42: "A baseball team is a big company designed to make money"
Most fans of the Toronto Blue Jays have come to accept the limitations and scope of what their baseball team is all about. After decades of playoff futility and cultural rot, the organization seems to be a shadow of its former championship self. You know, that glorious platinum standard set by the exploits of Carter, Alomar, Molitor and company. But then suddenly and as quickly as it came, the steady development of 80's talent and the cultivation of a family-oriented brand began to erase itself from the hearts and minds of an entire generation. For awhile there, it looked like the sport itself was drifting into irrelevancy through doping, cheating and the commitment to heartless austerity by billion-dollar corporate owners. Although 2015 brought a mighty reprieve to cynical fandom everywhere, the current front office has been besieged by lingering expectations of competitive play that hasn't existed for half a decade.
Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) is a writer and multiplatform contributor with Sportsnet. He's also the co-host of At The Letters podcast where he breaks down this team for a living. For him, the Blue Jays front office of Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins have been transparent with their intentions from the moment they arrived in Toronto, and although most people are turned off by their corporate doubletalk and penchant for public relations tone-deafness, it all comes down to a baseball team being a big company finding ways to make a profit. When asked about the recent George Springer signing and his outlook on the team in 2021, his responses were as refreshing as they are candid.
15:55-22:49: "We stand on guard for thee?"
Once upon a time, Canadians were known for the sport of hockey, maple syrup and peacekeeping. But as populism raged across the western world and took most of empathy and compassion with it, a nation respected for centrism and balance finds itself grappling with its identity amidst a global pandemic. It's not a stretch to think that if things get worse and more people become unemployed and homeless, that this country could find itself facing an existential crisis that strikes to the very core of what it means to be a liberal or a conservative.
Asif Hossain (@asifintoronto) is a social influencer and has worked with MLSE, Tennis Canada and the Canadian Olympic committee. His eloquent contempt for political misanthropes and posturing leaders comes from a belief that most Canadians have a generally favourable view of their government and are willing to work together for compromise. Perhaps that's why it's so disheartening for him to witness countless examples of elected leaders who continually let us down with their hypocrisy and lies.
23:07-28:51: "The power of a microstory"
Microstories might be better than teletherapy. I know that's a bold claim coming from someone who isn't a psychiatrist and hasn't published a book in his lifetime, but nothing seems to bring me genuine catharsis more than a compelling short story wrapped in the mental shape of a bite-sized piece of chocolate. In a world where doomscrolling has become a tradition and reading a book seems blase, it's nice to find true escapism through the musings of someone who combines delicious yiddishkeit humour with the cold, steel pragmatic irony of our modern times.
Eric Rosenhek (@TheHek) is the author of Dim Sum Stories, a series of heartfelt microstories available exclusively at arishapiro.ca. For him, the capacity to visualize intriguing narratives cobbled forth in small spaces offers him the chance to channel his stress and anxiety in all the best ways - through the promise of literary escapism where the white noise stops and all you can hear is the sound of your heart beating. Hearing his observations on the pandemic and what keeps him sane reveals a touching look into the mind of someone whose creativity defines the very essence of his soul.
“Whiskey & Cream Theme” written and performed by Chris Henderson.

Whiskey & Cream: Episode VII Jan 19, 2021

Show notes

Whiskey & Cream for January 19th, 2021
Host: Ari Shapiro
0:36-13:20: "On the outside and feeling betrayed"
The inauguration is almost upon us and most Americans are waiting with bated breath to usher in what should be a new era in US politics. But as the steam goes out on the Donald Trump presidency and the reality of losing a fair and democratic election sinks in, it isn't a coincidence that anti-state and anti-law enforcement ideas are flourishing across all states of the union. The movement has taken on a decidedly militant turn across the board specifically because the outgoing administration crafted a brutal and convenient revisionist narrative that Trump supporters are stuck on the outside looking in on an election that was stolen and requires them to defend themselves and their honour. As a result, multiple forms of virulent militant activity ranging from The Oathkeepers to The Proud Boys are finding themselves with the kind of raison d'être that could end up creating a measure of public unrest not seen since the civil rights movement.
Brendan O'Connor (@_grendan) is freelance journalist and the author of Blood Red Lines: How Nativism Fuels The Right. He's covered right-wing extremism since the end of the Obama administration and believes that overstating the danger of what may come can lead to poor analysis and even worse conclusions. But what he does believe is that what happens next will be a period of turmoil, and that The Biden administration will likely not be defined by healing and reconciliation. In his eyes, there will be a greater and far more spectacular reckoning of political violence in the US for the foreseeable future.
13:21-19:31: "When lightning strikes twice"
Most Canadians don't realize how special and unique the Tampa Bay Lightning are as a professional NHL franchise, and with the return of hockey for a second season in a pandemic reality, there's a great deal to be said for an organization which values their fans as much as their profit levels and industry achievements. In a market devoid of hypercritical fans and a vicious media backbite, the Lightning aren't just winners on the ice - they are bona fide winners off it as well.
Dave Randorf (@DaveRandorf) is the play-by-play commentator for the Tampa Bay Lightning and a celebrated Canadian sports broadcaster. He's never taken his success for granted and believes that in aligning his future with the Florida-based Stanley Cup champions, he can help fans of hockey feel better about their own personal struggles by enjoying a first class organization which has succeeded in winning the championship twice since the turn of the century. Which, for the record, is twice more than the Toronto Maple Leafs have accomplished since 1967.
19:32-26:21: "Coming back to normal, a little dark and colder"
It's hard to keep your mind fresh and spirits high when the numbing reality of covid statistics exist to remind you that all is not normal. It makes one really wonder: how much of this can we take without going back to the normal things - you know, the simple things. Like enjoying a breakaway in overtime, an extra innings nailbiter or the last few remaining seconds of an alley-oop, centre court play to win the game in regulation. Having sports back, even under such abnormal conditions, is essentially a return to normalcy that gives us the kind of distraction needed to help absorb the hypocrisy of our times - the fact that politicians and corporate profiteers are treating this time as business as usual.
Tony Ambrogio (@Tony_Ambrogio) is a freelancer with TSN and teaches at the College of Sports Media in Toronto. He's a highly respected sports journalist who finds himself becoming a colder, darker person when confronted with an endless barrage of pandemic statistics and political hypocrisies which make him pine for the simplicity of hockey, basketball or baseball. Amidst all the vitriol and hate associated with masks and vaccinations, he remains grateful that society can still rely on professional sports to bring us back to a time when arguing at the dinner table and mulling over the latest feats of athleticism were once the norm.
26:23-34:01: "The psychology of pandemic sports betting"
We've come a long way from the days when sports betting was frowned upon as a reckless or taboo indulgence. With 19 American states now legalizing the activity, it's clear the appetite for gambling has reached a whole new level with the pandemic raging throughout the winter. In the first couple of months alone, Table Tennis became the seventh most wagered on sport as people sought to find ways to wager money on competitive spectacles that reminded them of something other than negative media news and gradual societal decay.
Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) is the VP of Digital Content at VISN The Sports Betting Network and has done work with ESPN. For him, the concept of sports betting is all about psychology and economics and shouldn't be for the faint of heart. In a changing world of easy to use technology and unlimited access, his mantra of making informed decisions and playing within your boundaries is an absolute prerequisite for anyone who is serious turning this pursuit into a money-maker, and that having consistent success relies more on studying and learning the craft well before embarking on it.
“Whiskey & Cream Theme” written and performed by Chris Henderson.

Whiskey & Cream: Episode VI Jan 12, 2021

Show notes

Whiskey & Cream for January 12th, 2021
Host: Ari Shapiro
0:36-7:50: "Freedom is about respecting other's freedom"
It isn't a stretch to say that this pandemic has revealed a deep and inexplicable hypocrisy when it comes to political leadership and our notion of civic pride. Ask yourself this question: why is the city of Toronto failing at protecting its most vulnerable during these troubled times? Cases of infection are spiralling out of control, hospital ICUs are filled to capacity, and now we've gone from a full lockdown to a proposed curfew similar to neighbouring Quebec. So, what's going on? Is it a lack of moral courage or empathy when confronted with such overwhelmingly large numbers of bad behaviour? Or have we stumbled so badly in helping one another when other countries are showing us that different paths can and are being followed? And what about those people out there who represent the service class - you know, the working stiff who prepares and cooks your take-out food, throws out your garbage, delivers your furniture and look after your elderly parents in retirement homes - are all being let down horribly while more and more elected politicians are taking vacations to Caribbean islands. And that's not even mentioning the scores of elderly dying in abandoned and poorly run retirement communities.
Shawn Micallef (@shawnmicallef) is a celebrated writer and known authority on Canadian urbanism. He's written for the Toronto Star, teaches at the University of Toronto and is the co-founder of Spacing Magazine. In his recent article chronicling the recent spate of Canadian political controversies, he reveals the extent to which some people are willing to break the delicate and coveted social contract that no longer seems to protect the most vulnerable and essential members of society.
8:01-13:45: "Being online has revealed a new consciousness"
The distinction between peaceful protestors being tear gassed during the BLM movement and the spectacle from earlier this week was jarring and hit many progressive idealists right in the gut, and hard. Ignoring the more concerning issue of who was responsible for the DC police and Maryland national guard standing down for a moment, what transpired at the US Capitol will be poured over and examined for quite some time to come. But what it really does is raise powerful new questions about what the internet is doing to us when it comes to the way we dissect information and the sweeping conclusions that we ultimately reach.
Richard Cooke (@rgcooke) is the critically-acclaimed author of "Tired of Winning: A Chronicle of American Decline" and is correspondent and contributing editor with publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post. In his eyes, the recent US Capitol riots and "insurrection" that took place reveals the kind of breakdown between government and its people which speaks to how we perceive the internet and the flow of information being fed to us on a daily basis. For him, it's all about a new type of consciousness that has no precedent and so our vigilance becomes everything moving forward during these challenging times of actual established truth versus cobbled myopic fiction.
13:58-20:22: "Trouble in Jurassic Paradise"
Fans of Toronto basketball are trying desperately to reconcile what's happened to their 2021 Raptors. The team is sliding fast and losing games at a rate that isn't sustainable in a shortened NBA season if you're serious about making the playoffs. Although players like Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet have shown up of late in a desperate effort to stem the tide, the once mighty NBA champions who came off an even more impressive coronavirus shortened season last year are beginning to live more off their nostalgia and less off the potency of their once-feared bench and indefatigable leaders. And while coach Nick Nurse is doing everything in his power to right this sinking ship, the faithful are turning into faithless faster than you can say James Harden.
Luca Rosano (@lucarosano3) is the host of The Luca Rosano Show and is a respected Canadian sportscaster whose been seen on TSN and ESPN. As someone who considers this team near and dear to his heart, his conclusions about their trials and tribulations is clearer to him than most people - that the front office failed miserably on recruiting high-priced free agents while letting go of key stalwarts who could have made a major difference in their chances for success this year. Without a Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol and the promise of "The Greek Freek" one day joining their ranks, the future seems bleaker than most fans could ever have anticipated.
20:30-26:35: "In Kyle Dubas We Trust"
The Toronto Maple Leafs are about to embark on a new hockey campaign this week and considering that they haven't won a Stanley Cup in 54 years and didn't make it past the first round of playoffs since the last Canadian federal election, there's this sense that maybe this year might be different. That perhaps after half a century of front office excuses and player alibis as to what went wrong, that maybe..just maybe, this roster has what it takes to win a single playoff round. With a nucleus of ruthlessly talented young forwards including the mercurial Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, along with savvy veterans like John Tavares, Wayne Simmonds and San Jose's prodigal son, Jumbo Joe Thornton, the team finds itself heading into a season where everyone has something to prove.
Marshall Auerback (@mauerback) is an international economist, acclaimed author and popular blogger who bleeds blue with stunning regularity. When it comes to the buds and his view of the long and troubled history of the Maple Leafs, he leaves nothing behind in his candid assessment of general manager Kyle Dubas and the desire to switch gears in bringing players well past their prime and with something to prove. In doing so, chronic weaknesses that previously existed seem to have evaporated and the future seems bright indeed for the last remaining hockey idealists left in this city.
“Whiskey & Cream Theme” written and performed by Chris Henderson.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Whiskey & Cream Podcast with Ari Shapiro

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected