5 O'Clock Train -- CHUO 89.1 FM

Bernard Desgagné on media responsibility and Canadian warmongering

2012-01-15T12:38:00.009-05:00

On January 12, 2012, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Bernard Desgagné, French-language independent researcher and journalist extraordinaire.

The themes included Québec separatism, Canadian waring and war crimes, the absence of critical mainstream journalism, Libya, Ivory Coast, Syria, Congo... Just trying to restore some balance against the mainstream establishment media.

John Carroll as the artist -- Everybody Smokes in Hell

2012-01-15T12:36:00.005-05:00

On January 5, 2012, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Ottawa musician and song writer John Carroll about his latest CD "Everybody Smokes in Hell" with The Epic Proportions band.

John's promoter and support teem Tiah was in studio with their three year old child Henry, who decide to play animal zoo in the lobby instead.

A low key intimate interview explored John as the artist, perspective, motivation, family, inspiration and, well, the harsh side of life...

"Don't be too quick to condemn your vice."

John was a main figure in the GSAED graduate student pub on campus back in 2004 or so where he met Tiah. He has been in residency at the renown Cafe Lafayette "The Laff" every Wednesday night since 2004. Catch up with him there, and with his ambiance style and amazing talking blues.

[NOTE: He had a problem with the recording of this Train interview! If a listener has a recording, please contact us: chuotrain@gmail.com.]

Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya on NATO war crimes in Libya

2011-12-29T23:14:00.007-05:00

On December 29, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt first read his essay "A theory of chronic pain" and then interviewed Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya (Associate at Global Research and graduate student, Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University, Canada) about his independent journalism in Libya.

This interview gives a true sense of the war on the ground in Libya and explains (the tactical reasons for) the war crimes perpetrated by NATO and its hired thugs.

Dr. Aalya Ahmad and activist Hugh about Occupy Ottawa

2011-12-22T21:08:00.010-05:00

On December 22, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed CUPW staffer, rabble.ca journalist and Carleton University sessional lecturer Dr. Aalya Ahmad and tent-sleeping activist Hugh about Occupy Ottawa. The discussion was live in-studio.

Red-flag communists, safe-place zealots, Nazis, old-school feminists, white-skin privilege, class oppression, public-park-laboratory, police intervention...

Aalya's rabble.ca article about safe-space zeolots

Aalya's rabble.ca articles

Occupy Ottawa press release Youtube

Against Industrial Wind Power: It's a war...

2011-12-15T22:30:00.009-05:00

On December 15, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed two prominent members of the political resistance to industrial wind power in Ontario: Jane Wilson and Dan Scharf.

Both guests are authors of chapters in the new book edited by Jane: "Dirty Business - The reality of Ontario's rush to wind power". Jane is a registered nurse, editor and award-winning writer. She is a member of the North Gower Wind Action Group. Dan has a degree in statistics and computer science and experience in product marketing, sales management, and risk management.

"This is a war between rural residents, landowners, and municipalities on one side and corporations, the provincial government, and environmental NGOs on the other. It is a war fought around a host of conflicting issues -- bird kills, coal plants, nuclear safety, wind turbine footprints, subsidies, energy strategy, property rights, and political agendas. It is a war..." (Dan Scharf in "Dirty Business")

Wind Concerns Ontario website

David Burton on civil liberties and police conduct -- PART-II

2011-12-12T20:20:00.004-05:00

This is Part-II, an extra 20 minutes on the December 1, 2011, interview with David Burton, Board member of the Civil Liberties Association - National Capital Region.

Part-I (the first hour) is posted HERE.

Activist and philosophy professor Steve Best on animal liberation and on human-animal nature

2011-12-09T10:41:00.010-05:00

On December 8, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed activist and philosophy professor Steve Best (El Paso University, USA) live from studio by phone about his work supporting animal liberation.

Dr. Best described the consequences he has suffered for practicing his academic freedom in his analysis of and participation in the international animal liberation movement. He described his personal transformation starting in 1987 after reading the 1975 book "Animal Liberation" by fellow philosopher Peter Singer, leading to his co-authored 2001 book "Terrorist of Freedom Fighter? Reflections on the Liberation of Animals". Dr. Best is a vocal supporter of the direct-action non-violent tactics of the Animal Liberation Front.

(A technical difficulty resulted in persistent popping sound in the recording. If any listeners happened to record the entire show in a clean and usable format, please contact me so we can upload a clear recording.)

David Burton on civil liberties and police conduct

2011-12-01T21:59:00.006-05:00

On December 1, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed David Burton, Board Member, Civil Liberties Association (Ottawa), in-studio about civil liberties, atheism, police accountability and oversight, police culture, and police conduct.

LINK to Sunday 2pm event HERE.
.

Dr. Ajamu Nangwaya on race analysis in union and power politics

2011-11-24T20:28:00.006-05:00

On November 24, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed social scientist Dr. Ajamu Nangwaya about his work analyzing racism in union organizations and race attitudes within the class structures in North America.

The discussion included a critique of the Occupy Wall Street movement, the welfare state as an accommodation to capitalism, the radical way to labour self-management, white supremacy as a barrier to progressive aims, resistance cooptation impact on race solidarity, the need for free expression in the public arena -- even racist or homophobic speech, criminal gangs versus Black Panthers in establishment's response, Obama's racism, and more.

Crown, government and police malicious prosecution of Terry Stavnyck

2011-11-18T10:02:00.008-05:00

(Example of artist Terry Stavnyck's photography.)

On November 17, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Ottawa artist and social justice activist Terry Stavnyck live-in-studio about the malicious prosecution by the Crown, government and police against him.

This is an update about the on-going bogus criminal trial (alleged assault of a muscle-bound parliamentary security police twice his weight; while being arbitrarily targeted and brutalized by said victim) against 122-bound multiple-sclerosis-afflicted Terry Stavnick -- a shameful display of "justice" being perpetrated in Canada's capital.

See all Train reports about Terry Stavnyck HERE.

Consider attending the next trial sessions:
"Regina v. Stavnyck"
November 22nd and 23rd, 10am start
161 Elgin Street courthouse
Ask at criminal proceedings counter for room number.

Carleton U police arrests of pro-life students lawsuit

2011-11-10T19:55:00.009-05:00

On November 10, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed student-plaintiff Ruth (Lobo) Shaw (by phone, Vancouver) and her counsel Albertos Polizogopoulos (in-studio) about their lawsuit against Carleton University.

Ruth Lobo is a former Lifeline President. Carleton Lifeline is the pro-life club at Carleton University. Her major was Human Rights. Albertos Polizogopoulus is with Vincent-Dagenais-Gibson law firm.

The pro-life students were arrested hand-cuffed and hauled-off for their public expression on campus. Echos of the Berkeley free speech movement... Stunningly, as was the case in the Berkeley movement of the 1960s, the student union sided with the administration. History repeats itself.

Dr. Benoit Awazi on the African Crisis

2011-11-03T21:45:00.008-04:00

On November 3, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Dr. Benoit Awazi, President of the "Centre for Multidisciplinary Research on Black African Communities and Diaspora" (translated from French) about the re-emergent colonialism in Africa, the Africa Crisis, Muammar Caddafi's murder, elite intellectual dishonesty, the recent Ivory Cost war crime of France, the collapse of intelligence, the intimidation of Greece, and much more.

Dr. Awazi is the author of several critical books about the Africa Crisis. We contrasted Dr. Awazi's criticisms with the criminal sham that is the "R2P" doctrine shamelessly promoted by U of O president Allan Rock, among others. History will expose these false-justifications for global colonialist interventionism.

Dr. Steven E. Noble on queer theory and education

2011-10-30T14:29:00.007-04:00

On October 27, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Dr. Steven E. Noble, Educator, Researcher, Councellor, and former professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa.

This is what applied critical pedagogy, inspired by queer theory and critical disability theory, looks like in Dr. Noble's class room -- until he was fired in reprisal for filing a grievance to contest breaches of his contract. And that's what the University of Ottawa looks like.

Dr. Noble is also informed by his community work with addicted youth in the Downtown East Side, Vancouver, by his work with "mental illness" patients, and by his experience with government and public institutions.

Hazel Gashoka on Ottawa police brutality and racism in U of O student politics

2011-10-30T10:22:00.008-04:00

On October 20, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed student activist, 4th-year psychology major and U of O Senate member Hazel Gashoka, live in-studio.

Unfortunately, the sound track was lost due to technical problems.

Ms. Gashoka described her 2003 violent and racist encounter with the Ottawa Police, from her first days as a 1st-year student on the U of O campus. Ms. Gashoka reported that she was pushed to the ground for no apparent reason by one of Ottawa's finest. When she protested, she was hauled off in cuffs into a dark holding truck, told to urinate on herself, and then dumped into a cold holding cell on a steel plate to spend the night, without ever being charged. Her recommended music for the theme was "Fuck the Police" by N.W.A.

Ms. Gashoka went on to describe:

the inherent racism of the white U of O student union (SFUO) in its paternalistic management of Black History Month campus organizing,
the SFUO's absurd stance in eliminating the Student Arbitration Committee - its constitutional independent judiciary arm - under the pretext of increasing "democratic representation", and
the zoo that is the Senate of the University of Ottawa, chaired by president Allan Rock.

We apologize for not being able to provide this sound track for this interview.

"Mise en Demeure" Quebec radical anarchist alternative urban Montreal scene music

2011-10-15T11:00:00.009-04:00

On October 13, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt went solo:

to comment on the recent RIM Blackberry blackout media coverage,
to read the latest press release from the Bradley Manning Support Network, and
to feature the French text and music of "Mise en Demeure" ("Notice Served", roughly translated).

Host Rancourt tried to "translate" some of the titles and lyrics... and described the dumster-diving and police-violence-abused scene that has given rise to the penetrating expression of Mise en Demeure.

October 6th show cancelled

2011-10-15T10:52:00.005-04:00

The October 6th (2011) production of The Train was CANCELED due to unforeseen circumstances.

Teacher Mike Kaulbars and student Jess Menard on pacifism and diversity of tactics

2011-10-03T15:59:00.007-04:00

On September 29, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Mike Kaulbars (long-time activist, producer of the "Politics of Resistance" course) and Jess Menard (local activist, Carleton U student) about non-violent resistance, activist tactics, and criticisms of the End Civ film by Frank Lopez and black bloc tactics...

Duff Conacher on the problem with "democracy"

2011-10-03T15:41:00.008-04:00

On September 22, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Duff Conacher, Founder and Board Member of Democracy Watch, by phone from Toronto.

The interview was a broad-based discussion about the main systemic and structural problems with Canadian "democracy", with some focus on the upcoming Ontario election.

The macro-level and most damaging problem is the lap-dog culture of Members of Parliament (MPs) who are dependent on party leaders for their jobs (and pensions) and who agree to be servile to the leaders rather than independent thinkers who work for their constituents without compromise.

But there are way more problems than that... We need our establishment/government watch dogs to be like Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin...

Professor Maximilian Forte on Eurocentric geopolitics and NATO crimes

2011-09-15T20:47:00.004-04:00

On September 15, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Dr. Maximilian Forte, Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University, about his criticisms of the UN Security Council, NATO, "R2P" doctrine, war crimes in Lybia, and more.

Adbusters Senior Editor Micah White on riots and revolution

2011-09-08T21:15:00.007-04:00

On September 8, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Adbusters magazine Senior Editor Micah White about his work, riots and revolution.

White cites Foucault in a piece entitled "Is rioting revolutionary?" How would Foucault react to today's gutless left?

MD psychotherapist and author Susan Rosenthal on health in a dominance hierarchy

2011-09-02T09:29:00.011-04:00

On September 1, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed MD psychotherapist and author Susan Rosenthal by phone from the Greater Toronto Area about health in our capitalist system.

Class struggle, medicalization of human emotional reactions, class struggle, sense of threat reaction, anger as natural reaction, class struggle, professional poison, anger as the emotion of justice, class struggle, "Be the change" as sick slogan, rat race, hurtful language, and much more...

Crazy clip played during the show:

Conversation with Peter Laux on global warming

2011-08-28T10:27:00.011-04:00

On August 25, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa, Canada) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Peter Laux in Melbourne, Australia, by phone.

Peter Laux is a train driver (engineer) who has contributed to The Train previously, here. He is the author of the "$10k climate challenge", here: He has signed a legal undertaking that he will pay $10 thousand Australian dollars to anyone who can provide

"a conclusive argument based on empirical facts that increasing atmospheric CO2 from fossil fuel burning drives global climate warming."

The radio discussion started with physicist Rancourt explaining basic climate physics to discern the crap from a clear picture of the relevant planetary radiation balance and moved into a societal and class analysis of global warming preoccupations.

The climate physics paper cited is THIS ONE.
The Guardian article about Martians is HERE.

Lia Tarachansky on the on-going mass civil protests in Israel

2011-08-19T09:36:00.009-04:00

How can the North American mainstream media not cover this?!

On August 18, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed The Real News video-journalist Lia Tarachansky by phone in Israel about her investigative reports on the on-going massive civil unrest and tent cities in Israel.

Fascinating and needed current affairs overview about Israel.

M.A. student Joshua Blakeney on 911 research and Israel

2011-08-11T21:16:00.006-04:00

On August 11, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed University of Lethbridge (Canada) graduate student Joshua Blakeney on his M.A. thesis research about 911 scholarship.

Joshua Blakeney is a well known "truther", a student of the oppression of Palestine by Israel, and a staff writer with Veterans Today.

Main underlying 911-related themes were the war on terror as an instrument of political manipulation and the strategic goals of Israel in the Middle East.

Music clip selected by Joshua: Uprising

Racism and John Akpata on Ottawa police misbehaviour

2011-08-05T14:59:00.008-04:00

On August 4, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt read an introductory essay about the theory and practice of racism in society before interviewing spoken word artist and politician (Marijuana Party of Canada) John Akpata on the topic of police misbehaviour in Ottawa, Canada's capital.

John explained how citizens can participate to make police accountable. He also described his recent conflict with police (reported by the national media) over his constitutional right to not let a cop take his cell phone using the sole pretext that it contains witness evidence.

John mentioned these two key resources:

OIPRD - Office of the Independent Police Review Director
Police Services Act - Ontario

Sakura Saunders on mining colonialism and freedom radio activism

2011-07-29T10:08:00.007-04:00

On July 28, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa (Canada) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Sakura Saunders by phone from Toronto.

The themes were Canadian mining crimes in the world, blood money paths from Canadian mining, and community radio activism in communities affected by mining colonialism.

The keynote characteristics of a Canadian mining "operation" are: (1) Corruption, (2) living environment destruction, and (3) repressive militarization. For background information see protestbarrick.net.

Get involved suggested link: SolidarityResponse.net

Tel Aviv University senior lecturer Anat Matar on Israel's political prisoners

2011-07-21T20:38:00.006-04:00

On July 21, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed senior lecturer of philosophy and political activist Anat Matar by phone from Israel.

We explored "Who Profits" from the Israeli occupation of Palestine, Israel's grotesque system of political prisoners and their judicial treatments, and the origins of the societal pathology of Israel's Zionism.

Cited book: Threat - Palestinian Political Prisoners in Israel

Hilla Dayan in Amsterdam on Israel's Knesset madness

2011-07-14T21:07:00.000-04:00

On July 14, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa, Canada, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Hilla Dayan by phone to Amsterdam to talk about Israel and her activism for Palestinian justice.

Hilla Dayan is an International Relations Policy Advisor of the Coalition of Women for Peace (Israel).

"Hilla Dayan teaches International Comparative Democracy and International Relations Theory and Practice at Amsterdam University College. She studied comparative and English literature at Tel Aviv University in Israel, and completed her graduate studies in the United States, obtaining an MA in Social Sciences at the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D in political sociology at the New School for Social Research in New York."

A main topic was the Israel Knesset's passing of a boycott prohibition law on July 11, 2011. We also covered the psychology of widespread Jewish hysterical victim-hood arising from systemic indoctrination, the need for world citizens to choose a side in the occupation of Palestine, genocides as a feature of "democracies", Hilla's personal development, and more...

Related blog post article by the host:
On "speaking truth to power" and US Zionism

Professor Richard Lindzen on global warming science

2011-07-08T15:25:00.000-04:00

On July 7, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Professor Richard Lindzen (Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT) on the broad question of the practice of global warming science.

Why would a warming even as large as 5 degrees C be of concern?

Professor Raymond Pierrehumbert on the physics of global warming

2011-07-04T17:08:00.000-04:00

On June 30, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Raymond Pierrehumbert, Louis Block Professor, Department of the Geophysical Sciences, The University of Chicago. Professor Pierrehumbert is an internationally recognized expert on the physics of global warming.

After introductions and (dis)agreeing on some basics, get ready for a heated (so to speak) debate between the two Ph.D. physicists having different perspectives. It becomes clear that climate physics is not apolitical, at least not between these two...

One music break is beautiful accordion music arranged and played by Professor Pierrehumbert.

Cited publications:

Pierrehumbert RT 2011: Infrared radiation and planetary temperature. Physics Today 64, 33-38.
Rancourt DG 2011: Radiation physics constraints on global warming: CO2 increase has little effect (posted at archive.org)

Denis Rancourt on Left ideological control-indoctrination

2011-06-27T15:50:00.000-04:00

On June 23, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM The Train's Denis Rancourt went solo in a critique of "critical race theory", including select readings and music to accompany the developing theme.

Word policing... SFUO student union... Ann Coulter... calculus... recycling cult... discourse... anti-oppression as oppression... groupthink... opinion mobbing... hate speech... personal agency... political reform vs freedom of inquiry... Golden Rule of institutional preservation...

"War is bad and love is really good..."
-- hummm

Related article: USA academic freedom scholarship as a measure of corporate fascism

Books cited: "Politics by Other Means" by David Bromwich

Music links: 111111, 22222, 33333, 44444, 55555.

Barbara Todish -- Banned from academia and from her professional associations for her honesty about the human condition

2011-06-16T22:29:00.000-04:00

On June 16, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed teacher and performing artist Barbara Todish based in Newark, NJ; by phone about her banishment from academia and from her professional associations for being honest and real.

Barbara is an eclectic original, a Freirian educator, a criminology researcher, a certified performing artist, a stand up comic, a survivor of economic apartheid, and a former prostitute (for three months).

This is an interview you do not want to miss.

DR: What is one key thing you learned from being a prostitute in that three-month period?
BT: Well... I learned I could enjoy sex... (explained in the interview).

Cited articles:
"Love Is Only Practice for Absolute Meaning"
"Just trying to attract attention?"

The Secret Trial 5 documentary film project and update on CSIS madness

2011-06-15T17:26:00.000-04:00

On June 9, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa, Canada) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed film makers Noah Bingham (Producer) and Amar Wala (Co-Producer, Director) of the new documentary film project: The Secret Trial 5.

Crazy stuff. Difficult to not conclude that Canada is a pseudo-democratic dictatorship bent on aggressive ideological targeting of Muslim men, with barely a pretence of due process.

This was followed by an interview with Christian Leger, spokesperson for the Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee. "Canadian justice" is starting to resonant more and more as an oxymoron...

Update on Bradley Manning -- USA government's insane reaction to Wikileaks

2011-06-15T16:56:00.000-04:00

On June 2, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa, Canada) The Train's Denis Rancourt first explained the efforts he has been making to secure pro-Israel (Israel Lobby) radio guests to balance the show's critical reports against the ongoing war crimes of Israel. The show had been reserved for representatives of the Israel Lobby organization B'nai Brith but they did not reply or show up (see invitation here).

As a backup, Rancourt aired a May 25, 2011, press conference interview series about the USA Bradley Manning violations of human rights. This remarkable series featured speakers Daniel Ellsberg, Jesselyn Raddack, Ann Wright, Christina McKenna, and Julian Assange.

The show ended with this new high-profile music video about justice for Palestine:

Israel Lobby's B'nai Brith ignores invitation to Train

2011-06-03T19:25:00.000-04:00

Three prominent Canadian contacts for the Israel Lobby group B'nai Brith were contacted (see email below) to be interviewed on June 2, 2011, but did not acknowledge the invitation or show up for the show.

This is in sharp contrast to the Lobby's (now apparently disingenuous?) repeated and vehement calls for media "balance".

The invitation remains open.

From: Denis Rancourt
Date: Fri, May 20, 2011 at 6:59 PM
Subject: request for media interview
To: ParliamentHill@bnaibrith.ca, bnb@bnaibrith.ca, hoppen@bnaibrith.ca
Cc: "CHUO 89.1 FM Train"

Dear contacts for B'nai Brith Canada,

I seek to radio interview representatives or executives of B'nai Brith Canada on my radio show: The Train, CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa.

My show has been very critical of Israel policies and Israel state behaviour and I want to provide the other side for my listeners. I tried to invite several members of Hillel but all declined.

The show plays every Thursday in prime time (5pm EST) on the entire Ottawa metro area and has a good following. It is also live streamed and podcast.

The blog of the show is here:
http://trainradio.blogspot.com/

Past guests have included a very broad range of societal actors, from a Canadian Senator to law experts to media leaders to film makers and musicians to politicians to homeless people to medical doctors to criminalized activists to civil rights and human rights leaders and many more.

You and your work would be featured for the full hour, 5pm to 6pm, preferably live in the U of O campus studio but phone interviews are also possible.

We can also do more than one show if you feel the issue needs more time.

In addition, I would welcome your suggestions for other contacts who would be recommended representatives of the Canadian Jewish community.

Jewish members of such groups as the Canada Boat to Gaza and Faculty for Palestine have been interviewed in the recent past but I would like the Jewish pro-Israel side to be represented.

I am personally openly critical of Israel but I would make a strong effort to be as objective and fair as possible while allowing the guest all the needed time for responses and explanations. I am an open minded person who is prepared to re-examine all his positions.

The topics would also largely be up to the guests who can direct their contributions as they wish.

I'm hoping we can schedule a first show on Thursday June 2nd (5pm to 6pm) for this?

Is this possible?

Sincerely,
Dr. Denis Rancourt
Host, The Train, CHUO 89.1 FM

COMMENT AT YOUTUBE (accessed today):
"A once great organization is in shambles. Frank Dimant is not just an embarresment to Bnai Brith, but shames our community in front of all of Canada. With his partisan hackery, his baseless accusations of antisemitism where there are none, his willingness to ignore REAL antisemitism on the right when it comes from antisemites who cloak themselves in the shield of being pro-Israel, his ongoing attempt to caste out anyone who disagrees with him - Frank has destroyed Bnai Brith"

(Part-1) Victori on free democracy -- (Part-2) Journalism professor Karl Grossman's critique of nuclear power

2011-06-03T18:35:00.000-04:00

On May 26, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM The Train's Denis Rancourt hosted a two-part show.

Part-1: Local activist Victori discussed her efforts coordinating a continuous free democracy event.

Part-2: Long-time investigative journalist and professor of journalism (State University of New York College at Old Westbury) Karl Grossman discusses the one million deaths from Chernobyl and the risks and politics of nuclear power.

Ali Mallah on his Canadian Arab Federation and union activist perspective on Canada's Israel

2011-05-20T17:22:00.000-04:00

On May 19, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Ali Mallah by phone to Toronto. Mr. Mallah is VP of the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) and is a longtime unionist (CUPE, Ontario).

We talked about the Israel Lobby in Canada, the corporate fascism in which the state attempts to limit discussions about its moral malfeasance, the lack of firm principled positions of the NDP, war crimes in Gaza, Congo and Sudan, NATO interference in Libya, the grotesque "duty to protect" neo-liberal doctrine, the farce of mainstream media on Israel, the ideological mindset of Harper's party, and more...

Background links:
National Post goes after Ali Mallah and CAF

Related Canadian Jewish News article:

CIC offers Israel trip to NDP’s Layton

By ANDY LEVY-AJZENKOPF
Staff Reporter
Thursday, June 24, 2010

It might be an offer he can’t refuse. Late last week, NDP Leader Jack Layton held discussions with Canada- Israel Committee CEO Shimon Fogel on the possibility of visiting Israel on a CIC-facilitated trip for the NDP’s caucus and various party members. It would be Layton’s first visit to Israel. The talk between the two men came after comments by deputy NDP leader Libby Davies at a June 5 anti-Israel rally in Vancouver, in which she said Israel’s occupation of Palestine began in 1948.

Davies’ remarks led to ongoing calls on Layton during question period in the House of Commons to either kick her out of the NDP caucus or replace her as deputy leader. The situation has also created some discord within the party, with the NDP MP for Outremont, Thomas Mulcair, criticizing his colleague for “grossly unacceptable” remarks. Fogel told The CJN late last week that he was “very encouraged” by Layton’s response to the trip proposal, which would allow the party leader to assemble a delegation of his choosing.

An invitation was also extended to Davies through Layton, Fogel added “It would be a dedicated NDP trip that would provide them with exposure to, and engagement of, the multiple stakeholders in the questions of the day,” Fogel said. There’s no set date for the trip, and the invitation is open-ended. Fogel said he’s now waiting to hear back from Layton, who indicated that he needed to give “logistical considerations” to the trip.

More importantly, Layton told Fogel that as long as he could “remain faithful” to his medical regimen while in Israel – Layton was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February – chances are good the trip will happen. “We’re pretty optimistic we will be able to help facilitate for [Layton] and his party a trip that will give them a more fulsome appreciation of the challenges facing Israel and the complexity of the issues that draw everybody’s attention there,” Fogel said. “My sense is we’ll find a window in the current calendar year for him to go and benefit from that direct [Israel] experience.”

With Parliament now shut down for the summer months, freeing up parliamentarians’ time, Fogel guessed the trip could happen sooner rather than later. In an e-mail response to queries about the trip proposal, Karl Bélanger, the NDP’s senior press secretary, wrote that Layton “appreciates” the invitation, but the NDP won’t comment on the subject until an actual trip is planned. He added: “Many New Democrats have been to the Middle East over the years, some of them at the initiative of the Canada-Israel Committee.”

CHUO funding drive banter::: Critique of global warming science and more

2011-05-20T16:49:00.000-04:00

On May 12, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa The Train host Denis Rancourt runs a funding drive effort with music by Nina Simone, a Corbett Report interview about the global warming myth, and an exploration of U of O president Allan Rock's image-management fetish, etc.

Queen's University professor Adele Mercier on the philosophy of mind and gender politics and more

2011-05-06T10:17:00.000-04:00

On May 5, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Queen's University philosophy professor Adele Mercier, live in-studio, on philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, Chomsky's foundational contributions to linguistics, gender legality and gender politics, the state of academia, gender discrimination and mistreatment at Queen's University and more... including her recently filed Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) complaint on behalf of twelve female students and junior academics in the Department of Philosophy at Queen's University.

Author and blogger David Malone on how world finance actually operates

2011-04-28T19:48:00.000-04:00

On April 28, 2011, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed author and blogger David Malone by phone from the UK about his analyses.

The interview developed an incisive model of how world finance actually works (or doesn't work)! The analysis of China and the geopolitical leveraging for world currency primacy is particularly riveting.

These were the music break videos:
Pretty Green by The Jam
Money (That's What I Want) by The Flying Lizards

Dominic Lamontagne of Le Naked Lunch::: Food libertarianism

2011-04-22T13:03:00.000-04:00

On April 21, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM (Ottawa) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed food expert (Gastronomie Le Naked Lunch) Dominic Lamontagne about the food libertarianism movements in the US and Quebec.

The virtual impossibility of running a single-unit restaurant, the insanity of government regulations against small producers, the fascist agri-food push, the need for social change on the food front...

Background and related links:
Jean-Pierre Maheu radio interview about student food
Everything I want to do is illegal
Shiv Chopra radio interviews about food toxicity
Matrix thought control regarding public health

Mireille Gervais on defending students at the University of Ottawa

2011-04-15T19:43:00.000-04:00

On April 14, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Mireille Gervais, Director, Student Appeal Centre (SAC), Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO), live in studio.

What is the SAC? Campus justice. Nature of the university administration beast. Gross examples of injustice. President Allan Rock's inaction. The recent outrageous case of Dean of the Faculty of Education Marie Josee Berger...

Criminal malfeasance web at the University of Ottawa

2011-04-08T13:17:00.000-04:00

[Photo: President Allan Rock, University of Ottawa]

On April 7, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM The Train's Denis Rancourt (although rather talkative here!) interviewed Dr. Waleed AlGhaithy (MD, neurosurgeon) about the incredible web of malfeasance in the Faculty of Medicine and in the Allan Rock administration regarding the terminations of three medical residents for attempting to make human rights complaints.

Students Against Israeli Apartheid - Carleton U

2011-03-31T19:33:00.000-04:00

On March 31, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa (Canada) The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Morgan Meloche and Mariful Alam about the Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions (BDS) campaign of Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) of Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.

The main topic was SAIA-Carleton's highly successful university Board of Governors (BOG) action of Tuesday that was widely reported in Ottawa media: HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE.

[Note: All six executive officers of Hillel Ottawa were invited for a full-hour interview (individually or together or any number) to present the Israel side. After explaining that they could be accommodated in any way regarding scheduling, Chelsea Sauvé, Leah Labib, Jennifer Hadad, Adam Moscoe, Alex Izso and Sam Levine declined the interview.]

Related background article:
The Canadian Zionism Question

Brain surgery 101 -- with Dr. Waleed AlGhaithy, neurosurgeon

2011-03-24T20:36:00.000-04:00

On March 24, 2011, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Dr. Waleed AlGhaithy about brain surgery, medical education, the evolution of professional training, human rights politics, cancer treatment, polar bear death, surviving bullets through the head, and life-changing developments.

The goal of the show was to allow the listener to learn enough about brain surgery to be able to perform emergency intervention using common household tools. It's not that difficult and you may need these skills when you least expect it...

Enjoy the humour and the social analysis!

Media links for some topics discussed with Dr. AlGhaithy:
National media story about U of O medical scandal
Brain-induced death of German zoo polar bear
Medical malpractice lawsuit Ottawa Hospital

Sandra Ruch on the Canada Boat to Gaza (Freedom Flotilla II) campaign

2011-03-17T20:18:00.000-04:00

On March 17, 2011, The Train's Denis Rancourt (CHUO 89.1 FM) interviewed activist organizer Sandra Ruch by phone from Toronto about Palestine, Canadian Israel policy and the upcoming Canada Boat to Gaza that will be part of the Freedom Flotilla II in May 2011.

Sandra Ruch is a Jewish Canadian woman who lived in Palestine for two years - which lead to her becoming a committed activist for Palestinian human rights.

The conversation far-reaching, deep, hopeful, and rich with personal experience.

Sophie::: Teenage mother's fight against the CAS to be with her son

2011-03-10T20:24:00.000-05:00

[Photo: Sophie at her weekly protest with Foster Care Council of Canada chair John Dunn.]

On March 10, 2011, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed social activist Jane Scharf and teenage mother Sophie live in studio about their fight against the Children's Aid Society (CAS) after it took possession of the baby in hospital.

Sophie is a teenage mother (runaway survivor of the CAS) who unjustly had her baby boy taken from her in hospital after birth by the Children's Aid Society (CAS) of Ontario - the vicious corporation that has effectively replaced residential schools in Ontario.

Sophie has help from her school-day friends and from her "team" of activist supporters. She now pickets the courthouse and the CAS building every week and is starting a "parent's fight back" support group.

Related essay by Denis Rancourt:
On the prison of delayed fertility

Link to Youtube:
Pregnant Women are Smug

Universite Populaire A Montreal (UPAM)

2011-03-04T10:45:00.000-05:00

On March 3, 2011, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed founding organizer of the Universite Populaire A Montreal (UPAM) Anne Goldenberg.

The UPAM was both an academic squat free school and a strike action at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal (UQAM) that sustained itself in the critical meltdown strike and government tutelage period of November 2007 to March 2008.

Anne guided us through this exciting experiment in self-organized free education. Anne has gone on to organize large conferences using this self-organized model in which the schedule is spontaneously created by the student-teachers and there are no professors.

Mohamed El Rashidy on the Egyptian popular revolution

2011-02-24T19:52:00.000-05:00

.

On February 24, 2011, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) director Mohamed El Rashidy about the recent and on-going Egyptian popular revolution.

Mohamed is Egyptian born and has an intimate and connected perspective on the recent events in Egypt, like few other commentators.

The analysis covered the psychology of liberation, police state structure, the role of electronic communications, the class structure of the revolt, the conditions of dignity deprivation, the role of the army, and much more.

[photo: Mohamed El Rashidy]

Terry Stavnyck stands firm against justice-system malfeasance

2011-02-17T20:07:00.000-05:00

On February 17, 2011, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Ottawa resident and long-time peace activist Terry Stavnyck. (Background print media story HERE.)

The theme of the interview was Terry's legal battle against absurdly false criminal charges being carried by a Crown that logically must be either criminally incompetent or ethically challenged, in this reporter's opinion.

The 128 pound practicing pacifist who has multiple sclerosis and now walks with a cane is accused of striking a muscle-bound Parliament Hill security guard in the groin no less than four times, in the face of contradictory video evidence and medical examination report of the guard - all this while he was being brutally attacked by two such guards...

Matthew Behrens on country music activism, Canadian torture, secret trials, economic apartheid, squatters' rights and more

2011-02-10T19:55:00.000-05:00

On February 10, 2011, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed long-time and dedicated community organizer and agitator Matthew Behrens, by phone from the Ottawa valley.

Matthew is with Homes Not Bombs and has found a way to spend most of his time and creative energy working to create more social justice. The discussion was inspiring! Matthew challenges us to be radical and to insist on righteousness in our lives.

For our Supreme Court judges and politicians we concluded that "power is power" and "cowardice is cowardice".

Canadian Animal Liberation Movement (CALM)

2011-02-04T00:08:00.000-05:00

On February 3, 2011, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed two members from the Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, cell of CALM (Canadian Animal Liberation Movement): Erin Skinner and Sean Isaacs.

Sentient beings, racism vs. speciesism, consciousness of spiders, principles of action, anarchism, radicalizing movements, higher education, music of animal liberation, stopping the fur industry... Listen in to a fascinating exploration...

Sean is relatively new to the movement and has decided to be an animal justice activist. Erin is a "senior" member, has a Ph.D. in neural psychology, works with the North American Animal Liberation Press Office, and is an organizer of CALM.

Kids on TV::: Music, queer activism, pedagogy of liberation

2011-01-27T21:54:00.000-05:00

On January 27, 2011, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed two members from Kids on TV: Scott Kerr and John Caffery.

This wide ranging interview touched on: Queer history, music band life, pedagogy of liberation, anarchism and performance art, balancing work and life, social agency, and the phenomenon of "social acupuncture".

Hassan Diab wanted by France: Insane extradition proceedings, Ottawa, Canada

2011-01-20T20:24:00.000-05:00

On January 20, 2011, The Train interviewed Peter Gose (in studio) and Donald Pratt (by phone, US), two members of the support network for Hassan Diab.

Find out how and why Diab has been targeted despite his obvious innocence. Find out how evidence that proves his innocence is withheld and just how bad the so-called evidence is... Truly nightmarish. And of course the capital's two main universities played their part.

Justice for Hassan Diab website

Private-public partnership scam exposed: Dr. Pierre J. Hamel, INRS, Montreal

2011-01-13T20:47:00.001-05:00

On January 13, 2011, The Train interviewed expert and university researcher Dr. Pierre J. Hamel (INRS, Montreal) on the general question of private-public partnership (PPP) economics.

Dr. Hamel systematically unraveled the covert motives that drive PPP takeovers of public projects and the nature the the finance scam that are PPPs.

Listen and learn! It took us a bit to get warmed up but it all came out...

Some summary points:

PPPs are always more expensive than public management - all analysts agree
The long-term leases of PPPs are economically equal to mega-debt burdens
PPPs produce a loss of both accountability and transparency
PPP partners often sub-contract in collusion with other firms

And we end with an insightful critique of decentralization, advantages vs. disadvantages.

Pierre J. Hamel, INRS

Je suis professeur-chercheur à l’Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS-Urbanisation, culture et société), depuis 1986.

J’ai une formation de premier cycle en administration (HEC-Montréal), une maîtrise en sociologie (Université de Montréal) et un doctorat en économie et sociologie (LEST-CNRS et Université de la Méditerranée — Aix-Marseille II).

Travaillant pour le compte de syndicats de travailleurs-euses, d’associations, d’entreprises, de municipalités, de ministères ou encore dans le cadre de recherches subventionnées, je m’intéresse de diverses façons aux finances publiques locales, tant à la gestion des services publics locaux (gestion des services d’eaux, entre autres choses) qu’à la fiscalité locale; je travaille notamment sur l’impôt foncier et la tarification (compteurs d’eau, gratuité des services publics), de même que sur différentes formes de partenariats entre les secteurs public et privé, et cela, depuis déjà de nombreuses années.

Page ouèbe personnelle : http://www.ucs.inrs.ca/default.asp?p=hamel

David F. Noble - In Memoriam

2011-01-06T22:39:00.000-05:00

On January 6, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa's The Train dedicated the hour to the work and words of David F. Noble. Noble was scheduled to be interviewed on The Train about his seminal book Forces of Production. He passed away unexpectedly on December 27, 2010.

Host Denis Rancourt, a personal friend of Noble, read from recent public statements and from Noble's books.

Collected LINKS about David F. Noble

Recent history of resistance and liberation struggles in kanada

2011-01-06T21:25:00.000-05:00

On December 30, 2010, The Train interviewed Christian live in studio to discuss First Peoples' resistance struggles in kanada (especially interpreting the Oka crisis) and to review Quebec independence history with the FLQ.

Christian is a long-time independent journalist, current history researcher and social critic who has traveled to and lived with the people he attempts to understand and to join in struggle. He is also an urban resistor participating in alternative life styles and spaces to enable needed rebellion against state oppression.

The show includes a clip by Philbox17 of RRQ (Reseau de Resistance du Quebecois).

KEY BACKGROUND LINKS:
FLQ Manifesto - October 1970 CBC reading
500 Years of Resistance! - stimulator

kkkanada (en francais)

Warrior Publications
Autonomous Resistance blog
Mohawk Nation News
Stimulator TV
END:CIV
Media Coop

Media activist Stephen Lendman on Obama-care, Palestine, US-crimes, START treaty and more

2010-12-24T11:09:00.000-05:00

On December 23, 2010, The Train (CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa, Canada) interviewed Stephen Lendman in a wide-ranging discussion about Obama being worst than Bush, Israeli crimes in Palestine, the START arms treaty, and more.

Lendman makes a strong case that the Obama administration is much worst than was the Bush administration, "without a doubt!"

Lendman's impassioned description of Israeli crimes in Palestine is the most engaging we have heard in a long time from any continent.

Stephen's recommended links on Palestine:
Palestine Chronicle
Electronic Intifada
Palestine Telegraph

Nancy Banks on medical sanity... AIDS, profit, world finance and geopolitics

2010-12-17T11:14:00.000-05:00

On December 16, 2010, The Train (CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa, Canada) interviewed Dr. Nancy Turner Banks author of the book "AIDS, Opium, Diamonds, and Empire - The Deadly Virus of International Greed".

A wide-ranging exploration touching on the questionable science of HIV and AIDS, the true causal factors of failures in public health, the toxic influence of pharmaceutical corporations, the world economic dominance of illegal drugs, and optimistic prospects for a new medicine...

RELATED POSTS:
Medicine Label - all past shows
Food Safety - all past shows
See also banking and geopolitics labels
Some Big Lies of Science - essay

Chemtrails, geoengineering and climate change from Cancun and everywhere

2010-12-09T21:53:00.000-05:00

On December 9, 2010, The Train welcomed Ottawa organizer and social justice activist Sylvain Henry, US independent filmmaker and chemtrails activist Michael Murphy, and climate sanity champion Lord Christopher Monckton.

Rancourt challenged Murphy on the toxicity of nanoparticulate Al2O3 and on measurable environmental and human health impacts of chemtrails but all agreed to fight the undemocratic tyrants that run our lives and that global-scale geoengineering should be stopped.

Then Lord Monckton owned the last half like only he can. Twas a riot.

BACKGROUND LINKS:
Michael Murphy documentary on chemtrails
Gore Gored - by Christopher Monckton

POST-SHOW FALLOUT:
Several listeners called the CHUO 89.1 FM radio station to complain and to ask that Rancourt's statements that aluminum oxide is not a highly toxic substance be retracted on air. Thank you for your interest in the show. The host of The Train has a responsibility to question claims of significant risk to public health when he has reason to believe the information to be in doubt. Please feel free to send all criticisms and feedback directly to Denis Rancourt at chuotrain@gmail.com. A selection of these statements will be read on air. In addition, more air time is planned for this topic.

FROM WIKIPEDIA:
Aluminium oxide is the family of inorganic compounds with the chemical formula Al₂O₃. It is an amphoteric oxide and is commonly referred to as alumina, corundum as well as many other names, reflecting its widespread occurrence in nature and industry. Its most significant use is in the production of aluminium metal, although it is also used as an abrasive due to its hardness and as a refractory material due to its high melting point.
Application--As a filler: Being fairly chemically inert, relatively non-toxic, and white, alumina is a favored filler for plastics. Alumina is a common ingredient in sunscreen.

Train host Rancourt goes it alone on world to local to campus topics

2010-12-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

Palestine justice... Wikileaks calls for murder of Assange... Ottawa police chief Vern White against transparency... U of O president Allan Rock against due process...

On December 2, 2010, Train host Denis Rancourt went it alone. (After a last minute cancellation for very good reason...!)

BACKGROUND LINKS:
Comment on CBC call to murder Assange
Letter to Ottawa police chief Vern White
Letter to U of O president Allan Rock

U of O Watch blog

An interview with CAF natiuonal president Khaled Mouammar

2010-11-26T19:53:00.000-05:00

On November 25, 2010, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Canadian Arab Federation president Khaled Mouammar.

Zionism, Islamophobia, government-fabricated anti-Semitism, Harper's elected dictatorship, absence of a parliamentary opposition (Bloc excepted), cowardly media, and all such things that make Canada great...

BREAKING NEWS: The Canadian military base in the Arab Emirates was not turfed for the reasons claimed by the Harper government. The true reason relates to Canada protecting a suspected Mossad assassin and terrorist alleged to have been part of the high profile execution earlier this year of a Palestinian leader in the Arab Emirates.

Part-1: Liberation radio 700 AM El Salvador - Part-2: Moe Harkat secret trial update with Sophie

2010-11-21T22:00:00.000-05:00

The November 18, 2010, Train was in two parts.

In Part-1 the Train was helped by Miriam Mendez of Ottawa in interviewing Brother William Osmar Chamagua director and founder of Radio Cadena Mi Gente 700 AM El Salvador. The associated media network site is HERE.

We learned about a true people's media project with national impact in El Salvador and the brave liberation work of Brother William and his people (mi gente).

In Part-2 the Train welcomed Sophie Harkat to provide us with an update since her last CHUO visit when Moe Harkat and her lived under disturbing house arrest conditions. Canada continues to behave like a police state, with secret trials, hidden evidence, torture, inhuman detainments, and unfair hearings, but at least the bail conditions have largely been lifted.

Organizing for Justice annual conference, Ottawa, Canada

2010-11-21T21:32:00.000-05:00

On November 11, 2010, CHUO Train host Denis Rancourt interviewed Organizing for Justice (O4J) co-organizers Ryan Lasalle, Jessica Menard, and Greg MacDougall.

The interview showcased the O4J keynote panel lecture "G20-Toronto Debrief" and the Saturday of workshops.

The Saturday workshops included: Climate Justice, Radical Peer Support, Algonquins of Barriere Lake, Burmese classroom in a conflict zone, Money politics, Islamophobia, Raising yaks and media responsibility...

We started with how and why to get involved in such a project as O4J and ended up on yaks!

Dan Dicks filmmaker, musician, journalist, societal agent

2010-11-04T20:11:00.000-04:00

On November 4, 2010, The Train interviewed well known documentary film activist Dan Dicks of PressForTruth.ca by phone from Toronto.

It was an interview that examined Dan Dicks work, motivation, and philosophy. It took us through Dan's trail from chemtrails to international banking to Bilderberg watching to his recent feature length documentary United We Fall to G20-Toronto revelations to Officer Bubbles interviews and so on.

Labour union support for democracy in the Philippines

2010-10-29T17:43:00.000-04:00

On October 28, 2010, The Train interviewed Carleton University graduate student and TA union organizer Precillia Lefebvre and Ottawa activist and Staff Representative for CUPE 4600 (TAs and Contract Instructors at Carleton) Stuart Ryan about their activisms, their union battles, their solidarity trips to the Philippines, and the brutal situation in the Philippines.

We started with the campus-wide labour battle at Carleton University where four unions are poised to strike... and we moved into labour and human rights in the Philippines.

The Philippines is clearly a police state and a brutal regime in the corporate fascism project of the US and Canada.

The killing, torturing, raping, and disappearing of civil and labour organizers is widespread and systemic; to support corporate exploitation interests, not the least of which are the foreign labour mill and Canadian mining interests.

Philippine resistance is diverse and resourceful. It has lessons for Canadian social justice activists and has deeply and personally inspired Precillia and Stuart.

The STIMULATOR tells it all -- An interview with Franklin Lopez

2010-10-22T20:41:00.000-04:00

On October 21, 2010, The Train interviewed Franklin Lopez, aka The Stimulator of submedia.tv fame.

Yup, it was "another sedition" of "it's the end of the world as we know it and i feel fine" about activism, direct action, the Black Bloc, revolution, diversity of tactics, alternative media, film making, our enemies in blue, and so on...

Mr. Lopez put aside his stage voice in order to be down and real about his understanding of resistance in Canada.

In particular, hear a unique testimony of the Black Bloc violence at G20 Toronto and hear Mr. Lopez challenge the dominant view among progressives that the state used and manipulated the Black Bloc...

We await the release of submedia.tv's new feature film entitled endciv (as in "end of cvilization").

Renowned activist Ken O'Keefe on Palestine liberation and life

2010-10-15T23:45:00.000-04:00

On October 14, 2010, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed Ken O'Keefe by phone from London, UK.

Human shield program in Irak, depleted uranium as war crime, fighting off corporate fishing boats on the high seas, surviving Israel's flotilla attack in international waters, the energy of life, Palestine as family, pacifism as cowardice or as heroism, and the need for a one-state solution in Palestine...

The phone connection took 20 minutes to establish so Allan Rock and Utah Phillips helped us through...

Ken's official web site:

World Citizen Ken O'Keefe

Six candidates for mayor of Ottawa interviewed on Train

2010-10-07T21:25:00.000-04:00

On October 7, 2010, The Train interviewed six of the twenty mayoral candidates in the upcoming municipal elections for the City of Ottawa, Canada's capital city, home of "Canada's university" (aka U of O).

The six mayoral candidates interviewed live in studio were (in order of appearance):

Michael St. Arnaud

Jane Scharf

Joseph Furtenbacher

Idris Ben-Tahir

Robert G. Gauthier

Fraser Liscumb

The debates were lively, far-reaching, and informative...

The candidates were brought in by community organizer Sylvain Henry who is hosting an all-candidates debate at the Ottawa Public Library (Metcalf and Laurier branch) on October 10, 2010, at 1pm. See:

stardebate.blogspot.com

Dissent in Canada - A pre-panel discussion

2010-10-01T10:39:00.000-04:00

On September 30, 2010, the Train welcomed indy media journalist (The Real News) Lia Tarachansky, prominent human rights and constitutional law lawyer Yavar Hameed, and Ottawa peace activist and trade unionist Larry Rousseau for a discussion about the state of dissent in Canada, in light of G20-Toronto.

The on-air show was in preparation for a panel discussion (including Train host Denis Rancourt) organized by NoWar-Paix as part of the 4th Ottawa Peace Festival.

Ms. Tarachansky also discussed her new film project about Israel's occupation of Palestine, Seven Deadly Myths, and noted that Canada had in recent years significantly moved towards a police state such as she has experienced in Israel.

Blast from the Past::: Sex on the Train

2010-09-28T17:06:00.000-04:00

Given the recent major court victory for sex trade workers in Canada (LINK), we thought we would feature these past Five O'Clock Train shows about the sex trade - interviews with past and present sex trade workers and sex trade justice activists.

On December 27, 2007, the Train interviewed Suzan Davis - sex trade worker, sex trade worker justice activist, organizer - who was attempting to get a co-operative going to help sex trade workers in the Vancouver area, in preparation for the Vancouver Olympics.

The following week, on January 3, 2008, a way-overly talkative (!) host Denis Rancourt interviewed Samantha Smyth, ex-exotic dancer (and former Carleton University student) and Liaison Officer for the Canadian National Coalition of Experiential Women.

Ms. Smyth made the music selection, including songs that she performed on. In scheduling the show we decided on three music breaks, to which Ms. Smyth replied "Oh nice, that's just like a set."

The Train again offers this double blast in the hope of helping to push back moralistic barriers.

Wind justice in Ontario, Canada: Green energy impositions

2010-09-24T13:01:00.000-04:00

Expropriation without compensation under the green banner...

On September 23, 2010, The Train interviewed Jane Wilson, Chair of the North Gower Wind Action Group (NGWAG), Christiane Bollinger, member of the Board of the NGWAG, and Dr. John Harrison, physicist and wind power expert.

We discussed the corporate cronyism and lack of democracy in industrial wind power projects being imposed on residents in Canada and the process to date regarding an industrial wind power project slated for the community of North Gower (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada).

We learned that industrial wind comprises many significant health and safety issues that are not being properly addressed by governments, environmental regulations, or the industry. The human and animal health and safety problems are nothing short of unacceptable...

CHECK OUT THIS BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Video about the shadow flicker hazard and its impacts
Wind Concerns Ontario
North Gower Wind Action Group
Independent Electricity System Operator in Ontario
(has a cool little wind turbine graphic to show how much power wind is producing at the moment---not much!)

ALSO, READING:

Hydro: the decline and fall of Ontario's electric empire, by Jamie Swift and Ketih Stewart

The War in the Country, by Thomas F. Pawlick

Wind Turbine Syndrome, By Nina Pierpont, MD

Surviving student food 101

2010-09-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

On September 16, 2010, The Train interviewed food expert Jean-Pierre Maheu on the question of surviving the student lifestyle regarding food.

This was a wide ranging discussion about the practice, sociology, economics and politics of food; geared toward expanding possibilities for students subjected to harsh institutional pressures.

Our expert says if he could only have one food ingredient it would be an onion! Find out why.

Mr. Maheu recommends that students avoid all prepared foods and cook for themselves but not alone. He gave the simplest recipes possible and explained how these simple creations will work every time if you just stick to some basic rules like don't burn it.

Avoid energy drinks! It's not food energy. It's pure chemical stimulus. The associated addiction will make you strung out.

Mr. Maheu and his co-director Catherine offer their collaboration to any student group wanting to do practical activism and communal projects around cooking. They can be reached at jpm [at] services-alc.com.

Police State Canada - as per G20-Toronto pigs mess

2010-09-09T23:57:00.000-04:00

On September 9, 2010, The Train went solo with host Denis Rancourt.

The planned guest was G20-arrestee and First Peoples rights activist and author/reporter Alex Hundert, to be interviewed from house arrest by phone. Hundert had been warned by Provincial Police that he could be arrested if he spoke to the media (HERE).

See mainstream media articles: HERE, HERE.

The day of our scheduled CHUO radio interview, there was an "emergency" and Mr. Hundert had to appear in court. He could not be reached for the interview at the scheduled time and he was not able to communicate with CHUO to give an update of his situation.

Therefore, Train host Denis Rancourt reported what he could and provided an analysis of Police State Canada in relation to both University of Ottawa campus police and G20-Toronto, the insanity of it all...

The show is peppered with the political history music of iconic Wobbly Utah Phillips from his CD album Fellow Workers. The show ends with Utah's line "... I'm a pacifist but I admire her spunk..." from his song "shoot or stab them".

Activist Teacher blog articles cited during show:
G20-Toronto and Lost Sovereignty (societal analysis)
They're Not Just Pigs (para-military police operation at G20-Toronto)

Some truth about chemtrails

2010-09-09T23:48:00.000-04:00

On September 2, 2010, The Train interviewed Ottawa-based chemtrails information activist Sylvain Henry. Mr. Henry has a science degree, is part of the "Skies of Blue" network, and authored the Facebook group "Mass Action Demand: Chemtrails".

The Facebook group asks that members ask their national leaders for answers about chemtrails. After dozens of email over several months, the Canadian Prime Minister's Office has not even acknowledged Mr. Henry's inquiries.

The discussion was informed by Train host Dr. Denis Rancourt who is a physicist, an environmental scientist, and a recognized expert in environmental nanoparticles.

Kevin Annett vs Vancouver Co-operative Radio

2010-08-31T16:22:00.000-04:00

On August 26, 2010, The Train interviewed renowned aboriginal rights activist Rev. Kevin Annett by phone in Vancouver.

We reviewed Kevin's activism but mostly we described a recent and ongoing conflict between Kevin and Vancouver Co-op Radio in which the radio executives have use a harsh legalistic approach to trespass Kevin off the premises while publicly stating that his radio show is not being canceled.

The situation has been summarized by Kevin Annett HERE.

Australian train driver on global warming

2010-08-26T11:38:00.000-04:00

On August 19, 2010, The Train interviewed train driver (in North America read "train engineer") Peter Laux by phone from Melbourne, Australia. It was 7am the next day for Peter and there were still no measurable effects of anthropogenic CO2-driven global warming.

The dynamic and wide ranging conversation covered Australian working class skepticism of global warming, green psychology, Richard Nixon's "war on cancer", environmental protection as government ploy, Australian regional climate changes, trade unionism, energy technology, energy politics, DDT criminalization as racism, and much more...

Related web posts: Peter Laux to Climate Guy.
General background perspective: Some big lies of science.

Kingston prison farm blockade

2010-08-15T17:46:00.000-04:00

On August 12, 2010, The Train phone interviewed two Kingston-based organizers of the resistance against the Harper government's closures of all six Canadian prison farms. These farms have been providing food and meaningful work to prisoners for 100 years.

Both our guests, biochemistry technologist Patrick Thompson and RMC university professor Michael Hurley, were arrested on Monday along with dozens of others practicing a weekend blockade to stop the sale of the Kingston (Ontario) prison farm dairy cows. Also arrested were a grandmother in her eighties and a youth in her early teens.

After his arrest, Professor Hurley (aged 60) refused to sign an undertaking that would have removed his constitutional right to protest and was therefore forced to spend a sleepless night in holding conditions that can only be described as inhuman.

Both activists were upbeat and felt empowered by their recent discovery of solidarity via direct action dissent, following a long road of all the usual government subversions of democracy.

OC-Transpo bus riders' union is on schedule

2010-08-15T17:21:00.000-04:00

On August 5, 2010, we interviewed two members of the Ottawa-based OCTranspo Transit Riders' Union: New member and University of Ottawa student Nate (in-studio) and founding member and Carleton University student Ashton (by phone from Winnipeg).

It's all about access. The bus riders' union wants to work with both transit clients and the drivers' union to eliminate all exclusion based on class, income, neighbourhood, disability, race, gender... The union is based on the principle that transportation is an essential service to which all users must have no barriers to access.

Gerard O'Donovan, CEO, Noble Manhattan Coaching - Life coach trainer

2010-07-30T10:03:00.000-04:00

On July 29, 2010, The Train interviewed Gerard O'Donovan to get an inside view of the world of life and corporate coaching. Noble Manhattan Coaching is a leading training company of coaches in Europe and Gerard shared some of the how-to and why-for of his profession.

The live interview was by phone to the UK. We looked at the method of life coaching and explored the types of life challenges that clients bring to the coaching bench. We examined the conflicts of values that can occur between the executive and the corporation and the psychology and practice of resolving such conflict and of creating a sense of meaning.

A main organizational theme was the contrast between the classic command and control hierarchy and a team-based model where individuals are valued and given a high degree of responsibility. Resource extraction corporations with questionable local practices tend to prefer strict command and control of employees and of information.

Ottawa activist Jane Scharf on G20

2010-07-28T21:13:00.000-04:00

On July 22, 2010, The Train interviewed renown Ottawa activist and second-term candidate for mayor Jane Scharf. After describing her mayor-race platform, Jane had a lot to share about how she interprets the police mass violations at G20-Toronto and the relationships to the Ottawa RBC fire incident.

Ms. Scharf has been very direct in her attempts to ensure that the RBC defendants receive fair and due treatment by the courts, their lawyers, and their supporters. She also expressed concern over the now media-stated fact that there was police infiltration related to the RBC arrests.

In addition Ms. Scharf has been writing to authorities and the government and receiving answers about her concerns, which were communicated on-air.

MD and psychiatrist Dr. Rima on health sanity and health insanity

2010-07-28T11:44:00.000-04:00

On July 15, 2010, The Train interviewed Dr. Rima (Rima E. Laibow, MD), Medical Director, Natural Solutions Foundation, by phone from the foundation's head office in Panama.

This intense and informative session presented a radical (at the root) criticism of mainstream medicine and of mainstream medical training. Dr. Rima also provided insight into the essential conditions for personal health and stressed the importance of the agri-food and pharmaceutical corporate threats to public health.

In her own practice Dr. Rima avoids all drugs and was able to prioritized the top three tools of the natural medicine practitioner: Nano-silver as a universal antibiotic, vitamine C as a most common/detrimental nutrient deficiency, and essential fatty acids as a major overlooked essential nutrient group.

(See all related Train interviews under the the label MEDICINE.)

BC Blue: One Conservative's view on it all... (including Allan Rock)

2010-07-14T17:58:00.000-04:00

On July 8, 2010 Dean Skoreyko, author of the blog BC Blue joined us by phone to tell us a little bit about his political career but mainly to discuss the political career of our very own president here at the U of O: Allan Rock.

From scandals as a Liberal cabinet minister to scandals as U of O president, Dean had a lot to say about our campus environment.

Happy Canada Day (ahem) -- with special guest Alex Jones

2010-07-07T10:52:00.000-04:00

In the midst of a festive Ottawa, co-host Mireille Gervais and renowned American radio host Alex Jones (second half hour) shared the July 1, 2010, 5O-Train show to rant about all the things that are oh so wrong about our world, and Canada specifically!

Just back from Toronto where she witnessed massive para-military police presence during the G20 summit, Mireille did not hold back in giving her opinion on the horrible state of our rights in Canada and the truly terrorizing ability for the police to repress protesters, free speech and heck, singing.

Famous libertarian American radio-host Alex Jones (now broadcast out of over 70 stations in the US) joined us by phone for the second half of the show. Despite having just completed a four-hour show of his own, Alex was full of energy and had a lot to say about the new world order, the queen, repression of protesters and much more! His warnings to Canadians resonated strongly on the crest of G20-Toronto. Alex recommended PRISONPLANET.com and INFOWARS.com, as do we.

Happy Canada Day to all those who are still proud to be Canadian and to all those who are willing to act to get Canada back...