Thorn in Your Side

An end of year review featuring m* and usual suspect John as both look back on key TIYS episodes such as Slapgate and Dackgate, topical events of the year, and what may arise in the year ahead. Or, if we are indeed still to remain stuck in 2020.

m* also kicks off this episode by disclosing some lived experience regarding neurodiversity and complex mental illness, so a trigger warning as some of this discussion involves covering trauma themes.

Article of relevance to this episode:

LIV Golf: Why Greg Norman divides opinion (smh.com.au...

m* chats with his US guy, Jason, regarding recent political events in the US, and including some views on sports relations between Oz and the US. m* has been tardy getting this episode up within the window of topicality (probs wasn't a good idea to talk about World Cup matches at time of recording lol), but hopefully issues retain resonance. At least there's still pop culture references to get things over the line!

Links of note:

Recent article Jason has written on the US midterms and how Trump is still lurking about - Why the...

m* catches up with two ardent lefty westie activists familiar to TIYS audiences (Fred and Carlo) to discuss all current contentious matters relating to Football. As the group finds, 'The World Game' is also an inherently political and class-conflicted game. m*, Fred and Carlo are all Western Sydney Wanderers fans, so no prizes for guessing which topic takes up most of the time this episode!

Links of note:

Clip that gives a good account of the Wanderers 'golden years' - Is This The Greatest Underdog Story In Football? This is Western Sydney Wanderers - YouTube. ...

m* introduces Tim, a comrade keen on being a regular TIYS guest. Both talk about general lefty things, and with the occasional sports reference. Namely, the contradictory qualities of The Left as it engages and grapples with the contradictions of capitalism. Do both contradictions exist to cancel each other out? Listen and find out!

Links of note:

The Ecology of Freedom | The Anarchist Library - The seminal text written by Murray Bookchin

How Rafael Nadal has OCD and is also one of Tennis' GOATs - Rafael Nadal Top 10 Superstitions/Tics That He ALWAYS...

A lone-wolf episode where m* recovers enough from covid to reflect, analyse and complain about current affairs. So did covid make m* cranky, or did covid just help express the innate crankiness of m*? Let the audience be the judge! Plus, there are pre and post-episode grabs from material from up-and-coming YouTubers 'The Auralnauts', done because m* watched the holy Gandalf out of their material during covid-iso and thought they were hilarious! Look 'em up!

Article referenced greatly in this episode - Quiet Quitting Is Trending On TikTok To Reject Hustle Culture (junkee.com)

In this first group-based TIYS episode, m* speaks with TIYS regular John and westie activist Fred Fuentes on reflections of last year's Greater Sydney lockdown and implications for lefty politics into the future. It was a very cathartic experience for m* as he got to unload on The Left, with the explicit wish from m* that said conglomeration at least knew what a Campbelltown or an Emerton is, let alone demonstrate some prevailing evidence-based political analysis on what actually happened in Western Sydney while this lockdown unfolded. m* uses the swears to get his point across.

Episode...

Both m* and John go into serious reflection mode - both seeing where things have gone regarding the Oscar Slap earlier this year, the aftermath of the Oz Federal Election (it seems ScoMo may as well have had an accident in Engadine as his defeat became inevitable either way), and discussing the rise of the curious pop culture phenomenon known as the 'legacy sequel'.

All the above, and when you also find some time in the episode to actively compare Tom Cruise to the Ultimate Warrior you know this is an episode covering some ground!

...

A lone wolf episode where m* explains a turbulent personal couple of months, but it also being a time of great self-discovery and sifting of some home truths. All encapsulated through coming across a journal article discussing a psychological phenomenon coined as 'The Batman Effect'. Is m* Batman? Listen and find out!

Episode link:

(PDF) The "Batman Effect": Improving Perseverance in Young Children | Stephanie M Carlson - Academia.edu - The journal article underpinning this episode.

In the most best-timed TIYS episode yet, both m* and TIYS regular John explore the Engadine Maccas legend ie Dackgate. Did the legend truly happen, and whether or whether not it did, how much does this even influence the upcoming Australian election? As m* and John go down this absurd rabbit-hole, they both find it actually matters a great heap.

Episode links:

What happens if I catch COVID in election week? How is phone voting going to work? - ABC News

A Brief History Of Scott Morrison Flip-Flopping On His Favourite Sports Teams...

m* and TIYS regular John embark on a Gramscian analysis of the Will Smith incident presently breaking the Internet, and why such an analysis is merited in these ongoing COVID times. Plus this is actually an episode of TIYS that is talking about something reasonably topical, so strap yourself in!

Trigger warning: PTSD and trauma-related commentary.

Links:

Did John Wayne Try To Pull Sacheen Littlefeather Offstage at 1973 Oscars? | Snopes.com

Opinion | Roxane Gay: Will Smith Was Wrong, but Being Thin-Skinned Is Not - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

...

After an unplanned break from podcasting here is a lone wolf episode about trying to get back to the world of TIYS, including reasons for said break. Trigger warning - COVID lockdown mental ill-health themes.  

m* brings in TIYS regular John to talk about the new(ish) phenomenon of streaming services and what this means for pop culture entertainment in general. Because this is an episode of TIYS, the advent of streaming services of course has high political implications!

Links:

How one might get their WandaVision fix: Watch WandaVision | Full episodes | Disney+ (disneyplus.com)

How one might get their Mandalorian fix: The Mandalorian | Disney+ Originals.

You Tube page for Emergency Awesome: Emergency Awesome - YouTube

The Living the Dream episode (I think) where Dave...

m* chats with TIYS' unofficial US correspondent Jason to further discuss the aftermath of the Trumpageddon, and where this now places future prospects within the US. Somehow this ends up becoming a discussion on popular culture. 

Links:

An article on the return of the mullet, because that also took up much discussion: 'It's only going to get bigger': why the mullet is the hairstyle of 2021 | Fashion | The Guardian

How Grease 2 has feminist value: Beyond ‘Charade’: Grease 2 as feminist masterpiece – Screen Queens (screen-queens.com)

Handy text on pop culture references to US working...

For this latest podcast inquiry m* speaks with Sam, an Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Newcastle. Including their academic work Sam is also an avid activist, participating in a variety of campaigns including intensively participating within their local branch of the National Tertiary Education Union.

Both m* and Sam thrash out new problems confronting educating within the tertiary sector in these pandemic times, and the present challenges confronting community health. 

Links:

Sam's academic profile - Associate Professor Samantha Ashby / Staff Profile / The University of Newcastle, Australia

m* interviews Jasmina, a community working professional and online and offline activist.

Both m* and Jasmina are anarchists, and so both irresistibly talk about anarchist-political issues within oz, with the added bonus of discussing challenges with working within the community services sphere. 

Links:

Anarchists in Australia FB group - the totally cool and accessible oz anarchist group that Jasmina helps to admin: Anarchists in Australia | Facebook

Above group not to be confused with this shitty imitation - Anarchism in Australia | Facebook

m* brings back Jason from the US to discuss what US political recovery might look like post-Trump times. Both find some things have changed, some things remain the same, and many ongoing challenges persist.

Links:

There is reference in the episode to the Hayek 'strong man', for the uninitiated, this is a vid on where this concept is conceived - Hayek's 'The Road to Serfdom' in Five Minutes - YouTube

The episode also contains a soundbite from the 2015 film The Big Short - It's an under-rated film and in its fictional way provides a...

The second part of the TIYS holiday series, where both m* and John explore the bizarre and shocking story of the apparent self-help organisation NXIVM. As discussed there is much to be considered with this group and similarities of the group to other organisations people find themselves dropping into. 

*CW Trigger warning* some themes raised within this podcast may disturb listeners. Listeners' discretion advised. 

Episode links:

The Vow documentary - The Vow NXIVM Documentary Series- Official Website | HBO

Another key NXIVM documentary created by India Oxenberg - Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cu...

As part 1 of the TIYS summer holiday series, m* and John explore and unpack the 2010s cartoon phenomenon that was Adventure Time, and how scarily relevant the show is to interpreting recent years in US politics. Simpsons ain't got nuthin' :p

Also as the first episode for 2021 it was thought to give some aspects of episode production something of a facelift. 25 episodes in and we still finding our digital feet!

Link:

Adventure Time Forum article inspiring much of the pop culture geek analysis for this episode - Adventure Time Forum

Concluding a lone wolf end-of-year ranty series, m* discusses his political position, his activism, and how something like TIYS fits into this. By listening to both this and the prior episode back-to-back hoping it gives listeners some insight and context behind what motivates m* to get this podcast up and running.

Link:

The Conversation article that is critiqued in this episode and what kicks off ranty chapter 2 - Conspiracy theories on the right, cancel culture on the left: how political legitimacy came under threat in 2020 (theconversation.com) 

In the spirit of end-of-years reflection, m* gets personal and shares his story, and hopefully providing some explanation and reasoning behind forming this podcast channel. This will also be backed up with a future episode where m* will reflect on politics. If you wanted to find out more about who m* is, how m* came to be, and what moved him to create TIYS as a budding podcasting project then have a listen. 

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

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

Links:

A handy profile on the V...

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

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

Links:

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

A re...

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

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

Links:

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

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

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

Links:

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

"Twenty-First Century Victorians" - Jacobin article written by Jason and how I initially found the guy throu...

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

Links:

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

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

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

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

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

In other...

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

Links relevant to episode:

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

"NonCompete" - Another initially handy YouTube channel m' found - https://www.youtube.com/ch...

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

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

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

Links:

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

...

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

Episode links: 

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

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

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

m* celebrates their birthday by recording an episode with the podcast that  serves as primary inspiration for TIYS. m* speaks with Dave Eden from the Living the Dream podcast, with both running the fair gamut of present major political economic discussions to be had within Australia in times of COVID-19. All exhaustively fit within 50-odd minutes of juicy analytical candour!

Episode links:

Living the Dream podcast page: https://livingthedream.podbean.com/

Dave's recent Jacobin article that Jacobinites went and jumped all over: https://jacobinmag.com/2020/10/australia-neo-keynesianism-capitalism-alp-greens-economics

Home page for the ACTU's c...

The first episode where this podcast can be unashamedly named! Also, the US appears to be going to shit. Consequently m* thought it proper to speak with an American on this, and found Ruth Oskolkoff, writer and with the podcast 'Eating Cake'. We both find these are interesting times for the US and the world, and we give it a red n black go of it!

Ruth's podcast Eating Cake: https://anchor.fm/eatingcake

A very viral blog Ruth has written: https://ruthoskolkoff.wordpress.com/2016/12/26/%e2%80%8bmy-apology-to-the-world-as-a-us-citizen/?fbclid=IwAR3DsU_5PXkoT-CvYMTMA8pUlQ78W4STX-77aJN9M...

A lone wolf episode recognising the ten episode milestone, celebrated through the official naming of this podcast, to be henceforth known as Thorn in Your Side!

m* also rants about getting his masters in the midst of a crumbling uni institution, which proves to be quite a therapeutic exercise.

The podcast name may or may not have been inspired by the following song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AmkmqYEarw 

Podcast mainstayer John returns to chat on the relationship between sports and the COVID-19 pandemic. Not surprisingly, both m* and John find clear political implications for the role that sport has played within pandemic times, most notably in the US through connections between the NBA and Black Lives Matter movement.

John has requested to talk more about politics and sports in future episodes and its a commitment to hold to!

A link to the 1908 Jack Johnson vs Tommy Burns fight held in Sydney, referred to within the episode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5...

m* chats with Fiona Alamyar, a legal professional who has previously written an Honours thesis on the experiences of Uber workers and the implications of this work towards greater emergence of the new platform economy.

While a matter of convenience to some workers, to other workers Fiona finds in this thesis a great deal of insecure work, particularly amongst those truly reliant on gaining income from work of this kind. Labour is changing, and the start is looking at what has changed and what are new forms of labour. Here is one such new thing.

m* interviews Pas, a campaign organiser with the Australian Council Of Social Service (ACOSS) to discuss the Raise the Rate campaign, how the campaign has been influenced by COVID-19, and the relationship of the campaign to social and labour movements overall.

Geez, COVID-19 is coming up a lot in these episodes, isn't it?

Links:

Raise the Rate campaign website - https://raisetherate.org.au/

Campaign FB page - https://www.facebook.com/raisetherate

Peter drops by again to talk social housing matters, while also lurching into union and south west Sydney issues. You could listen if such info intrigues you, but what really should be celebrated is the finest production of an episode on this podcast yet! Listen to it in your car and everything!

Links:

Peter refers to the efforts of the late Don Syme, a CPA man (the old CPA, not the new one [yuk]) who had significant active ties to Western Sydney and more particularly Liverpool City Council. Here is Don's obituary may they RIP...

Our usual guy m* chats with another Michael, but in this episode Michael wishes to go by m' so both can have separate internet names. As well as this utter breakthrough in nomenclature both talk politics, particularly the possibilities of democratised gig economy work.

m' knows a handy site for this very thing - platform.coop, a group promoting digital co-ops.

Mutual aid groups mentioned:

Sydney COVID-19 mutual aid network:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/205299920727385/

South-west Sydney group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/839122473250457/

m* decides to do a one-person episode to lay down what the podcast channel is about, how people might like to involve themselves in the podcast, and then complains about how m*'s personal information is being handled by restauranteurs during COVID-19 contact tracing measures.

The letter received by Australian Government on the issue of privacy with contact tracing info when m* ranted to The Man - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157620369001814&set=a.10151168153451814&type=3&theater

The cool TV show m* is now watching and mentioned edgewise during this episode - h...

m* interviews Carlo, and as two ardent Western Sydney Wanderers fans and lefties both irresistibly find themselves making connections between what Wanderers fans experience with what is encountered within the Black Lives Matter movement and in social housing communities.

m* and Carlo also chat about life and times in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trigger warning for indigenous listeners - mentioned within this episode are names of the deceased and graphic content involving deceased peoples.

And here's what Carlo mainly gets up to these days as a performer - https://theunaustralian.net/.