A Thoughts From Montréal with only one mention of Québec Solidaire? What happened?

You probably weren't expecting a Thoughts From Montréal episode about fitness, posture, self-defense, toxic masculinity, mental health, and dieting, and neither was Pete until late last year. In this episode, he and Arjuna/RoboG walk you through one slice of a whole self-improvement adventure Pete has been on for the past few months. This episode kicks off the 1st annual ThoughtsCast Self-Improvement Day, and it explains why one day in March eighteen years ago held so much significance for Pete, he wanted to make it a thing in the ThoughtsCast canon.

Special thanks to Tree Frog for making this episode possible.

The usual Google Doc is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Eb8AuIPIHo5v37d-i1t4XTwmsa33di0Q4wN3B1bW95k/

Check out the GoFundMe for the We Can Bring You Here (Probably) Migration Network, Pete's mutual aid network to help those most threatened by the Trump regime escape the US, here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-to-leave-the-us

Every dollar helps

In 20 years, will Québec Solidaire give a sh*t about the people who sleep in the metro stations? Pete, Arjuna, and RoboG answer three questions from Bothered Boy, a Canadian Youtuber whose channel you should absolutely check out and subscribe to. While answering these questions, your favorite real and fictional podcast characters in Mile-By-God-End touch on Canadian and Québecois history, the dynamics of the Québec political landscape. Then the Giant Fascist Countdown Timer goes off, and they, like everyone else, have to sit in the fallout and discuss what comes next. Special thanks to Bothered Boy for making this episode possible. Check out his channel at https://www.youtube.com/@BotheredBoy

The usual Google Doc is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MYTe6tXHnSan_gXM4eX3IV9QTinqE1NvoNVz4QSaXAM/edit?usp=sharing

Dedicated to the memory of Anne Geller (1947-2019)

In this episode, Pete, who is increasingly busy at his new job working on VFX for Rainbow Six Siege, talks about his list of books and movies about the history, politics, and pop culture of Québec that he will review for the ProbablyWork blog (⁠https://probablywork.com/category/thoughts/⁠) in the coming months. There's also a cautionary oral history from Friend Of The Show Pete's Mom about the late, great Anne Geller, former chairwoman of the Franklin County Democrats. The themes touched on in that history will show up again in Part 2, when Pete answers questions for the Q&A that he should have done last episode 😛

The usual Google Doc is here: ⁠https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MYTe6tXHnSan_gXM4eX3IV9QTinqE1NvoNVz4QSaXAM/edit?usp=sharing

The podcast where you get dirt on your hands, err, ears? Phone mic? In the final part of Thoughts From Montréal 3, Pete spells out why he supports Québec independence, reacts to the results of the QS co-spokeswoman race (while drawing a very favorable comparison between its winner and a certain former Maine state senator), and talks about the impending trainwrech that is the 2024 US presidential election. There's also a live reveal at the end that you do not want to miss, especially if you like Québec French swear words. If Pete sent you this podcast via Facebook, feel free to skip ahead to 35:29 and have a seat. He had the audience scoot over with their chairs and set up a seat for you. The reaction at the end of the episode is inspired by a Tiktok that went viral during the NHL playoffs a few years back. You can find a detailed explanation (with auto-translated English subtitles that hilariously translate sacre as "coronation") here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBfiVshbADU As usual, there's a Google Doc with all the stuff Pete mentioned here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BlVIHHoSiegXQhPRANw1_dDcUrAcZfNgesCTdBU5kbk/edit?usp=sharing#WhiteWineProphecy

So you're a refugee of Trump In this part, Pete talks about the leadup to and the first two days of the QS convention in November 2023, along with the protests against possible cuts to transportation funding in Montreal. He also talks about his struggles with the French language as he dives head first into a way more Francophone milieu (haha see what I did there?) than he's used to in his day-to-day life working in tech. As usual, there's a Google Doc with all the stuff Pete mentioned here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BlVIHHoSiegXQhPRANw1_dDcUrAcZfNgesCTdBU5kbk/edit?usp=sharing

TL;DR: All hammer and no sickle makes for fashy time In the first of a three part episode recorded in October-November 2023, Pete, Arjuna, and RoboG talk about Pete's ongoing involvement in Québec Solidaire, arguably the best left party in North America, as their election for co-spokeswoman approaches. He also discusses what happened to Cornel West's presidential campaign in the months after Thoughts From Montréal 2 came out, and spills some tea on a spinoff group of the Maine Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). This episode will leave your mouth watering for a poutine Québecoise from Chez Claudette as you move on to part 2, where he talks about meeting Ruba Ghazal (pictured in the thumbnail) for the first time at his local QS association meeting before the big convention in November. As usual, there's a Google Doc with all the stuff Pete mentioned here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BlVIHHoSiegXQhPRANw1_dDcUrAcZfNgesCTdBU5kbk/edit?usp=sharing

Sit back, relax, and picture the sounds and feelings of a flowing stream in this meditation episode of ThoughtsCast. There is an important news alert for today, February 28th, near the beginning, so don't relax too fast.