Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Power Move: Alberta Goes to War with Ottawa Over Electricity

Danielle Smith is doubling down on her defiance of Ottawa's Clean Energy Regulations. Alberta's Premier invoked the Sovereignty Act, saying she'll fight the feds in court over a mandate to get Alberta's grid to Net-Zero by 2035. Meantime, Edmonton councillor Jennifer Rice is in the hot seat after burning through 19 (!) staffers in two years in what insiders call a "tyrannical" work environment. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Oh, and new polling shows Justin Trudeau's Liberals are on pace to lose more than 100 seats in the House of Commons. 
5:15 | Charles Adler takes on all of the above, and tells us what he thinks about Alberta outlawing photo radar on ring roads. 
1:01:15 | Once-legendary publication Sports Illustrated has been exposed for straight-up lying to their readers. Ryan and Johnny talk about AI infiltrating sports journalism. 
OUR INTERVIEW W/ EDWARD TIAN ABOUT GPT Zero: https://rtrj.info/011023Tian
1:07:30 | Real Talker Jillian promised her Positive Reflections submission would make us smile...and she was right! We love how photographer Helga Stentzel uses everyday clothing to create images of faces, animals, and much more! 
CHECK OUT HELGA STENTZEL ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/helga.stentzel/?img_index=1 
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The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

The Flamethrower: Pollution & Pension Plans

Pollution and pensions plans are front and centre in this fiery edition of The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! 
FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com

MIDLIFE: Middle Age in a Post-Pandemic World

Midlife is an interesting place to be. You may be caring for kids while caring for your parents. You've likely experienced love, and heartbreak, and wins, and losses. Midlife No. 2 is a collection of essays sharing Canadian reflections on critical midlife topics like housing, home, birth, death, race, identity, gruelling courses of medical treatment, and the COVID and post-COVID eras. All authored by former staffers at the University of Alberta's newspaper The Gateway. You'll hear from six of them in this special edition of our Real Talk Round Table. 
3:10 | Sarah Chan tells us how a Gondola ride got her thinking. Jhen Pabillano shares her Lessons in Letting Go. Neil Parmar muses on No Place At All. 
30:05 | Erika Thorkelson has a new take on Haunted Mansions. Dave Alexander gets deep about Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump. Neal Ozano explains how he started seeing "scrapportunities". 
BUY THE BOOK: https://www.midlifebook.ca/
58:30 | Ryan and John muse about what they just heard, including thoughts on the social pressures around alcohol. 
1:05:40 | Pollution and pensions plans are front and centre in this fiery edition of The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! 
FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/ryanjespersen
WEBSITE: https://ryanjespersen.com/
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj 
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

How To Save the Planet

It's our third birthday! Thanks to the millions of you who've watched or listened to Real Talk ever since we launched, and those that have discovered this community more recently. Ryan and Johnny kick off this episode with a special shout out to Real Talkers just like you. 
6:25 | Planet Earth's on pace for a three degree rise in temperature, with catastrophic consequences. Meantime, the carbon tax could be on its way out in Canada, and the Supreme Court struck down Ottawa's toxic plastics ban. It's not an easy time to be a climate activist. Seth Klein explains how young people could turn the tide, why the carbon tax was never the silver bullet, and why Canada needs more heat pumps. 
READ SETH'S BOOK: https://www.sethklein.ca/book
READ HIS NATIONAL OBSERVER PIECE: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023...
CHECK OUT THE SURVEY RESULTS: https://static1.squarespace.com/stati...
"APPLY" FOR THE YOUTH CLIMATE CORPS: https://www.goodgreenjobsforall.ca/
EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
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WEBSITE: https://ryanjespersen.com/
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj 
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Alberta Pension Plan: ”Radical, Reckless, and Risky”

We don't know much about what an Alberta Pension Plan would actually look like. Up for debate: the amount Alberta could pull out of the national plan, whether or not contributions and draws would actually be higher or lower than with the CPP, who would influence where the funds would be invested, and how long the province's demographics would sustain an Alberta pension advantage. So, basically, everything. We go on a fact finding mission in this episode of Real Talk. 
3:00 | Murray Gold is one of Canada's preeminent pension experts. Gil McGowan represents 175,000 workers as president of the Alberta Federation of Labour. They get into a new report questioning the wisdom of an Alberta Pension Plan.
READ THE REPORT: https://afl.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Big-Risks-No-Rewards-pension-report-15NOV23.pdf
50:00 | You might know it as Black Friday, but in Jasper, the big days for deals is called Moonlight Madness! We highlight a few great investments waiting for you in Jasper National Park in this edition of #MyJasper Memories presented by Tourism Jasper. 
PLAN YOUR JASPER GETAWAY: https://www.jasper.travel/
54:00 | Real Talker Michael believes the Alberta NDP needs a rebrand, and Real Talker Ron needs to get something off his chest re: Israel and Hamas. Ryan dips into the Real Talk Mailbag. 
EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
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WEBSITE: https://ryanjespersen.com/
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj 
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Who Do You Trust?

CSIS says foreign states are targeting Canadians through social media. The general public is losing trust in institutions. Vaccination rates are way down. Many people simply don't know who they can trust.
3:00 | This is Professor Timothy Caulfield's wheelhouse. The professor of health law and science policy, author, TV host, and speaker joins Ryan in studio for a fascinating conversation about the information ecosystem, the politics of health policy (including Preston Manning's COVID report), and the "both sides" conundrum facing journalists. 
READ TIM'S "HEALTHY DEBATE" PIECE: https://healthydebate.ca/2023/08/topic/bothsidesism-scientific-consensus-matters/
CHECK OUT THE DISCOURSE ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/9w3e5JG7saY?si=FPSaPuZV19tpaInd
57:00 | You've got a lot to say about our coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. Ryan reads emails from Real Talkers Michael, Kyle, and Jenny.
EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
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WEBSITE: https://ryanjespersen.com/
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj 
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Whatever Happened to ”Believe All Women”?

The University of Alberta fired the head of its campus sexual assault centre after she signed an open letter calling reports of sexual violence during Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel an “unverified accusation.” What the hell was she thinking? Whatever happened to believing survivors? And what's with union leaders and Pride Centre execs signing on, too? Is anybody actually thinking this through? 
3:05 | Ariella Kimmel and Kristin Raworth talk to us about the "so-called feminists" who signed the open letter, and why it's inherently anti-Semitic. 
READ THEIR PIECE: https://www.readtheline.ca/p/kristin-raworth-and-ariella-kimmel
SEE WHO ELSE SIGNED THE OPEN LETTER: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQunbQuMjaKhUF90LqP7rmRPYLGHzSX5FjPMzHPC-rVPromw/viewform?pli=1
34:50 | Charles Adler might still be a bit stunned by what happened to his Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the final 20 seconds of the Grey Cup. We talk CFL, unions making political endorsements, and whether or not Canadians still care about the environment (based on a recent Angus Reid poll). 
1:14:10 | Real Talker Stacey writes in from New Brunswick in response to our November 17 Real Talk Round Table on Canada's affordability crisis. 
1:17:45 | Real Talker Landon shares the story of Ronald McNair, whose left an amazing legacy despite his tragic death at just 35 years of age. Positive Reflections is presented Mondays on Real Talk by our friends at Kuby Renewable Energy. 
SEND US YOUR POSITIVE REFLECTION: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
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FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj 
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The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

”Rig Pigs Managing Your Retirement Savings?!”

Shots fired! Lance from The Pas has thoughts on the APP, Gerald's not sold on private healthcare, Kyle wants hands off his TFSAs, and Judy just wants a wave!
 
THE FLAMETHROWER is presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park: Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road. Tell 'em Real Talk sent you!

BROKE: 30% of Canadians Can’t Afford to Live

Who can even afford to live anymore? Groceries are up. Utilities are up. Insurance is up. Mortgages are up. Rents are up. Tuition's up. What's NOT up? Disposable incomes. This episode of Real Talk is dedicated to finding solutions for Canadians just barely getting by. 
3:00 | Yasmin Abraham, Cherise Burda, and Dr. Brendan Haley are taking action on affordability. The members of the IRPP's new Affordability Action Council talk solutions on our Real Talk Round Table. 
LEARN MORE: https://irpp.org/affordability/
1:11:15 | Our November 16 conversation about anti-Semitism with Tasha Kheiriddin resonated with Real Talker Charlie. 
1:13:50 | Real Talker Mitzi isn't sure about Manslaughter charges for Matt Petgrave, but she says something needs to be done in the wake of Adam Johnson's tragic death. 
1:22:20 | Shots fired! Lance from The Pas has thoughts on the APP, Gerald's not sold on private healthcare, Kyle wants hands off his TFSAs, and Judy just wants a wave! Real Talkers are all fired up for this week's Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! 
VISIT THE DAIRY QUEENS IN PALISADES, NAMAO, NEWCASTLE, WESTMOUNT, & BASELINE ROAD...tell 'em Real Talk sent you! 
BUST OUT YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/ryanjespersen
WEBSITE: https://ryanjespersen.com/
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj 
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Seeking Solutions: Anti-Semitism, Pension Plans, & The Future of Journalism

There's no "quick fix" for the issues leading the headlines. Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia is on the rise, news outlets are dying on the vine, and politics are infiltrating your pension plan. Senator Paula Simons and Tasha Kheiriddin share potential solutions in this thought-provoking episode of Real Talk. 
3:00 | Senator Paula Simons explains why the Liberals' Online News Act is such a disaster, why an Alberta Pension Plan might be an even bigger disaster, what she makes of rampant anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in Canada, and her annual Yegquest initiative. 
READ PAULA'S PENSION COLUMN: https://albertaviews.ca/pension-folly/
PARTICIPATE IN YEGQUEST: https://www.instagram.com/hendayyegchick/
45:00 | Real Talker Rob is riled up over Alberta's threat to pull out of the Canada Pension Plan. 
EMAIL US: talk@ryanjespersen.com 
48:30 | Real Talker Robb has a theory around the UCP's changes to Alberta Health Services.
51:35 | Ryan touches on the Red Deer Catholic School Board turfing controversial (former) trustee Monique LaGrange. 
55:45 | We love hearing from our haters! Ryan and Johnny have some fun with a message from Don after our November 15 chat with Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arthur. 
59:25 | Political analyst, author, and lawyer Tasha Kheiriddin says Gen Z has "nothing to remember" about the Holocaust. We talk about the rise of anti-Semitism in Canada, and the international community's role in pursuing peace in the Middle East. 
READ TASHA'S OP/ED: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/we-said-wed-never-forget-the-holocaust-but-gen-z-has-nothing-to-remember
1:21:05 | Real Talker Crystal says she's never been more scared to be Jewish. 
1:26:50 | Ryan responds to criticism around Real Talk's coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. 
BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/ryanjespersen
WEBSITE: https://ryanjespersen.com/
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj 
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.