Whiskey & Cream: Episode XXII

Whiskey & Cream Podcast with Ari Shapiro

Whiskey & Cream for July 25th, 2021
Host: Ari Shapiro
0:38-16:20: "No one loves Marineland"
It's very possible that at some point during the long history of a profoundly greedy private company whose sole purpose was to showcase extremely rare mammals to the masses for sheer profit, some Canadians actually thought fondly of Marineland. But when a deeper dive of modern technology mixed with whistleblowing tenacity reveals nothing more than an anachronistically ridiculous aquatic zoo that's shamefully taken advantage of every level of government to deflect the lingering array of cruelty, neglect and abuse taking place insider their hallowed halls- well, at someone you have to ask yourself: "How is Marineland still a thing?"
Phil Demers is a crusader for animal rights and a champion of Walruses. His tireless and indefatigable advocacy for all the suffering animals at Marineland who are nothing more than a means to a profiteering end, is a testament to a man who's fed up with the hypocrisy used to silence him in the media; primarily by a cabal of lawyers deployed to strategically minimize the public from knowing the truth. Between the presence of dirty, unsanitary water filtration and increasingly poor life support systems, all of Marineland's inhabitants - the beluga whales, the bottlenose dolphins, the sea lions and penguins, Kiska the last Orca and Smooshi the lovable Walrus; well, they simply won't stand a chance if something isn't done and soon.
Music: "Ocean" by John Butler
16:20-26:41: "Ignoring Gandalf is bad for The Shire"
As you probably know by now, Dr. Anthony Stephen Fauci is an American physician and scientist who is also an immunologist that serves as the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is also the chief medical advisor to the president. Why then is a man with over five decades of established and renowned medical experience in serving his country and fellow man so often vilified and pummelled in the mainstream American media? Why are there so many anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers and anti-science troglodytes strewn across social media all clamoring to remind us why their conspiratorial nonsense is badly damaging the collective efforts of an entire country to emerge from a crippling pandemic?
Aaron Parnas is lawyer, writer and social influencer based out of Florida. Although he identifies strongly with being a Miami-Dade Democrat in a country that's splintered ideologically, his understanding of the community forces at play when it comes to pursuing a progressive agenda based on empirical learning and historical facts is what bolsters his daily resolve. That, and mobilizing the public to be mindful of the frail and precious reality that is their quickly diminishing participatory democracy, and also to always herald science and logic to help better society one election at a time.
Music: "Here Comes The Sun" by The Beatles
26:41-42:11: "Engineering loyalty, dignity and gratitude"
It's hard enough to find gainful employment in a field that you may have spent decades trying to perfect. It's especially difficult when considering the obscene nature of the country's overpriced real estate market. For most people, the prospect of owning a home has become too daunting to even begin contemplating. It's hard enough to find security during dark times, now we're supposed to also find a way to handle a mortgage during a pandemic? What if a business existed that one day realized how genuine employee loyalty and endless gratitude could be leveraged by simply trying to help a family find real dignity in affording a home by helping them purchase it?
Nick Mocan is the President of Cozier: Consulting Engineers and is an unabashedly proud altruist. For him, the concept of rewarding employees by investing in their ability to purchase a home is a natural existential equation that is less about politics and more about humanism; more precisely, a desire to tap into the potential of what people are capable of when they know their employer has their backs.
Music: "Making Plans For Nigel" by XTC
42:12-53:57: "Release the Kraken and also Harry Hamlin"
The changing nature of the NHL was on fierce display last week as the Seattle Kraken entered the fray as the league's latest expansion team. By the time they were finished, recognizable names like Giordano, Larsson, and Eberle has all changed hands, indicating a significant paradigm shift in why certain franchises were willing to part with older, highly paid promising talent in a competitive crucible where one's salary cap is everything. As a result, local fan favourites like Zach Hyman and Jared McCann are no longer a thing - even if their contributions are seen as vital to the cause.
Luke Armstrong is a writer, podcaster and blogger whose work has been featured with The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated. His recent article on the expansion draft presented a primer that was based on a new drafting philosophy that not only differed in the method to which the Vegas Golden Knights constructed themselves to be competitive so quickly, but also revealed a long-term play for an untraditional hockey market that's looking for success through players arriving with heart and soul that was previously on display elsewhere.
Music: "Do It Again" by Steely Dan
“Whiskey & Cream Theme” written and performed by Chris Henderson.