Category Archives: Politics

Podcast, Policy Watch, Politics

TThoughts Podcast – But I think I’m the only one

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Daily writing prompt
What podcasts are you listening to?
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Lately, I’ve been grappling with the sense that the work I produce is slipping into a void, unheard and unacknowledged. I’ve poured time, energy, and passion into exploring topics I believe matter deeply—yet the response often feels like a haunting silence. Listening to TThoughts Podcasts, where a young Black woman boldly shares her political musings, I’m struck by the courage it takes to put ideas out there, regardless of the echo or response.

It feels lonely to question systems, to critique social policies, and to dissect the nuances of political theory without feeling seen or heard. Still, perhaps there’s a deeper meaning in sharing perspectives, even when they seem to go unnoticed. Maybe it’s about planting seeds, sending out ripples we may not immediately see.

This feeling of “shouting into the void” reminds me that building awareness and change, especially on complex issues, can be a quiet, slow process. Maybe it’s okay if my voice, and the voices of others like me, reach just one person today and another tomorrow. One day, those small connections may turn the quiet into a resonant call for change.

With Love from ChatGPT

Podcast, Black Politics, Politics

TThoughts Podcast – Can anybody hear me?

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What do you do to be involved in the community?

This post seems very timely as it is the anniversary of my podcast. Happy 6th birthday to my podcast, yes I promise this is connected to my contribution to my community. I wrote a while ago about how it’s hard to stay consistent in content creation and that has been true not only in my blogging but in the recording of my podcast. 

I love reading and to be fair after university it has become difficult to read fiction. I primarily read non-fiction and so most of what I read I feel the arrogant need to share with others for their own good. At some point I realized that unlike at university life is not a seminar and generally people are not interested in debating or learning more. The only people that may be interested in debating you are on twitter and to be fair they are not doing so in good faith nor are they actually interested in the ideas you are trying to share. 

I read a few things and listened to a lot of podcasts and my conclusion is explained best by Seneca who says “I am acting on behalf of later generations. I am writing down a few things that may be of use to them.” The older I got I realized that as a black woman there are so many things that I did not know that impact my life, my community and a little guidance may have prevented a lot of things or at least helped in the understanding of many things. So while I was learning more things about finances, voting, colorism or just nutrition, I figured I would write down what I am learning because even though people may not be open to what I have learnt at the moment there will come a time when they will be and at that point I would have written and recorded a few things for them.

My contribution to my community is the things I am learning and even though if often feels like it is falling on deaf ears, I continue because of the chance that a young black woman may wish to know why is it important to budget, hold political parties accountable and so she knows that someone grappled with the same questions and they took some notes for her to use, update or disregard. 

My involvement in my community is sharing knowledge that they may not realize they need yet.

Black Politics, Politics, Policy Watch

Work aka Commute aka wages

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What do you complain about the most?

I will start this post with the full acknowledgement that I should be and am grateful for all the blessings I have, but seeing is the post is not an ode to my lack of gratitude I will say the thing I complain most about is work. I am an advocate of the labor movement and am of the belief that “the labor movement is in shambles” so I find myself often complaining about different elements of work.

My favorite and timely complaint is the mandatory return to office. Wait hear me out. I know this is somewhat of a first world and white collar worker problem to have but still its emblematic of a larger problem between workers and employees. The issue is never if the work is done because when work is isn’t done there are many different metrics that employers have figured out to calculate efficiency. In fact if you fall below an adequate level of efficiency I believe they do something they call “firing you”. No the problem is not that work will not be done. The problem is trying to control employees time so if they are able to complete the required tasks in an adequate manner you figure out a way to pile more tasks on without paying them anymore. God forbid they use the extra time to spend with their family, friends or figuring out how to make additional income.

That brings us to the second thing I like to complain about. Much like what we keep hearing about inflation “it’s going down”, “we have brought it to an adequate level”, we should be really happy we are paying $20 for cooking oil our wages may be “up” but it seems like we still can’t afford rent, houses or the $20 cooking oil yet at every turn we are told wages are higher than ever and we should be happy and grateful. So we may not be the greatest mathematician but we can do the maths and see that the amount that we are getting paid and the profits we are helping make don’t add up.

To conclude, I like to complain about the state of employee rights in this current economic climate

Black Politics, Politics

Change in Political Views?

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How have your political views changed over time?

I wouldn’t say that my political views have changed but I would say that my defence of political leaders has shifted. As a young Black African I used to give our politicians a lot of grace. They are leaders of new states so they are bound to mess up and the world is against them so how can they succeed but as I get older I am starting to question the grace that I have given them. It is true that the are so many things stacked against African nations but there are also some problems that we face as Africans that are a direct result of the incompetence and selfishness of our leaders.

As I get older I am starting to wonder what is the cost for supporting certain ideological beliefs? How much incompetence is allowable simply because a party has the “right ideas”? I have never had a hard time understanding one issue voters but I can’t help but think that holding on to certain ideologies makes you prey to bad leaders, but that is not really a change in in political views, it is more of a greater understanding of the inadequate politics systems that we have.

Black Politics, Life, Politics, Policy Watch, Finances
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What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?

I finally finished paying off my OSAP loan!!!

For those outside of Ontario they are student loans and the relief I have been feeling is just amazing.

When people talk about cancelling student debts it’s easy to feel like but I paid mine why should other people get theirs paid but honestly if we can find money to fund all these wars and trips to space I think we can find money to let people get educated for free.

Education is a good in itself. ✌🏾

https://anchor.fm/tthoughts/episodes/Fall-Finances—Is-University-worth-it–6-years-on-assessment-e1pc41m