Episodes
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Human trafficking is a hard conversation to have, as most of us would like to think we have nothing in common with people who sell other people or those that exploit humans in any way. But, the reality is that this is a thriving business throughout the world, in every country, state and many communities that otherwise seem safe and quiet. In this episode, we try to get into the minds of the players in the sex trade - from the pimps that find and exploit people, to johns that buy sex, to people involved and forced into the trade.
Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy
Co-Host : Matt Cundill
Producer: Stand Up Speak Up Apparel
Co-Producers: Danielle Gallagher, Jessica de Bruyn
Editors: Cesar Del Castillo & Matt Cundill
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Dr. David Bernstein is a well respected, highly educated professional who has held appointments at Yale University School of Medicine, where he completed his doctoral internship, and Harvard University Medical School, where he completed his postdoctoral residency in Forensic Psychology in the Department of Law and Psychiatry. Anyone who has come into contact with him can be forgiven for thinking that this highly intelligent professional probably grew up in a life of privilege which enabled him to go to the best schools.
But the reality is this strong advocate for working to correct the Foster Care System is himself a product of it. David’s life started as an abandoned child, discovered on a New York City park bench in his infancy. He became a Ward of the State, going from foster home to foster home, often running away from the abusive situations where he actually felt safer living on the streets or in abandoned buildings.
The Foster Care System is often been referred to as a vicious cycle of abuse and neglect. It’s known to be difficult to leave the world of poverty, teen pregnancy, sex abuse and crime behind. Those who manage to escape its harsh grip rarely look back. But David Bernstein did. He has confronted his past and is trying to make a better future for those who currently follow in his foster care footsteps.
He consults with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. He’s an expert in threat assessment and violence, able to tap into the instincts he honed as a child growing up homeless.
Host: Karla Stephens Tolstoy
Producer: Stand Up Speak Up Apparel
Co-Producer: Jessica de Bruyn
Production Editor & Sound: Peter Anthony Holder
Narrator: Peter Anthony Holder
Music: What You’re Mad Of by Kayla Diamond http://www.slaightmusic.com/music-we-dig#!kayla-diamond
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This is the second part of a two part series featuring the charismatic founder of The Club Kids, Michael Alig. The Club Kids were a group of young, flamboyant New York City underground dance club personalities in the late 1980s and early 1990s, who were also heavily involved in the drug culture.
Alig spent 17 years behind bars for his part in a brutal drug induced murder in 1996 when he and roommate Robert "Freeze" Riggs murdered a third roommate, drug dealer Andre "Angel" Melendez, using a hammer. They poured drain cleaner down his throat and kept the lifeless body of their roommate in their apartment for days before finally getting butcher knives to dismember him, disposing of the body in separate locations in the river. That murder and the partying lifestyle that led up to it was the subject of the movie, Party Monster, starring Macauley Culkin as Alig.
In this second part Alig recounts his relationship with his mother, discusses what kind of person he would like to be in a relationship with, talks drug use, and also his creative plans for the future.
Host: Karla Stephens Tolstoy
Producer: Stand Up Speak Up Apparel
Co-Producer: Jessica de Bruyn
Production Editor & Sound: Peter Anthony Holder
Narrator: Peter Anthony Holder
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Michael Alig is a complex character. He’s the charismatic founder of the Club Kids, a group of young, flamboyant New York City underground dance club personalities in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They wore outrageous costumes and were on the scene to be seen, setting an artistic standard for the fashion-conscious youth culture. But they were also part of the drug culture, with many of the Club Kids becoming addicted.
The party-hardy heavy drug use caused a spiral in Alig’s life. In 1996, he and roommate Robert "Freeze" Riggs killed a third roommate, drug dealer Andre "Angel" Melendez during an argument over drugs. Alig and Riggs brutally murdered Melendez with a hammer. They poured drain cleaner down his throat and kept the lifeless body of their roommate in their apartment for days before finally getting butcher knives to dismember him, disposing of the body in separate locations in the river. But they were eventually caught, partly due to Alig’s bragging about it openly. He spent 17 years behind bars.
Now a free man and back in New York, we catch up with Alig as he tries to rebuild his life. In this first part of a two show series, Michael discusses the notoriety he’s achieved, both as the founder of the Club Kids and also his incarceration for murder, plus he delves into his life behind bars and his attempts to creatively turn his life around.
Host: Karla Stephens Tolstoy
Producer: Stand Up Speak Up Apparel
Co-Producer: Jessica de Bruyn
Production Editor & Sound: Peter Anthony Holder
Narrator: Peter Anthony Holder
Music: Evil I Know by Ascot Royals http://www.slaightmusic.com/music-we-dig#!ascot-royals
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We first met Devin Price in Episodes 45 and 46 of the Stand Up Speak Up Podcast, when he took us through his road to addiction, becoming a drug dealer and pimp and his eventual arrest. After serving three years in prison, he had returned to his hometown to start over and we ended on an optimistic note with Devin getting a new job and restarting a relationship with his mother, Linda, who had also started her own recovery.
In this follow-up episode, we speak with Devin after a relapse that put him back into rehab. He tells us how one bad decision lead to slipping back into the world of partying and drugs that he and Linda had both tried to leave behind. As Devin decided to check himself back into rehab, he began keeping an audio diary of his final days before entering treatment and the aftermath once he was released.
Devin’s struggle is not over. He speaks to our host, Karla Stephens-Tolstoy, about trying to connect with his children, who have been put into the foster care system and are eligible for adoption. He also speaks to us about Linda’s relapse and how addiction continues to affect all of the members of his family.
Host: Karla Stephens Tolstoy
Producer: Stand Up Speak Up Apparel
Co-Producer: Jessica de Bruyn
Production Editor & Sound: Cesar Del Castillo
Narrator: Matt Cundill
End Music: "The Best Is Yet to Come" by Ascot Royals (https://www.ascotroyals.com) We want to thank Ascot Royals for the donation of this song, which speaks about overcoming adversity like that Devin has faced. Find their latest single, "Evil I Know" on iTunes, Spotify and places where music is sold. -
Kelly Donovan is a whistleblower. Her story begins working for a major bank, marrying a police officer, then deciding to become a police officer.
After only a few years, Kelly began to learn about internal inconsistencies, and unethical and unlawful decisions being made without any guiding policy or legislation. In 2016, she addressed the issues with the Board, the oversight body of the police service, and as a result faced reprisal and was further silenced. She researched the prevalence of the issues and just how often police whistleblowers are silenced, while police leaders avoid any accountability.
After involving all legislated oversight bodies to no avail, Kelly resigned in June, 2017. Upon her resignation, she released her Report of Systemic Misfeasance in Ontario Policing and the Coordinated Suppression of Whistleblowers; sendin the report to all MPPs and MPs in Ontario and the media. Kelly has since published the report on Amazon in eBook and paperback formats.
The she started her own business, Fit4Duty™ to educate employers, policy and lawmakers about the risks of having purely perfunctory vision and mission statements. Too many Canadians work in a toxic environment due primarily to poor oversight and autonomous decisions made by inadequate management.
In this episode - you’ll hear what drove Kelly to start the business and what needs to be done to end the corruption.
Host: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy
Producer: Stand Up Speak Up Apparel
Co-Producer: Evan Surminski
Editor &Narrator: Matt Cundill
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In the first part of this two part podcast series interviewing Frank, an addict who has abused drugs from the age of 12, he told us the origins of his addiction and how sniffing glue as a child turned into full on heroin addiction as an adult. By his own admission Frank has done some terrible things, including using his child’s stroller to steal from shops so he could fund his addiction.
Along the way he has survived attacks from gangs of drug dealers, a punctured lung, septicemia, stab wounds and a knee infection that left him wheeling around, scoring drugs in a wheelchair. Time and time again the need to satisfy his addiction was always powerful enough for him to overcome any illness.
Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelCo-Producer: Kris Mulliah
Editor &Narrator: Dave Wheeler at SafetyNet -
Franky Frank runs the My Cold Turkey Detox website where he shares the story and updates about his struggle overcoming drug abuse, primarily heroin and crack. His sister filmed his struggle as he detoxed cold turkey at her place in Sweden after 30 years as a chronic long term addict. Franky Frank - not his real name - is now in his forties, in recovery and is our guest on the podcast to tell us how, despite having fallen many times in the past, cold turkey detox does work for some. In this first of a two-part series, Frank explains how be became addicted by the age of 12, and how that was the beginning of a lifelong struggle. Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelCo-Producer: Kris Mulliah
Editor: Joel at East Coast Studio https://www.mycoldturkeydetox.com/ -
Erica has endured a lifetime of trauma marked by a difficult upbringing, abusive relationships, an addiction to phone sex, attempted suicide, and a number of diagnosed mental health issues. Recently, we heard of a website called writeaprisoner.com. While Erica is not a prisoner herself, she has turned to the site in what seems to be a way of coping with her own past, and actually fell in love with a man on the inside, who turned out to only be using her. Erica’s story highlights yet another case of neglect and having nowhere to turn, nobody who believed her, when she needed it the most. Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelEditor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Studio Links: http://writeaprisoner.com
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Rob Rawlings is working hard to break the cycle of drug addiction in his family.
Despite his father’s abrasive nature and drug use, Rob continued to seek approval as his son.
At the age of 14, Rob himself was introduced to drugs. It was only a matter of time before he tried opiates, and then heroine. To feed his addiction, Rob was led to a life of crime, he’d even steal from his own family.
Now, at 43 years old, Rob is in rehab for the 9th time, but feeling optimistic - and says he’s in the best recovery home yet.
In this episode, Rob shares his story, and we’ll hear what he’s planning to do with life after recovery.
Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelEditor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative Links: https://www.facebook.com/calipalmsrecovery/ https://www.facebook.com/Pottamus -
Recently we’ve featured addiction stories of people who had clear trauma growing up that contributed to the path they took in life. However, these things can happen to anyone. Danielle McCarron is a recovery advocate, working to shift the stigma of addiction. She had what appeared to be the perfect life. A good home, good parents, good looks, and she was smart. As some teenagers do, Danielle began experimenting with alcohol in her teenage years. By the time university rolled around, her drinking habits slowly transitioned from normal partying to drinking everyday. Eventually, it got to the point where, after being hospitalized for over-consumption, Danielle would purchase more alcohol on the way home after release. Today we’ll learn about her experience with alcoholism and recovery, and learn an important lesson - that you can’t force an addict to stop - you have to wait for them to be ready. This is an important episode for parents to hear and share with their children. No matter how perfect an individual’s life may appear, or how unlikely a candidate they seem for addiction, it can happen. This story will teach you how to see the signs early and understand how to help. Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelEditor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative
Links:
http://www.daniellemccarron.com
https://www.instagram.com/danimccarron -
Today’s guest has 5 kids from 4 different fathers and was abused as a child. Rose is an artist with designs in the Stand Up Speak Up apparel store. Growing up, she faced physical, mental, and sexual abuse. She had nowhere to turn and was failed by everybody who should have helped her. Rose and her brother lived a terribly sad, cruel, and abusive childhood. At the age of 11, Rose was thrown out by her mother. For the next 5 years, she’d spend time in multiple foster homes, moving around as some were only temporary or others were abusive. At the age of 16, she was free from foster care, but was no better off, and had nowhere safe or clean to live. She had also begun seeking the love and attention she craved, from men. To make a sad story worse, Rose’s brother and best friend would later pass away, leading her to a breakdown. Despite everything, Rose doesn’t consider her life to be sad, and leaves us with some inspiring words. Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelEditor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative Rose’s Facebook page: https://facebook.com/groups/1902129090005530
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There’s no shortage of content out there on the subject of Scientology. When we decided to tackle it, we knew the episode would have to focus on people, and the lasting effect Scientology has on its members once they leave. The Church of Scientology has been in conflict with governments and police forces of many countries and is widely criticized. It was founded in the 1950s on a set of psychological principles created by science-fiction author Ron Hubbard. Controversy over the years includes allegations of criminal behavior by members, harassment of people perceived as enemies, the death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson while under the Church’s care, and attempts to force search engines to censor information which criticizes the church. With today’s media landscape, keeping people quiet hasn’t gotten any easier. More and more people have left Scientology and spoken out about its negative effects, despite the Church’s repeated attempts to shut them up. Whether it’s the shocking and crazy stories, celebrity involvement, or simple curiosity, something continues to drive pop culture’s obsession with Scientology, and today, we share the stories of 4 people who escaped the Church, and are now speaking out: Lori Hodgson, Jenna Miscavige Hill, Sam Domingo, and Melissa Paris. Some are putting Scientology in the past, and some are still struggling to this day. Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelEditor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative Links: http://exscientologykids.com/ https://www.amazon.ca/Beyond-Belief-Secret-Scientology-Harrowing/dp/0062248480 http://escapingscientology.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAVxMII8Dgcw08E0obtbGJA http://www.scientology-cult.com/the-destruction-of-my-family.html https://www.aetv.com/shows/leah-remini-scientology-and-the-aftermath
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When Linda Price graduated high school, her dream of the perfect life was with a home, a baby, and a husband. These all eventually came to fruition, but not in the way she had imagined. An unfulfilling childhood led to Linda seeking love in the wrong places, getting involved with multiple abusive men, and becoming addicted to drugs. She was always on the run, trying to escape life. After becoming pregnant with Devin, who was featured in our past 2 episodes, all Linda wanted was to give him the love and care she never had. Sadly, she struggled with this, too, and would later give Devin the painful apology that “the drug was more important than you were.” From times of using drugs together to Linda refusing to take her only son in when he had nowhere else to go, their lives have been an emotional rollercoaster. With the mother and son now sober, living under the same roof, and Devin getting his life on track after finishing his prison sentence, we conclude the Price family series with a happy ending and positive outlook. Linda now has the son she always hoped she could raise. To persevere through so many challenges in life is truly inspirational, and we thank Devin and Linda for sharing their stories. Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelEditor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative
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Devin Price blames nobody but himself for the direction his life took. As a kid, Devin thought his childhood was fairly normal. His dad ran off and his mother became addicted to drugs, but Devin’s grandparents did their best to provide a stable, loving home. By 17, Devin had gotten into harder drugs, both selling and dealing. But that was only the beginning. In the coming years, Devin would get an underage girl pregnant, commit crimes, spend time in rehab and jail, make meth, start an escort service, and eventually land himself a serious prison sentence. At the end of Part 1, Devin had just been pulled over by police, with a car full of drugs, and contemplated suicide in that moment. He faced a long list of charges, all which carried a maximum sentence of life in prison. Fortunately, Devin didn’t spend that long behind bars. At 29, he’s still young, recently out of prison, has a new outlook on life, a job, and is taking things one day at a time. Hear how Devin dealt with prison and kept clean, what’s motivating him to stay away from drugs and alcohol now, and some inspiring words for other people who may find themselves in a similar situation. Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelEditor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative HBO Red Onion State Prison Documentary Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eAOzxZNJyE Write to or help prisoners: http://writeaprisoner.com
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Devin Price blames nobody but himself for the direction his life took. As a kid, Devin thought his childhood was fairly normal. His dad ran off and his mother became addicted to drugs, but Devin’s grandparents did their best to provide a stable, loving home. By 17, Devin had gotten into harder drugs, both selling and dealing. But that was only the beginning. In the coming years, Devin would get an underage girl pregnant, commit crimes, spend time in rehab and jail, make meth, start an escort service, and eventually land himself a serious prison sentence. Looking back, it seemed that Devin had plenty of skills, they were simply misused. Now, at 29, Devin is still young, and recently out of prison. He’s clean, has a new outlook on life, and is ready to share his story. In this series, Devin takes us through his life from beginning to now, as we hear his story and follow his progress trying to stay clean and get back on his feet. Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelEditor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative
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Howard Heathcote grew up in a house of addicts. Out of 2 parents and 9 children, only one, an older sister of Howard’s, miraculously avoided drugs and alcohol completely. Aside from that miraculous exception, fate was all but sealed for the rest of the family. There was never a shortage of alcohol, pills, and cocaine at Howard’s home. He became addicted at the kitchen table, with his parents, before his Mom passed away when he was only 10 years old. As Howard shares his life story during this 2-part series, you’ll hear of one shockingly unfortunate occurrence after another. By just 13 years old, Howard was a full-blown alcoholic. He remained that way until 7 years later, when he was no longer an alcohol addict, but a heroin addict. His lifestyle inevitably led him to crime, and that led him to spending nearly a decade in prison, beginning in 1997. Howard is 53 now. And while life isn’t without challenges, he is clean, and doing well. He runs a website and Facebook page with over 6000 likes, called The Opiate Report, which is used to explain opiates in detail, their history, facts about detox, triggers, and more, attempting to be a light at the end of the tunnel for this epidemic. Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelEditor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative Shooting Star performed by Linda Nusca
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Howard Heathcote grew up in a house of addicts. Out of 2 parents and 9 children, only one, an older sister of Howard’s, miraculously avoided drugs and alcohol completely. Aside from that miraculous exception, fate was all but sealed for the rest of the family. There was never a shortage of alcohol, pills, and cocaine at Howard’s home. He became addicted at the kitchen table, with his parents, before his Mom passed away when he was only 10 years old. As Howard shares his life story during this 2-part series, you’ll hear of one shockingly unfortunate occurrence after another. By just 13 years old, Howard was a full-blown alcoholic. He remained that way until 7 years later, when he was no longer an alcohol addict, but a heroin addict. His lifestyle inevitably led him to crime, and that led him to spending nearly a decade in prison, beginning in 1997. Howard is 53 now. And while life isn’t without challenges, he is clean, and doing well. He runs a website and Facebook page with over 6000 likes, called The Opiate Report, which is used to explain opiates in detail, their history, facts about detox, triggers, and more, attempting to be a light at the end of the tunnel for this epidemic. Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelEditor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative This episode contains music used under the CreativeCommons license:Mary Brett Loroson - Theme From Whatever
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It takes a special person to be a leader. One thing historians have questioned for years, is the apparent mental instability of both great and terrible leaders alike. Do the qualities that mark those with mood disorders also make for a strong leader? What traits are common among them? Nassir Ghaemi looks at this very topic in his book, A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness. Ghaemi is an academic psychiatrist, author, and Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. He’s written a number of books on mental illness and mood disorders, and has contributed to many other published works.
Host Karla Stephens-Tolstoy talks with Nassir today, and we’ll hear specifically about 3 leaders and their struggles with mental health: Dr. Martin Luther King, Ghandi, and John F Kennedy. Not only are the stories interesting, but also inspiring, and serve as a reminder to those suffering from mental illness that there’s no limit to what they can achieve in life. Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelEditor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative https://www.amazon.ca/First-Rate-Madness-Uncovering-Between-Leadership/dp/0143121332 http://www.nassirghaemi.com/ https://www.amazon.ca/Rising-Star-Making-Barack-Obama/dp/0062641832 This episode contains music used under the CreativeCommons license:Mary Brett Loroson - Johnson City -
Jay Bahadur is an investigator for an international agency. He’s a Canadian, born in Toronto, Ontario, who went on to be a journalist and author, becoming well-known for his reporting on Somalian pirates. He got an inside look at Somali piracy, after spending months in the country, living with pirates, and venturing into areas that most journalists wouldn’t dare visit. Jay documented his experience in a book titled The Pirates Of Somalia: Inside Their Hidden World, which was released in 2011. 6 years later, in 2017, a movie by the same name was released, which closely follow’s Jay’s story. It’s also known by an alternate title,‘Dabka’ and was directed by Bryan Buckley. Jay is portrayed on screen by Evan Peters, and the film also stars Barkhad Abdi, Melanie Griffith, and Al Pacino. Listen as Jay tells us what it was like to venture into places that most other journalists would never dare, how he got the pirates to open up, whether or not the movie was true to his book, and more. Host: Karla Stephens-TolstoyProducer: Stand Up Speak Up ApparelEditor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative Links: Pirates of Somalia trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trFQOslCa6U&ab_channel=FilmTrailerZone Pirates of Somalia by Jay Bahadur book: https://www.amazon.ca/Pirates-Somalia-Jay-Bahadur/dp/1554686830 Pirates of Somalia movie on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/movie/the-pirates-of-somalia/id1312259861 Jay Bahadur Twitter: https://twitter.com/PuntlandPirates/ ‘Ain’t Never Gonna Let You Down’ performed by Linda Nusca
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