Stand Up Speak Up

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 and Producer: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative   Links:    Rose’s Design: https://www.standupspeakupapparel.com/collections/all-tops/products/silent-years-shed-tears-womens-cotton-tee 

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

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.   

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 m

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.   

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 and Producer: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative 

Since the release of our first episode about Kratom, we’ve had a flood of comments from users telling us how much Kratom has changed their lives. It’s nothing short of shocking and amazing to hear how so many people were lifted from such dark places thanks to this humble plant.   The sad part is that, in the U.S., Kratom is facing even more government push back. On February 6th, the FDA released a statement comparing Kratom to opioids and blaming it for 44 fatalities. You can read the full letter below.   Kratom advocates strongly refute the FDA’s claims. Their belief is that existing science on Kratom does not justify it being placed on any schedule or controlled substances list that would prevent consumer access. They’re encouraging continued lawful access to Kratom, with balanced regulation, proper research, and protecting rather than harming public health.   Based on what we’ve seen, we are 100% on the side of the Kratom advocates. If you’re not, hearing the stories in this episode will likely change your mind. We’ll share with you many of the stories that have been submitted, and our guest Josh (who is now a trusted Kratom vendor) tells us about his struggle with opioid addiction, being discharged from the military, spending 4 years in a maximum security prison, and how he finally built the life he wanted.   

Perhaps the most fascinating and stunning part of our journey learning about Kratom is the real-life stories from its users. It is after hearing these stories that we really understand the effect this plant can have on lives, and why its advocates are so passionate about its acceptance.   Adrian is a 62-year-old mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother in Jamestown, New York. She became medically addicted to pharmaceuticals and eventually lost everything. Although she was not responsible, 2 more generations of her family went on to suffer from addiction as well. After hearing about Adrian’s struggles with pain for years, you’ll be shocked to hear about the effect Kratom has had on her life.   David Derian also joins us again, but this time not to talk about the Botanical Education Alliance. He shares his experience with pain, pharmaceutical addiction, and recovery. David can’t even think about life without Kratom, yet his business, INI Botanicals, has faced repeated challenges for trying to make Kratom accessible to others.    Host and Producer: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative  

Canada is experiencing record numbers of deaths from opioid overdoses. In 2017, there were an estimated 4000 drug overdose deaths in the country. A substance that may be able to put a dent in that number is worth looking into.   Kratom is a leafy plant from South East Asia, from the coffee family. It’s an ancient drug, traditionally used to relieve pain, increase energy, appetite, and sexual desire. It was also known to be used as an opium substitute in the 18th & 19th centuries.   In 2013, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said Kratom had no legitimate medical use.  Recently, the FDA issued a health advisory against the plant, which some claim is spreading misinformation about its dangers, and not backed up with any scientific evidence.    Currently, Kratom can be sold legally in Canada in a powdered form, but only for aroma therapy purposes. At this time it has not been approved for consumption by Health Canada.   In the first part of our series on Kratom, we hear from experts such as Dr. Edward W. Boyer of Harvard, and Angela Watson and David Derian of the Bo

We explore the difficult realities for marine workers, telling the story of an Indian teen named Kshitij who died on his third day working on an international cargo ship. We speak with his twin, Sagar, who must decide how to make sense of an all-too-common tragedy. Story Editing – Erin Linn McMullan, Fresh Horses Recording – Vancouver Public Library’s Inspiration Lab https://www.vpl.ca/inspirationlab Waichiay Friendship Centre’s WAMM studio http://www.wachiaymultimedia.com/about Podshare Hollywood podshare.co/ Music - Jamie Cowling "Peace of Mind" https://soundcloud.com/lovelife2020/peace-of-mind アーネスト ASAMOAH “Fantasy” – Thans to Ernest Owusu Asamoah https://soundcloud.com/messages/111693781:2801192 Bitter Lake “Distortions in Sombre,” “Class War” https://soundcloud.com/officialbitterlake Dave Swindell “Friday Night In” Bad Decisions “Yeah Boi” https://soundcloud.com/makebaddecisions

When Chris Bergoch writes a movie, he doesn’t shy away from social advocacy topics that can be seen as controversial. At StandUp SpeakUp, we try to raise awareness around important social issues, so when Karla discovered the work of Chris Bergoch, she couldn’t wait to have him on the podcast.   Two of Chris’s biggest credits are Tangerine, a movie about a transgender sex worker who discovers her boyfriend and pimp has been cheating on her, and his latest, The Florida Project, about a young mom who resorts to prostitution to take care of her daughter. The Florida Project seemed so real that people have actually called the motel where the movie took place, asking how the characters were doing.    Chris gives us a look into his career journey thus far and insight about how the movies came to be.   Host and Producer: Karla Stephens-Tolstoy Editor and Co-Producer: Joel at East Coast Radio Creative   StandUp SpeakUp Teens @ Risk Collecti

Why does someone get involved in the criminal world? What makes someone interested in joining a motorcycle gang known for brutal activity? In this episode we tell the story of one man who was let down by the Quebec foster care system growing up, and followed his anger down a very dark path. He looks back on his days in the Mongols Motorcycle Club, as he struggles to create a new life on the other side. Executive Producer: Karla Stephens Tolstoy Producer + Original Sound Design: Drew Penner ​Voice: Marc Oliver ​Music: DJ Philosophy ​“Watery,” “4th Kind,” and “Distance,” our track of the week. -Tanner Feehan (aka Philosophy) is an L.A. musician who has moved to Canada’s West Coast to pursue music production, and was kind enough to lend us a track to go with the story. You can check out his Dropping Knowledge radio show on CFUV 101.9 FM in Victoria, Saturday nights at 7 p.m. ​Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/phil0s0phy​ Radio show: http://cfuv.uvic.ca/cms/?show=dropping-knowledge Bernardo de la Torre – “Boxing Day,” and “Boxing Day v.2” -Bernie is a musician who moved from Guadalajara, Mexico to British Columbia, where he makes music and loves exploring the outdoors. Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bernieff Frequency Horizon “Biker Gang Escape Theme,” “Skip the Prospect Stage,” “Bop on the Head,” “Piano and Horn Muscle,” “Messed Up Bells,” “Fam Seeking / Finding." Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/frequencyhorizon ​Image: Composite by Drew Penner featuring inspiration/art from ​meddygarnet (Flickr), Eric Birdman and DR.KNUDSON. Drew Penner is a journalist based in California whose work has appeared in publications including the Globe and Mail, the Calgary Hearld and the Victoria Times Colonist. He also produces the Frequency Horizon podcast (soundcloud.com/frequencyhorizon) and loves surfing, hiking and random adventures.