Episode 23: The Concept of Friendliness

January 28, 2015

“We try to be real nice and friendly to people, but sometimes they take advantage of that.”

— Layne Staley

“It is easy enough to be friendly to one’s friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.”

— Mahatma Gandhi

In this episode, we discuss "friendliness" as an idea which refers to strategic kindness and sympathy shown towards others primarily out of interest in social standing rather than genuine concern. We discuss how this phenomenon, conceived by Michael Moffatt, an anthropology professor at Rutgers in the 1980's, operates and what validity we ascribe to it.

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Episode 22: Ideas of Home

January 28, 2015

“When you finally go back to your old home, you find it wasn’t the old home you missed but your childhood.”

— Sam Ewing

“Never make your home in a place. Make a home for yourself inside your own head. You’ll find what you need to furnish it - memory, friends you can trust, love of learning, and other such things. That way it will go with you wherever you journey.”

— Tad Williams

In this episode, we discuss some of our memories of home, how we define "home" as a place and as a set of ideas. We also consider how changes in environments affect our perceptions of home and what we seek in a home.

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Episode 21: Introductions to Music

January 22, 2015

“Remember the first time you went to a show and saw your favorite band. You wore their shirt, and sang every word. You didn’t know anything about scene politics, haircuts, or what was cool. All you knew was that this music made you feel different from anyone you shared a locker with. Someone finally understood you. This is what music is about.”

— Gerard Way

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.”

— Plato

In this episode, we wanted to discuss our introductions to music, how our musical tastes developed and how we pursue new music and share our favorites with others.

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Episode 20: Video Game Protagonists

January 14, 2015

“I’m interested in flawed protagonists. I was raised on them.”

— Laura Dern

“Over time, it’s occurred to me that my protagonists all originate in some aspect of myself that I find myself questioning or feeling uncomfortable about.”

— Julia Glass

Given our shared love of and interest in video games, we wanted to begin talking about some of their characteristics and so we chose to first examine the characters we control - protagonists in video games. We discuss some of our favorites as well as how we relate to or sympathize with them.

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Episode 19: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

January 8, 2015

“Something wonderful begins to happen with the simple realization that life, like an automobile, is driven from the inside out, not the other way around. As you focus more on becoming more peaceful with where you are, rather than focusing on where you would rather be, you begin to find peace right now, in the present. Then, as you move around, try new things, and meet new people, you carry that sense of inner peace with you. It’s absolutely true that, “Wherever you go, there you are.”

— Richard Carlson

In this episode, we give a reading of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and discuss some topics which Dr. Carlson mentions in his book, focusing on patience, listening in humility. If you are interested in getting the book for yourself, we've included some links below.

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