Episode 147: The Bed and The Shower

May 31, 2017

“Those minutes where I am alone, just me and my pillow. I think. A lot. I think about everything, anything. It varies from ‘What am I doing with my life?’ to ‘Did I have homework?’ The room is so silent, but my mind is so loud. It drives me crazy because the things I would never think about, I think about. Sometimes, I hate it because it brings up things I rather never think about again. The split second before sleep is the most active second of my life.”

— Sylvia Plath

Many of us point to people, stories or experiences that really make us think or open our minds. But how often do we go to spaces or habits and rituals to actually deviate from the typical or mundane thoughts we have? This week we welcome Liam Leonard-Solis to examine this idea by looking specifically at the bed and the shower as spaces where many of us have time alone at the beginnings and ends of our days. How might that solitude offer us a freer space for thinking? What could we draw from these places and apply elsewhere in our lives?

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Episode 146: The Hurtful and The Critical

May 24, 2017

“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

— Ira Glass

In living our lives and putting our experiences, creations and selves into the world, we also draw attention for various types of scrutiny and critique. While it's certainly valuable to have feedback - ideally constructively so - many people take an aggressive or hostile tone under the guise of criticism. This week we're joined by Amy Young to explore the distinctions between "the critical" and "the hurtful". How might typical human tendencies presume input to be negative when that may not be intended? How could we avoid the discomfort that many of us associate with criticism by proactively seeking it out? Are there certain figures or relationships which permit criticism more openly or with lower potential for conflict than others?

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Episode 145: Cross-Artistic Inspiration

May 17, 2017

Many of us who pursue artistic or creative passions look to those who have succeeded in a particular field. Writers inspire the linguistically-inclined, musicians often look to top artists and bands for a model of creative success. But what about the possibility of drawing inspiration across artistic disciplines? This week we speak with Jibri McLean about the phenomenon and discuss the foundations of his creative drive. How does self-confidence help cultivate a sense of personal and artistic liberty? What are the foundations of artistic inspiration that touch something profoundly human?

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Episode 144: The Impact of Best Friends

May 10, 2017

As we get to know other people, we gradually filter them into distinct boxes or categories. Some we associate with work, recreation or competition. One particular social category worthy of further examination is the idea of a best friend. What makes someone a best friend? Is this title always applied mutually between or among groups of friends? How do these particular individuals shape our lives and growth. This week, we're joined by Jack Quigley to examine how we choose or evaluate friendships that may fall under this label. How do our preferences for best friends change as we grow older?

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Episode 143: "Can Democracy Stop Terrorism?"

May 3, 2017

“Democracy must be our answer to terrorism.”

— Angela Merkel

“Democracy is necessary to peace and to undermining the forces of terrorism”

— Benazir Bhutto

“But this begs a fundamental question: Is it true that the more democratic a country becomes, the less likely it us to produce terrorists and terrorist groups?”

— F. Gregory Gause III in Foreign Affairs magazine, September/October 2005 issue.

Since the September 11th terror attacks, the United States has continued to wage a "war on terror". It has been the catalyst for numerous political and ideological shifts around the globe over the past sixteen years and reflects a turning point of sorts. It is important to examine, given attacks in recent years, how democracy plays into the topic of terrorism. This week we're joined by Sam Whipple to look at a 2005 article by F. Gregory Gause III entitled "Can Democracy Stop Terrorism?" and to explore the role democracies play in combating 21st century terrorism. How are democracies organized in ways that prove especially vulnerable to terrorist aims? How does terrorism take advantages of the freedoms permitted under democracy?

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