PODCAST · society
Parallel Barking
by Larry and Arianna Backer
*Will return with new episodes in the New Year!* A dad and daughter talking about topics that tend to divide many of us--and sometimes finding common ground. Sometimes. You will hear barking. The barking you hear may sound in parallel but is more likely to be all over the place, but rest assured, you are probably listening to human voices.
Episodes
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Three Ivy League Presidents vs Congress on Antisemitism
Presidents of Harvard, Penn and MIT were questioned about rising antisemitism on college campuses at a House committee hearing on Tuesday, December 5th. The biggest backlash stems from the question that asked whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the university code of conduct.…
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Weaponizing Migrants: Russia Diverting Asylum-Seekers to Finland
In attempts to destabilize the West, Russia and its allies have been using migrants as pawns. After Russia invaded Ukraine and Finland joined NATO, it is clear that this "hybrid [type] warfare" combined with disinformation is becoming the norm.
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Bing AI Thinks Women are X-Rated
Try typing both "photorealistic image of man" and "photorealistic image of woman" into Bing AI and you'll get the image of a man right away -- for woman, not so much. Instead, you'll get an error message saying that the content you requested is inappropriate/explicit.
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Fake AI Images of Israel-Hamas Conflict Served up by Adobe Stock Photo Service
The problem with selling fake photos is that people may not know they are fake. Blatant deception seems to be the name of the game and if money is involved, then it's open season.
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Modern Warfare: Hacktivists on the Rise in Israel-Gaza Conflict
Hacktivists are hitting dozens of government websites and media outlets amid the war in Israel and Gaza, disrupting and overloading targeted systems. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, prominent hacktivist groups like "Anonymous Sudan" and "Killnet" that back Russian interests have emerged;...
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Danish Artist 'Takes the Money and Runs'
A Danish artist was given a load of money to recreate his artwork for an exhibit on labor relations at the Kunsten Museum in Aalborg. The earlier pieces featured bank notes pasted to canvases in the amount of the average annual wage in Denmark. This time artst Jens Haaning submitted two white...
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Coup in Niger
On July 26th, Niger's president Mohammed Bazoum was ousted by his own presidential guards. The official stated reasoning was worsening security due to continued violent attacks from jihadist groups in the region. Now a majority of the Sahel is under military control. What is really going on?
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Microsoft - Activision Blizzard Deal
It has been a few days since both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King extended their deadline until October of this year. Although the FTC had voiced their intent to file an appeal with the 9th circuit court, things seem to be cooling down relatively speaking. The last hold-out on the global...
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Ukraine and NATO
Allies have stated that Ukraine can join NATO when Ukraine has met specific "conditions." After voicing concerns over the vague lack of timeframe and vague conditions, Zelensky left the NATO summit in Vilnius feeling it a relative success.
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NJ Man Cuts Down Neighbors' Trees and Fined $2 million
This story, more than anything, is about perceived privilege and what it can do to one's critical thinking skills. A man who wanted a pristine view of the NYC skyline decided that the possible fines incurred by illegally trespassing and cutting down neighbors' trees would be less than (in money…
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Lab-Grown Meat Approved by USDA
If you've been following the alternative-meat news lately, then you won't be too surprised to hear that a new alternative has been recently developed for market consumption: cell-cultivated or lab-grown chicken. Would you eat it?
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Titanic Tourist Submarine Gone Missing - What do we Do?
The submersible, also named the Titan, owned by tourist/deep-see exploration comapny OceanGate Expeditions, had a total 96 hour oxygen supply when it set off on its voyage on 6 a.m. Sunday, June 18th, with 5 tourists who paid a "mission support fee" of $250,000 each. About an hour and 45 minutes...
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Neuralink, Human Trials and other Brain Computer Interface Tech
Elon Musk's company, Neuralink, recently surpassed a huge hurdle by being approved by the FDA for human trials. Besides being able to make those previously unable to walk, Musk's long-term goal for the company is to be a bridge between AI and the human mind in an attempt to mitigate threats that...
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Acceptable Discrimination?
There's been an increase in the number of anti-discrimination bills being released throughout the United States and one thing that is common among all of them is that they are very specific about the types of discrimination that should not be permitted and in what arenas. This, of course, begs…
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Let's Get Naked!
So, we have an art exhibit in France where you must strip down naked to enter, followed by a drink and chat. The aim of the macLYON exhibit is to challenge the notion from Rene Descartes that "I think, therefore I am," but instead we are above our bodies. Next, we have a German landlord who…
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AI Used to Write Laws
An Alaska legislator has used the Microsoft Bing AI co-pilot to write a bill to legalize gambling on ferries. After waiting months for the state Legislature's lawyers to draft the bill, Representative Jesse Sumner (R – Wasilla) turned to AI for assistance. So, who really writes the laws? Where do...
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Designing Women: States Guiding Gender Norms
It seems like everyone has something to say about how others should conduct themselves. This is most visible recently in states' desire to shape traditional gender roles, values, beliefs, through legislation. We see it in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United States: laws dictating dress code…
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US Moving to Ban TikTok
After a 5-hour hearing with its CEO, Shou Zi Chew, regarding national security concerns, the US House of Representatives is moving forward with legislation to ban the social media app TikTok. Soon after the hearing, some of the US's more than 150million users took to the app to make fun of more...
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Gwyneth Paltrow and Rectal Ozone Therapy
In an interview with podcast "The Art of Being Well" the 50-year-old Oscar Winner discussed using the "very helpful" therapy. In a semi continuation of our previous episode, we explore the impetus behind the creation and use of alternative therapies.
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Miracle Drugs by Accident
A popular drug originally meant for something else but now being used for a potential fountain of youth? Listen in to hear more about it. And you can't forget about Ozempic.
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AI Policing the Welfare State
The city of Rotterdam provides welfare benefits for their residents every year, usually to about 30,000 individuals and families. Between 2017 and 2021, the city used a machine learning algorithm to generate a risk-based score for all residents to judge the probability of committing fraud. The...
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Roald Dahl Rewrites are all about the Money
Literary censorship is nothing new but it is certainly getting new press attention as news hit that the Roald Dahl Store Company agreed to change the author's stories to comply with modern sensitivity standards. Famous works like 'Matilda' and 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' have been changed...
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AI Singularity - is it Closer than We Think?
With the increased use of AI throughout society, AI singularity--or the concept of an event where artificial intelligence evolves to a point where it is either self-aware or can improve beyond human comprehension/capabilities--has become a hot topic of discussion. Until recently, however, we...
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World Migration in the 21st Century
According to the United Nations World Migration Report, the number of international migrants was estimated to be around 281 million globally in 2020. COVID-19 has drastically altered the migration and mobility of people around the world in the past two years -- including impacting information...
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Energy Crisis in South Africa - is Stage 8 Next?
South Africa has been mired in economic and social problems stemming from years of corruption. Making it worse is the energy crisis that began in earnest in 2007, once "loadshedding" became part of the institutional lexicon. Loadshedding is a term used to describe scheduled blackouts across the...
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Corporate Complicity in Products used for Russo-Ukranian War
Welcome to Season 4 of Parallel Barking!! Thanks for sticking with us. An intelligence assessment by Ukranian experts found that an Iranian-made attack drone had parts made by at least a dozen US companies (and other Western nations' companies). The technology ranges from smaller semiconductors,...
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Cambridge Dictionary Updates Definitions of 'Man' and 'Woman' & Standford Releases Harmful Language List
Ah, language, ever evolving, it always manages to spark debate. This time the tea is all about how we interpret the words 'man' and 'woman'. This is the last episode of season 3 -- thanks everyone for a great year and we'll see you in 2023!
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Sexy Time: Sex Laws in the U.S., Indonesia, & Singapore
Usually, we think of spring as the season of 'love', but it seems governmental entities have a different idea. Recently the U.S., Indonesia and Singapore all passed new laws protecting or criminalizing people's most intimate activities. Each country handles it differently, sometimes radically.
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Climate Change Compensation - UN's COP27 Summit
The creation of a 'loss and damage' fund was negotiated at the UN COP27 Summit in Egypt at the end of November. The nations who'll benefit from the funds are largely from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. These countries are projected to be worst-affected by rising...
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Iran Protests and FIFA
Co-hosts Larry and Arianna discuss the most recent updates on the protests in Iran, the World Cup and how it all connects together.
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China's Top Legislative Body updates its Gender Laws
China’s top legislative body has updated its gender laws to introduce a new list of moral standards for women. On Sunday, the National People's Congress passed an amendment to the decades-old Women’s Rights and Interests Protection Act to ensure women uphold “family values.” The opening chapter,...
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US Mid-Term Election Results: What does it all mean?
Your hosts Arianna and Larry look at the results of the race and give the low-down. What's up next for US domestic and foreign affairs? For now, it's still up in the air.
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Elections as Affirmation of Liberal Democracy
US mid-term elections are done as of 11/8/2022. One of the most important aspects of the apex performance of liberal democracy is the election. It serves as a periodic affirmation of the continued legitimacy of the state apparatus into which representatives are elected. It follows that the...
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Halloween Tragedy unfolds during Celebration in Itaewon South Korea
Itaewon has become a popular location to celebrate Halloween since early 2000, so much so that tourists come from all over the world to join in the festivities. This year was no exception because it was the first year after the pandemic, with all restrictions lifted. No one was thinking that this...
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Russians Kill Ukrainian Orchestra Conductor after he Refuses to Perform
In occupied Kherson, Yuri Kerpatenko — who was the chief conductor of the Kherson Philharmonic, refused to perform in the celebration of what was being termed the "improvement of peaceful life.” He was then shot in his Kherson home by Russian soldiers. The discovery of his murder was on October...
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OPEC Reduces Oil Production by 2 Million Barrels per Day Despite Pressure to Pump More
On 10/5/2022, OPEC and non-OPEC producers decided to cut oil production to shore up prices. The price of oil is now $80 a barrel from more than $120 in early June amid growing fears about the prospect of a global economic recession.
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Protests in Iran Rage into National Uprising
Protests ignited by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained by the country's morality police. Security forces are using deadly force to suppress protestors and the situation is bleak--shots continually firing between security forces and protestors, children dying in their parents'...
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TNT used to Sabotage Natural Gas Nord Stream Pipelines
The pipelines at this point have leaked a record-breaking amount of methane. Leaks were reported as early as Monday, September 26. While international experts attempt to determine the cause of the leak, debates about the cause swirl around the political world. The pipeline itself is responsible…
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Russia's Declared Annexation of Four Ukraine Regions and Condemnation from the West
It appears Putin is changing strategies in his war efforts. After confirming Thursday that it will annex about 15% of Ukraine, Russia had an official ceremony in the Kremlin on Friday September 30, to incorporate the regions into "the motherland." At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr...
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French Government Using AI to Find Un-Registered Swimming Pools
As an homage to summer, we give you this story about France using satellite images to find and tax un-registered swimming pools. Thanks to good 'ol machine learning, aerial photos provided by the French Geological and Forestry Service can be used to uncover homeowners' un-declared pools. What…
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Copyright, Public Domain & Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
Winnie the Pooh from 100-Acre Wood is getting a horror adaptation with Blood and Honey. The rights to the character, originally created by A.A. Milne, have been owned by Walt Disney since 1966. But in January 2022, the beloved children's book character became public domain and so work began on…
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Montana Adopts Permanent Block to Changes on Birth Certificates
In the midst of the ACLU asking a Montana judge to strike down anti-trans birth certificate rule, which at first required a person to undergo sex-change surgery before being allowed to change their birth certificate, Montana passes a bill that makes it impossible to change your birth certificate...
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AI-Generated Art Wins Art Contest, 'Human' Artists Irate
This has happened in the past -- an age-old story of technology infiltrating an industry traditionally honed through human physical skill, and the artisans that have spent years painstakingly practicing their craft fearing the end of their reign. It happened when Photography and digital…
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Daughter of 'Putin's Rasputin' Killed in Car Bomb Last Week
Darya Dugina, daughter of ultranationalist Russian idealogue and commentator Aleksandr Dugin, was killed in a Moscow car bomb last week. Russia has sought to pin the blame on Ukraine; however, the lines of guilt are not clear. Others, like author Anders Aslund, say that it is likely that Putin…
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Artificial Intelligence Writes Paper About Itself
After the AI bot GPT-3 successfully writes a scientific paper about itself, the scientist behind the whole thing wonders if she opened a Pandora's box. The answer -- of course! And that's what's so awesome about it! Let's chat.
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Facebook Provides Authorities with User's Private DMs to Help Prosecute in an Abortion Case
This discussion is about privacy and what large corporations are doing with our data. Facebook's cooperation in the case raises concerns about surveillance and obligation. Listen-in to see where you land in the debate.
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Texas Gov Greg Abbott Busses Thousands of Migrants to East Coast Cities
Since April, Abbott has already dispatched more than 6,500 migrants to Washington D.C. and vows to make NYC's Port Authority Terminal a drop-off location for his ongoing busing strategy. This is a protest, and the Governor has stated as much, saying “Because of President Biden’s continued refusal...
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Elon Musk & Twitter
Larry and Arianna talk about Elon Musk and the pending deal with Twitter, along with some of his other escapades.
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Walgreens Allows Employees to Refuse to Sell Condoms etc. to Customers based on Religious Beliefs
A couple tried to buy some condoms at a Walgreens but was told by the cashier that he would not complete the transaction. Walgreens refused to pursue disciplinary action because the employee did not transgress any rules. Arianna and Larry discuss the situation.
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Pregnant Texas Woman Fights HOV Ticket after Roe v. Wade Overturned
Brandy Bottone, 32, said her unborn baby should count as a second passenger in her vehicle after she received a ticket, citing Texas' penal code in the wake of Roe v. Wade's being overturned.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
*Will return with new episodes in the New Year!* A dad and daughter talking about topics that tend to divide many of us--and sometimes finding common ground. Sometimes. You will hear barking. The barking you hear may sound in parallel but is more likely to be all over the place, but rest assured, you are probably listening to human voices.
HOSTED BY
Larry and Arianna Backer
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Parallel Barking have?
Parallel Barking currently has 87 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Parallel Barking about?
*Will return with new episodes in the New Year!* A dad and daughter talking about topics that tend to divide many of us--and sometimes finding common ground. Sometimes. You will hear barking. The barking you hear may sound in parallel but is more likely to be all over the place, but rest assured,...
How often does Parallel Barking release new episodes?
Parallel Barking has 87 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Parallel Barking?
You can listen to Parallel Barking on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Parallel Barking?
Parallel Barking is created and hosted by Larry and Arianna Backer.
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