Problem Solvers...ish

So, the campaign season that is Monkey House 2016 is in high gear. Unfortunately, so is the Facebook vitriol that keeps showing up in your feed! These people are your friends, right? Or, at least they were back in April, before everybody lost all sense of political proportion. Artists rendering of what political discourse might look like if all this recent Facebook vitriol took place in physical gathering places, such as cafés, instead of in “the cyber” of social media, (by Manuel Cabral y Aguado Bejarano). Facebook vitriol — To Mute or Not to Mute…or just unfriend completely? No question about it, your friends’ timelines have become minefields of emotional volatility! Everybody has their political cows, and cannot tolerate an udder opinion. Should we “mute” the voices that make us cringe until November? Unfriend them completely now that we know what kind of ideological Neanderthals they are? Or just take the social high ground and expose ourselves to the sloppy curds and whey that is the rich plurality of this great nation? Seth and Lex may have an idea or two. It might even be on topic… What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line! The post Problem Solvers…ish #17: Political Cows and Facebook Vitriol appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

So, you’re invited over to watch the big game with a pack of armchair athletes—what fun, right? Alcohol, grub, and lots, and lots of explosive volume. Can’t you just smell the testosterone (and maybe a fair share of estrogen) in the air? The pre-game show is buzzing in the background, and the den is shoulder to shoulder on the couches with raving fans. So what’s the problem? Your host just said the Celtics are looking good this season, and you responded, “Yeah! They’re one helluva hockey team!” Whoops. Not the best way to start off game day. Game Day Blues — Go to be sociable, stay to torture yourself. You don’t know anything about sports. You’ll watch a game if you must, but you really want to sneak off somewhere NOT populated by bellowing spectators. Is that someone in the kitchen playing a board game? How can you be a good guest and yet not spend three or four hours hiding both your lack of knowledge AND interest in the game. This problem seems surprisingly well-suited for our compassionate duo! What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line! Save Save Save The post Problem Solvers…ish #16: Game Day Awkwardness appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

Some problems strike at the very essence of living! Eating healthy takes time, money, and planning. Eating crap is quick and easy. That garbage is jumping into your mouth before the bag is half open! I wonder how our stalwart problem solvers…ish will help our struggling listener find his or her way to culinary bliss and balance? Are you eating healthy and getting your recommended daily servings of artificial, yet convincing, foods? Eating Healthy — Binge as I say, not as I spew. Here’s the problem: we all know that we should be eating more fruits and vegetables. But eight servings of produce a day? Who the hell do they think they’re freaking kidding? I don’t even know if my colon could take that much fiber… So be like Seth and Lex! Come up with some combination of junk food, punctuated with an occasional nutritious nugget, and smothered in the sweet sauce of rationalization. You’ll live longer (than if you ate nothing at all) and be healthier (than if you ate exclusively by dumpster-diving through the biohazard bins at the hospital loading dock)! What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line! Save Save Save Save Save Save The post Problem Solvers…ish #15: Eating Healthy (Healthily? Healthfully?) Is Hard! appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

Part 2 of our series, “The Shattered Shield” examines the way institutionalized racism subtly, sometimes subconsciously, guides official action leading to dire consequences. Tracey Benson, former principal of Pittsfield High School (still image from video interview by We Are Pittsfield). Today is Sunday, September 11, 2016. I’m your host, Jason Velazquez, and I do thank you for tuning in to Episode 35 of the Top Left Corner. This installment of the show features a tragic continuation of a conversation that I had with Tracey Benson, who was first a guest on this show in April of 2015 in advance of his MCLA appearance with Veronica Benavides. That public discussion revealed the outcome of their case study, “Letters from Ferguson: A Community’s Response to Race and Racism.” Benson, the former Pittsfield High School principal Tracey Benson, left the Berkshires to pursue his Ph. D. at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is now an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. The video below of a panel discussion of the Askwith Forum at the Harvard Graduate School of Education entitled, “Ferguson and Beyond: Educational Strategies to Address Racism and Social Injustice” is well worth watching. Our most recent exchange came immediately after the deaths of Alton Brown on July 5th and Philandro Castile on July 6th at the hands of police officers. As the nation reeled from the heartbreaking video footage of these events, we spoke, of course, about the real and terrifying possibility of fatal citizen interactions with police. Racism, Fear at the heart of many police-involved shootings Primarily, however, we focused our attention on the root causes of such horrors—systemic racism that begins to damage the lives of people of color at an extremely young age. Growing up in an outrageously segregated city, Benson, was able to inspect racial attitudes from a number of different viewpoints. As an educator, he has been well-positioned to witness the present-day outcomes of official, unofficial, and subconscious policy. As an African-American adult and father, he has good reason to wonder if he should even hope that confronting prejudice and fear will begin to address a frighteningly escalating national tension. Either society finds a way to slow the death rate of people who die more for what they look like than for what they were doing, or another generation of parents will have little choice but to train their children from a young age how to appear as harmless and subservient possible as they go about innocent activities. The release of this episode has, truthfully, been on hold for far too long. The reasons for this delay are many and varied—none of them weighty enough, however, to justify keeping this episode from airing another day. To those listeners who have been expecting Part II of this series, “The Shattered Shield,” and especially to Tracey Benson himself, I apologize for the wait. The release of this episode on September 11 is purely coincidental. The main impetus that drove me to finalize production was actually the nightmarish death of 29-year-old activist Darren Seals, who gained national attention in the weeks and months following the police killing of Michael Brown. In the early morning hours of Tuesday, September 6, police pulled Seals’ body from a car that had been a blazing inferno just minutes earlier. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death, however, was a gunshot wound to the head, execution-style. Knowing of the important research performed by Tracey Benson in Ferguson, and knowing that he worked intimately with people in the city, perhaps even Darren Seals, I knew that I had to release this episode before another weekend passed. And while it is true that the release of this episode today has no direct connection to the anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, it should be noted that according to the FBIs own estimates, well over 7,000 Americans have been killed by law enforcement officers since 2001. Regardless of how many of those deaths can be justified by the circumstances, that number is still twice that of those who died on 9/11. Tracey Benson soberly predicted that more people would die as a result of interactions with police in the weeks following our conversation. I wonder if he would have guessed that body count would rise to 175 since we spoke in July, according to the Guardian’s running tally, “The Counted.” With that, I hope this conversation provides both food for thought and fuel for action. Enjoy. From Tracey Benson’s Bio at the University of North Carolina Tracey Benson is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. He received his Ed.D in Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Masters of School Administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He has served as a principal coach, high school principal, middle school vice-principal, district trainer, proficiency specialist, and elementary school teacher. His research focuses on implementing operational systems of principal growth and development. Benson built a contemporary approach to supporting principal growth and development for pre-service principals as well as sitting school leaders for the Houston Independent School District. He also prepares school leaders to use data as a means of tackling inequities and structural racism in K-12 education. To this end, he has published case studies specifically for the purpose of uncovering vestiges of structural racism in K-12 school systems. Benson firmly believes that student achievement, teacher efficacy, and school success is contingent upon high quality, equity-focused school and district leaders. He has committed his career to leading for change, courageously addressing entrenched practices that impede lifetime outcomes of students of color, and coaching leaders towards implementing anti-racist policies and curriculum in K – 12 schools. Area(s) of Interest and Research: Understanding racialized context in which educators operate and systems alignment and equity in access and outcomes. Save Save Save The post Top Left Corner #34: The Prejudice We Deny, the Racism that Kills appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

Graphic created with “Problem,” by Ryan Jay Crisostomo (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons and “Cloud to Ground Lightning in Norman, Oklahoma” (Public Domain via the NOAA Photo Library)Not content to completely and utterly solve one listener’s problem in a mere 20-30 minutes, this week Seth and Lex have declared a Lightning Round, where they will tackle numerous problems from numerous listeners in the course of numerous minutes and hey numerous doesn’t even sound like a word any more. Is numerous humorous? As long as it’s not numerous tumerous! Faster Than A Bleeding Spullet How is it that Lex and Seth can solve so many problems, so swiftly, so incompletely, so preposterously? Well, this week the problems poured in through all the social media: Twitter, Facebook, Buttbook, Arm Magazine, Toes Quarterly, and Guy Shouting Outside Lex’s Window. At least one of these is a lie. But that still puts us at a much better percentage than this year’s presidential candidates. Your takeaway should be, Leth and Sex offer fast-acting relief targeted to your problem. Well, so far it’s been targeted to someone else’s problem, because you didn’t call or write in yet. But you can change all that! Just leave us a voice mail and we’ll solve your problem in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. And you don’t even have to mail us a lamb! We do it for ewe.   What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line! Save Save The post Problem Solvers…ish #14: Lightning Round of Troubles! appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

“Hamilton” is the hottest musical in the country right now, and it has been that way for months. Proving that they are not only first class problem solvers, but also first-world problem solvers, Lex and Seth tackle the very serious and tragic issue of not being able to get Hamilton tickets. Daveed Diggs, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, and Lin-Manuel Miranda of “Hamilton,” 2014–2015 Season, Public Theater (photo by Joan Marcus). The official word on “Hamilton” tickets from the Richard Rodgers Theater: “Currently, tickets to Hamilton on Broadway are extremely limited. Please enter your email below for updates, and be the first to know when new tickets are available.” Hip Hop Don’t Stop Sure, you may not be able to get Hamilton tickets right now, but your odds are quite decent of getting them later. Or heck, if Hamilton is a national treasure, then maybe Nicholas Cage will save it for everyone. No, we mean, if Hamilton is a national treasure, then maybe it will be put on display for the public free of charge, just like the national treasures in the Smithsonian and in my kitchen. Hey, get out of my kitchen. Hey, you, get off of my lawn! Anyway, even if you don’t end up seeing Hamilton in the near future, listening to Problem Solvers …Ish will still give you plenty of rhymes, and occasional insults towards historical figures. And it’s as cheap as free! AND check out this embryonic rap that gave the world a taste of things to come: https://www.greylockglass.com/podcasts/problemsolvers/051209_Poetry_LinManuelMiranda.mp4 Writer and star of the Broadway musical “In the Heights,” Lin-Manuel Miranda performs “The Hamilton Mixtape” at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word on May 12, 2009. Accompanied by Alex Lacamoire. 4:27 (Public Domain video). What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line! About “Hamilton” From the creative team behind the In The Heights comes HAMILTON, a new musical about the scrappy young immigrant who forever changed America: Alexander Hamilton. Tony and Grammy Award winner Lin – Manuel Miranda wields his pen and takes the stage as the unlikely founding father determined to make his mark on a new nation as hungry and ambitious as he. From bastard orphan to Washington’s right hand man, rebel to war hero, loving husband caught in the country’s first sex scandal to Treasury head who made an untrusting world believe in the American economy, HAMILTON is an exploration of a political mastermind. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Eliza Hamilton, and lifelong Hamilton friend and foe, Aaron Burr, all attend this revolutionary tale of America’s fiery past told through the sounds of the ever – changing nation we’ve become. Tony Award nominee Thomas Kail directs and Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler choreographs this new musical about taking your shot, speaking your mind, and turning the world upside down. HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins ; costume design by Paul Tazewell; lighting design by Howell Binkley; sound design by Nevin Steinberg; hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe; music direction and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire; and choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler. About Lin – Manuel Miranda Lin – Manuel Miranda (Book, Music, and Lyrics/Alexander Hamilton ) is the Tony and Grammy award-winning composer – lyricist – star of Broadway’s “In the Heights.” In the Heights received four 2008 Tony Awards (including Best Musical, Best Orchestrations, Best Choreography), with Miranda receiving a Tony Award for Best Score, as well as a nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. “In the Heights” was also recognized as a Finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Miranda is the co – composer (with Tom Kitt), and co-lyricist (wit h Amanda Green) of Broadway’s “Bring it On: The Musical” (2013 Tony nom., Best Musical, 2013 Drama Desk nom., Best Lyrics in a Musical). Miranda contributed new songs to the revival of Stephen Schwartz’ “Working” and provided Spanish translations for the 2009 Broadway revival of “West Side Story.” Miranda, along with Kitt, won the 2014 Creative Arts Emmy for Best Original Music and Lyrics for their work on the 67th Annual Tony Awards. As an actor, Miranda appeared in the City Center Encores! productions of “Merrily We Roll Along” (Charley Kringas), and “tick, tick… BOOM!” (Jonathan). He is a co – founder and member of Freestyle Love Supreme , an improvisational hip – hop group that will launch a self – titled television series in October 2014 on Pivot TV. Additional TV and film credits include “The Electric Company,” “Sesame Street,” “The Sopranos,” “House,” “Modern Family,” “Do No Harm,” “Smash,” “How I Met Your Mother,” The Sex and the City Movie, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, and 200 Cartas. About Thomas Kail Thomas Kail ( Director ). His Broadway credits include “In the Heights” (Tony nomination for Best Director) ; and two new plays, “Lombardi” and “Magic Bird.” His Off – Broadway credits include “In the Heights” (Callaway Award, Drama Desk nom., Outer Critics nom.); at New York City Center Randy Newman’s Faust and “The Wiz;” Lincoln Center Theater’s “Broke-ology” and “When I Come to Die;” The Flea Theater’s “Family Furniture” (Drama Desk Nom.); and Second Stage Uptown’s “The Tutors.” Other credits include Williamstown Theater Festival’s “Broke-ology;” Paper Mill Playhouse’s “Once on this Island;” and the National Tour of “In the Heights.” He is the co – creator and director of the hip – hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme, which played the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, US Comedy Arts Festival, Montreal Comedy Festival and Melbourne Comedy Festival. He served as the Creative Director of the 2012, 2013 & 2014 Webby Awards. For television he directed episodes of “2 Broke Girls”; “Oprah Winfrey’s 2010 Primetime Oscar Special” for ABC; the pilot episode of “ Storymakers” for AMC; and he served as Co – Music Director and consulting producer on first season of PBS show “ The Electric Company”. He is the Executive Producer and Co – Creator of new TV Series “Freestyle Love Supreme” for Pivot; and he is the recipient of the Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center and is a graduate of Wesleyan University, CT. About Andy Blakenbuehler Andy Blakenbuehler ( Choreography )’s Broadway credits include “In The Heights” (Tony, Outer Critics, Drama Desk Awards), “Bring It On,” “9 To 5,” “The People In The Picture,” “The Apple Tree,” “Annie,” “The Wiz” (City Center Encores). Regionally his credits include “FLY” (Dallas Theatre Center), “Desperately Seeking Susan” (West End), “A Little Princess” (Andrew Lippa), “Joseph” (National tour). Upcoming projects include “Only Gold” with British singer/songwriter Kate Nash. About Jeffrey Seller Jeffrey Seller is the winner of three Tony Awards for Best Musical: “Rent” (1996), “Avenue Q” (2004) and “In The Heights” (2008). Additional productions include “De La Guarda,” Andrew Lippa’s “The Wild Party,” “La Boheme,” the 2009 revival of “West Side Story,” and this season’s “The Last Ship.” As director his credits include “Fly” (2013) at Dallas Theater Center. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan. About Sander Jacobs Sander Jacobshas been represented on Broadway with the Tony Award-winning Best Musical “In The Heights” and the Tony Award-nominated “West Side Story” revival. Jacobs has served as a co-producer and/or investor for numerous Broadway, national and international productions, with a selection of theatre’s most celebrated and critically-acclaimed musicals including “Les Miserables,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” Follies and “The Last Ship.” About Jill Furman Jill Furmanreceived the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical for “In The Heights.” Other Broadway credits include Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” “The Heiress,” “Seminar,” “West Side Story,” “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “Sly Fox” and “Fortune’s Fool.” Off – Broadway her credits include “On The Line” and “Adult Entertainment.” Furman executive produced the Pivot television series “Freestyle Love Supreme, ” starring the hip – hop improv group of the same name, and also produces the live version of the show. In 2011, Furman received the Robert Whitehead Award for Outstanding Achievement in Commercial Theatre Producing. She is a member of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. About The Public Theater Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public Theater is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare, the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the Company engages audiences in a variety of venues — including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe’s Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to its beloved, free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City’s five boroughs. The Public’s wide range of programming includes free Shakespeare i n the Park, the bedrock of the Company’s dedication to making theater accessible to all; Public Works, a new initiative that is designed to cultivate new connections and new models of engagement with artists, audiences and the community each year; new and experimental stagings at The Public at Astor Place, including Public Lab; and a range of artist and audience development initiatives including its Public Forum series, which brings together theater artists and professionals from a variety of disciplines fo r discussions that shed light on social issues explored in Public productions. The Public Theater is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; and in October 2012 t he landmark building downtown at Astor Place was revitalized to physically manifest the Company’s core mission of sparking new dialogues and increasing accessibility for artists and audiences, by dramatically opening up the building to the street and community, and transforming the lobby into a public piazza for artists, students, and audiences. Key elements of the revitalization an expanded and refurbished lobby; the addition of a mezzanine level with a new restaurant lounge, The Library, designed by the Rockwell Group. www.publictheater.org   Save Save Save Save Save Save The post Problem Solvers…ish #13: Hamilton Tickets…or lack thereof. appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

We have been TRYING to contact you by e-mail…but OH WAIT! You’re so swamped that you’re still working your way through your unread messages circa late Winter/early Spring. We feel ya. Stuff builds up FAST! It’s called inbox overload. What can we do to keep up? Let’s ask Seth and Lex!   Ugly e-mail buildup? You need an inbox overload remover… These messages aren’t spam. Whether you’re at home or work, people send you messages because they have questions! Clarifications! Invitations! And lots of other ‘ations. Problem is, there’s only so many hours in a day, and you could spend a lifetime just prioritizing your way through the e-mail inbox overload! HELP! Maybe the Problem Solvers…ish have figured out a way to bibbity-bobbity-boo that inbox into shape! And then maybe you’ll RSVP about that VIP invite we got to the GoT end-of-season party with the cast. Whoops! That was months ago. Too bad! We had a blast. What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line! The post Problem Solvers…ish #12: Inbox Overload appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

The word is Witzelsucht. It’s not a grubbin’ German pasta. And it’s not funny. Well, actually it is kind of funny. When it happens to someone else. But maybe not someone you have to live with. Unless you like an endless supply of puns—good, bad, and nonsensical. But then again, you’re here again, right? So maybe you’re just a little teched, too… Image of brain: Illustration from Manuel de L’anatomiste, by Charles Morel and Mathias Duval, published in 1883, digitally enhanced by Camazine [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons; the brick and stuff? Just crazy shit I put togther. Just when you they’re going to blame it on Witzelsucht… Suffering from a rare joke-inducing brain affliction…yada, yada, yada…Doctors say just nothing to be done but grin and bear it…But no. It’s BAM! Seth and Lex sucker-pun you with a “we don’t care HOW many groan-worthy word-plays we’ve served you; we’re going to keep piling them on your plate and you’re gonna keep swallowing them. Don’t believe me? Check out this article from the BBC about this mental malady that’s keeping sufferers in stitches and their loved ones suffering. Fearless and unapologetic, the Problem Sovlers…ish assure us all that even if a cure is found, the witticisms (and even the half-witticisms) are going to keep coming, dain bramage be damned! By Polygon data were generated by Life Science Databases(LSDB). (Polygon data are from BodyParts3D.[11]) [CC BY-SA 2.1 jp], via Wikimedia Commons What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line! The post Problem Solvers…ish #11: Witzelsucht—What Makes PSI So Darn Punny. appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

THAT’S RIGHT, mumsy and dadsy! I’ve waited too long to come out. This is ME! The REAL ME! And if you’ve got a problem with that, well you can just cram your homophobia where the sun don’t shine! So THERE! Oh…and can I borrow the car tonight? And maybe twenty bucks? Please? NSFW: Seth & Lex ponder the possible comeuppance triggered by come-outance… Hoo-boy! Just a few words, right? How hard can it be? But your hands are clammy and your breath is shallow and you feel this fucked up out-of-body sensation that would be cool at any other time. And you’re sitting across from your folks and now is the PERFECT time to drop the G-bomb: “Mom? Dad? I’m gay.” Come Out Swinging…or singing…or in iambic pentameter or something. Lex and Seth haven’t ever been in this situation themselves, but they feel pretty confident that their advice would work perfectly in some universe, if not our own. And if your preferred method of communication was in rhyming couplets. And if your family was that family in that Twilight Zone episode where everyone was afraid of that creepy little kid who could make shit happen just by imagining it, but in this case the kid would be YOU, and if your parents said even one…harsh…word about your sexuality, you could turn them ALL into…into… Well, that one kinda got away from me. But FEAR NOT! There’s bound to be a seed pearl of wisdom in this episode! And if you find it, please let us know… What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line! The post Problem Solvers…ish #10 — Come Out and Be Your Gay Self! After College, Maybe… appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

CAN our heroes rescue a poor, lost student from the complex pitfalls (and pratfalls) of and American literature classic like George Orwell’s Animal Farm? Can Lex and Seth illuminate the obscurities of illusion (Or was it allusion? Or maybe e-lusion?) constructed to make life murder for a hapless adolescent? In a pig’s eye, I say, but you can dream if you want! NSFW: Seth & Lex plumb the literary depths of a AmLit classic… Today’s problem came in via e-mail from a completely unknown source! What a shame that he knows how to get a hole of us—he may want his money back. Oh, wait! We don’t charge for our -ishy advice! “Animal Farm,” by Joanbanjo (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons All those pigs and sheep and “four legs good” stuff…what the hell did that all mean, anyway, right? Mrs. Dobush is probably still waiting for MY report on George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Decades later, am I any closer to figuring out what all symbolism was symbolic of? Prolly not, so why not let’s give the Problem Solvers…ish a whack at it? I mean, all bad advice is dreadful, but some bad advice is more dreadful than others. What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line! Save Save Save Save Save Save Save The post Problem Solvers…ish #9 — Allusions down on the Animal Farm appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

NSFW: Seth and Lex waste the time of a listener who contacted us to ask how to more time to make valuable use of his life… Today’s problem came in via e-mail from a completely unknown source! What a shame that he knows how to get a hole of us—he may want his money back. Oh, wait! We don’t charge for our ishy advice! Do you remember those halcyon days when you had lots of time to just fritter away? But you didn’t have any money to go do cool stuff? Well, having a job, solves the poverty thing, but…you’re always working…How to solve that work/life (im-)balance The Problem Solvers…ish confront work/life balance injustice HEAD ON, as they set a laser focus on a blurry answer. Sorry to those of you who had better things to do with that 1/2 hour! What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line! Save Save Save The post Problem Solvers…ish #8 — The Time/Money, Work/Life (im-)balance appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

NSFW: Your kids have a lot to gain by working the Santa Claus angle—and the tooth fairy, and the Easter Bunny, and…FLOZZ? Today’s caller presents Seth and Lex with a real doozie of a problem—a crisis of faith, you might say. Can a family be atheist and still incorporate a little childhood mythology into the mix? So many questions…How does Santa Claus get his reindeer to fly? Does the Easter Bunny buy all that candy at the drug store? And where do leprechauns go after St. Patrick’s day—the same place unicorns come from? The Problem Solvers…ish tackle the tricky, sticky question, “Mom? Dad? Is Santa Claus/the Easter Bunny/the Tooth Fairy real?” Hard enough if Christianity is your thing, right? Or if you’re okay allowing some non-denominational fairies into your kids’ bedrooms to collect some indigent incisors. But you’ve got a pantheon of problems if the question comes from your soon to be adopted child and you’re a godless spoilsport.  if your family is of the godless variety? SHAMELESS MERCHANDISING ALERT “God to Verse,” by our own Seth Brown! We’d be wayyyyy remiss if we didn’t take this opportunity (’cause it might not naturally come ’round again for awhile) to direct you to the Seth Brown Bookstore! No, he wasn’t kidding! He really did write “From God to Verse.” Go buy it!     What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line!   The post Problem Solvers…ish #7 — Santa Claus and other Slippery Deities appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

NSFW: Your Twitter fan base is puny—have you thought about becoming famous? You put your best pithy quotes and clever memes out there in the Twittosphere, but where’s the love? Seth and Lex will lay out your personal path to Social stardom. Does size matter? It does when you’re talking about your sphere of social media influence. Face it, who’s going to give you the time of day if you have a measly 50 followers on your @ccount? Anybody? You need to take action. The Problem Solvers…ish will be your personal communications consultants to help YOU rack up fans on the Internet faster than a golden retriever can gather ticks in Old Lyme. Whether your goal is 1,000, 100,000 or 1 million followers, their straightforward advice will work for ANYONE who’s even close to as popular as Kim Kardashian. Listen and learn! What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line!   The post Problem Solvers…ish #6 — Becoming Kind of a Big Deal on Twitter appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

NSFW: Naughty, Bawdy, and oh Lawdy! Nobody asked to see that! Guys, unless the object of your affection specifically asks for naughty pics, texting those graphic graphics of your privates is NOT cool! Our caller relates a sad, but familiar, tale of hooking up with a fellow, digitally, who seems at first blush (or maybe before first blush) rather nice. But then even before she gets to meet him for a cup of coffee, ZING! Into her chat window pops a dick pic. Emergency eye wash device collapses for easy storage in purse; submitted photo—apologies to the clever soul who came up with this tragically appropriate meme. Seth and Lex reach down into the depths of their softer sides (be glad this is radio, people), to search for a solution to this train wreck of misguided romantic overtures. Emotions are explored! Confessions are revealed! Bad fake accents follow genuine ones! Get ready for our mostest no hold-est barred-est episode yet! What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line!   The post Problem Solvers…ish #5 — Naughty Bytes and Netiquette: think before you click that pic of your… appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

Neighbor Relations: A messy minefield after a scooper war…   Your neighbors’ dog is a poop factory. Your neighbors don’t care. How do ask your neighbors to clean up after their dog without stepping in it? We mean an inter-apartment landmine of hostility, of course. The issue seems pretty cut and dried to you (or maybe not so dried…yeesh!)—not your dog, not your poop. Why should you have to put up with it the nasty sight and smell, right? Shit-fer-brains neighbors might be surprisingly confused about their civic responsibility as far as Fifi’s fecal habits go. Seth and Lex plumb the depths of weeks of poop and neighborly patience and offer some solutions about how to deal with inescapable, irresponsible pet owners. The key thing is to avoid violence. Or wait…was an act of violence the solution? I don’t remember. But when you’ve had to clean the crap out of the treads of your high tops with a thin stick for the third time, there’s only one place to turn—The Problem Solvers…ish! They’ll help restore that sense of peace and harmony, poop-free! What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line!     The post Problem Solvers…ish #4 — Don’t put up with poop from your neighbors! appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

Cerebral Electoralosis: Stupidity Exacerbated by Prolonged Exposure to Election Coverage     Has the coming election turned YOUR friends, family, and co-workers into morons? Hoo-BOY is this a tough problem! You can just about hear the droplets of sweat trickle down the ashen faces of our trustee solutioneers as they grapple with one of the BIG conversational No-Nos—politics. But we knew it couldn’t be avoided. Someone was bound to call up begging for help with the common problem of being surrounded by idiots durning a heated (and unnaturally long…) election season. Seth and Lex do their best to grapple with the deeper social and psychological issues surrounding the people’s-brains-turn-to-mush syndrome that occurs on both sides (but this year, a LOT more on one side, if you follow me) of the campaign divide. What do you DO when people you know, like, and maybe even love are politically challenged? Is there any way to get all the way through the election in November without alienating half of your community? The Problem Solvers…ish tell you how! What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com At your request, we will “Anonymize” your voice, making is less likely that your boss will recognize that it’s you complaining about her peculiar bathroom habits and tendency to stalk you on social media. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line!     The post Problem Solvers…ish #3 — Election Woes: Living in an Idiocracy? appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

The Dreaded Wedding Invitation     Nothing like a June Wedding! Unless you had other plans for those 30 days… Okay, so of course we know that there are some Blessed Events you really DO want to go to. But you and the nuptiates knew you’d be there long before the gilt-scripted envelope showed up. We’re talking about those invites that make you say, whahhhh? You’re not that close to the bride OR groom, you’re like, 2,500 miles away, and you KNOW you’re going to be forced to endure some freaky ceremony that offends your faith or lack thereof. What do you DO? You don’t want to be rude, but…Let Seth and Lex steer you in the right direction. It may take poetry slamming. It may take team Limerick-ing. But I’m pretty sure you won’t be wasting your June afternoons making small talk with relatives of friends of relatives of high school school class mates that you actually dated, now that you think of it, and…you get the picture. What’s YOUR Problem? Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! Just Skype click the link in the sidebar to access our web-based voice-messaging system. Or, if you’re bashful, e-mail it to us at problems<at>greylockglass.com Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line!     The post Problem Solvers…ish #2 — Dearly Invited…Wedding RSVPuhleeze. appeared first on The Greylock Glass.

Welcome! And say hello to Problem Solvers…ish, the latest addition to the Greylock Glass’ offerings. It’s also the first show we’ve launched strictly for your entertainment and amusement. It’s comedy meets the advice column!     Every week Seth Brown and Lex Friedman tackle a listener submitted problem. It could be any kind of issue—family, career, love, religion, political. Doesn’t matter! Seth and Lex are equally unqualified to address ANY of your troubles. BUT, that doesn’t mean they won’t try. And it doesn’t mean they might not solve your problem by accident! RACISM v. COMEDY! In this, the very first episode, our intrepid solutionauts tackle the problem of RACISM. We thought it best to start out small and slow. Let’s see how they do with this perennially thorny challenge! All I know is, there’s only so long any social ill can withstand the healing power of laughter and comedy. YOU TOO can have your problems solved! In this latest addition to our family of podcasts—you might call it a problem child—comedy duo Seth Brown and Lex Friedman want to hear all about your problems. Problems dealt with on a “funniest-come, first-served basis.” Real Debbie-downer issues like death, IRS audits, and that sink hole swallowing up your carport? The may take a lonnnnng time for us to get around to. Just leave a voice message by clicking the picture in the side bar of the girl on the party line!   The post Problem Solvers…ish #1 — Racism appeared first on The Greylock Glass.