The Great Ungaslighting

Finding ways to accentuate the positive, and figuring out what those "Anti-Elon Tesla Club" stickers are really saying.

The power and promise of imagining alternate realities: Remembering a pre-enshittified internet; revealing a less awful form of capitalism; and, considering a different type of Zionism. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:CSA: The Confederate States of America (YouTube)Jeff Tiedrich: Everyone Is Entitled to My Opinion (Substack)Daily Links from Cory Doctorow (Pluralistic.net)Good Thing/Bad Thing Graph (Google)Measuring the Income Gap from 1975 to 2023 (Rand)Ahad Ha'am: Nationalist with a Difference (Commentary)The Long Anti-Zionist History of the American Jewish Left (Commentary)Einstein Opposed Zionist Colonization (Canadian Dimension)Hannah Arendt on Political Zionism (Arab Studies Quarterly)Ben-Gurion: Letter to His Son (Jewish Voices for Peace)A Zionist State at Any Cost (Jacobin)The Iron Wall (Jabotinsky Institute)

If playing to the center has brought us to this, shouldn't moderate Democrats more accurately be called Extreme Centrists?-------------------------------------------Lennar Lobbies for Endless Profits -- SubstackLennar Launches e-Marketplace -- The Lever

Our views and experiences impact how we see the world.  One man's take on a 19th-century anti-monopoly law changed the world entirely.Mentioned This Week:Tony Conrad's "The Flicker" [YouTube]"Google Is Now the East India Company [The Honest Broker]"Beware of the Google AI Salesman" [HouseFresh]"The Antitrust Paradox" [Wikipedia]"The Profound Nonsense of Consumer Welfare Antitrust [The Antitrust Bulletin]

This episode explores how we so often believe in something -- from who is the NBA GOAT, to the legitimacy of one's economic status -- and then work backward to figure out why it's true.  Mentioned this week:CNBC: Banks Keep Credit Card Rates HighDoctorow: The Meritocracy to Eugenics PipelineForbes: Under-30 ListPsychology Today: Your Brain on PowerNYT: The Techno-Futurist Philosophy Behind Musk's Mania

They say that experience is the best teacher, but what if you're not a particularly great student and you learn the wrong lesson?  I share a wrong-lesson experience from my childhood that stayed with me for decades, and nominate the Greatest Wrong Lesson Learner of all time.Mentioned this week:William Deresiewicz’s book, EXCELLENT SHEEPFixed Mindset vs. Growth MindsetStellantis Announces DividendThe History of Monopoly!

Next time you inhale a burrito and slip into a food coma, don't blame yourself, because the very nature of the burrito requires that it be eaten too quickly to maintain consciousness thereafter.  On this episode of The Great Ungaslighting, we explore ways that we misdirect blame, and how that can lead us to pursue the exact wrong remedy.Mentioned this week:The BIG Newsletter: Why a Corporate Deal You Haven't Heard of Should Scare YouNew Yorker Cartoon:  Neanderthal's in ChargeAmerican Journal of Lifestyle Medicine: The Connection PrescriptionCut List OptimizerShopShop AppBrooklyn Bar Menu Generator

This week I discover how a NSFW photo trick -- that makes it appear as if a naked butt is above your head -- helps explain what's wrong with everything from our understanding of high egg prices to the Chicago School's "rational markets" argument.MENTIONED THIS WEEK:YouTube: Paul Rudd explains the finger-butt techniqueYouTube: The Kids in the Hall "Crush Your Head" sketchThe BIG Newsletter: "Hatching a Conspiracy"Pluraslistic.net: Yanis Varoufakis's "Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism?"Counterpunch: "Can Freedom and Capitalism Co-exist?"

This week, an unsightly discovery while cleaning my house leads to some deep thinking about just how much truth about America I can handle.  With a little help from Van Halen, Pee-Wee Herman, and Woody Allen, I come to terms with the fact that there have always been tyrannical Americans.  And while it may just be wishful thinking, I manage to use that realization to try and figure out what it'll take to get back on track.Mentioned this week:A ridiculous review of AI features in appliances (Forbes Magazine)Humanity's first encounter with AI hasn't gone well (New York Times)Anand Giridharadas on why we're falling on our faces (The Ink)Thomas Piketty's theory on how market capitalism leads to oligarchy (Pluralistic)

We've known for decades that our healthcare system is deeply flawed, so maybe the key to fixing it is figuring out what we actually want it to accomplish.Mentioned this week:The Lever: Health Insurer Stock BuybacksThe Prospect: How AARP Shills for UnitedHealthThe Hartmann Report: White Supremacy and HealthcareNYT: UnitedHealth Group CEO on Fixing Our Healthcare SystemNYT: Dr. Aaron Carroll on Fixing Our System

There's been a line from a movie stuck in my head since election day, and it has forced me to re-examine everything my previous reaction to and understanding of so many things that led to the outcome of November 5, 2024.  And I think it provides a path forward for the political party that came up short on that fateful day.Referenced in this episode:The Guardian: Rupert Murdoch and Artists Aligning in AI FightBluesky: Daniel Kibblesmith on Abominable AI Payoff OfferThe Guardian:  HarperCollins Allows Tech Firm to Use Its Books to Train AI Models

The people of Libby, Montana have been left barely able to breathe by industrial pollution, and the company that Medicare contracted to provide breathing machines has been screwing them over for decades.  Why should they believe any politicians' promises to fight for regular people?  And can you really blame them for wanting to blow up the whole system?Mentioned this week:ProPublica: "How Lincare Became a Multibillion-Dollar Medicare Scofflaw"

On this election day, to remind everyone that most people are mostly decent, I'm re-playing the poem that inspired this podcast: "Small Kindnesses" by Danusha Laméris.

This week, I'm reminding everyone that our brains don't just record reality, but interpret it based on prompts and expectations.  This is especially relevant given we're near the end of an election cycle where candidates seem to be inhabiting totally different realities.Mentioned this week:Instagram for my tattoo artist, AlexProp 34 Analysis from LAistProp 33 Analysis from LAistHeather Cox Richardson's "Letter from an American" 10/28/24

This week, we explore how one writer's habit of imagining that magical elves are making her morning yogurt just for her pleasure can help us all find a little more security and comfort in the dangerous, scary outside world.Mentioned this week:MIT Study Shows Tailgating Causes Phantom Traffic JamsOn "Friends," Chandler Tries to Quit the GymInadvertent Subscription Payments Increase Seller Revenue 14-200%Jenny Slate's Graduation Speech About Yogurt-Making Elves"The American Bystander" Humor Magazine

This week, we look at how we use our understanding of the variability of time to take some control over how we experience time, and use that sense of control to build up our resistance to the gaslighters of the world.Mentioned this week:The Guardian: The Order of Time by Carlo RovelliThe American Prospect: Epic DystopiaPluralistic: Epic Systems, a Lethal Health Record MonopolistOffice of The HHS Inspector General: Trend Toward More Expensive Inpatient Hospital StaysJournal of Experimental Social Psychology: The Emotional Roots of Conspiratorial Perceptions...

This week, we take a quick look at immigration, taking a moment to acknowledge the actual real human beings involved, and to push back on the anti-immigrant arguments that hold sway these days.Mentioned this week:Wikipedia: What is Dividend Recapitalization?The BIG Newsletter: Safelite is a PBMThe Atlantic: The Truth About Immigration and the American WorkerNorthwestern Now:  Immigrants Less Likely to Commit CrimesMIT News:  Immigrants More Likely to Start Businesses

This week, we're reminded to heed Maya Angelou's warning, especially when it comes to politicians: "When people show you who they are, believe them."Mentioned this week:The Guardian:  The Housing Crisis That Thatcher BuiltThe BIG Newsletter:  Rental Inflation Due to Price FixingBureau of Labor Statistics: August 2024 Consumer Price IndexCory Doctorow: Wall Street's Internet of Shit LandlordsHousing Is a Human Right: Ken Rosen Deceiving CA Voters

There are lots of things in life that we only notice when things go wrong.  This week, we'll look at some public institutions that fit that description and remind ourselves not to take them for granted when things are boringly normal.Mentioned in this episode:Matt Stoller's BIG Newsletter: Monopoly Round-UpCory Doctorow's Pluralistic.net: What the F%&$ are PBMs?HuffPost: Keep Your Goddam Government Hands Off My Medicare!

Are humans the most successful species in the history of the world, or is it too soon to tell?  After all, we've only been around for 300,000 years or so, and our long-term prospects aren't looking too great.  This week, I look at how we define success and the benefits of looking at that definition differently.Mentioned this week:The American Prospect: "U.S. Steel Threatens to Go Rogue"NYT: "Born This Way?  Born Which Way" by Lydia Polgreen

This week, I share a few of my very minor, totally reasonable pet peeves, including one that I've recently come to discover occurs more because of other people's ignorance rather than they're trying to piss me off.  And that got me thinking about how we all should test our beliefs and assumptions and make sure they're well founded, and also closely interrogate the politicians we support for the same reasons.  And when I did that, I found that for my entire life, Democratic politicians have mostly been trying to convince us to accept "pizzaburgers," which they think will satisfy everyone just enough, but instead saticycleisfy nobody at all.Its time for Democratic voters to finally stand up and demand, "NO MORE PIZZABURGERS!"  Mentioned this week:Institute for Policy Studies: Executive Excess 2024Charlie Pierce: Why Stock Buybacks Used to Be IllegalCarnegie Endowment: Political Engagement = MORE MisperceptionPluralistic by Cory Doctorow: PizzaburgersSteven Kinzer: All the Shah's Men (NYT Review) Tricycle: Rebecca Solnit on Changing the Climate Change Story

This week, I look at how the key to healthy, happy relationships could be something as simple as reliably showing up.  Mentioned in this episode:The CA Chamber of Commerce's Deceptive PollThe Marginalian on Donald Winnicott

This week, I consider why it's so difficult to get Americans to fight back against getting screwed at airports, movie theaters, ballparks, etc. Since it feels almost un-American to push back against corporate gouging, does that mean it's our patriotic duty to get screwed?Mentioned this week:Popular Information:  Major Corporations Sponsor "Anti-Woke" EventCalvin Coolidge's Address to the American Society of Newspaper EditorsJimmy Carter's Crisis of Confidence SpeechThe Intercept: The Devil's Chessboard by David TalbotThe Guardian on Lina Khan's FTC

This week, I try to figure out what the originators of neoliberal economics were thinking at the time, as well as the mindsets of those who ascribe and benefit from that thinking today, and ask, does their behavior tell us anything about humanity in general?

This week, I explore some strategies for noticing the completely normal, usually invisible part of your reality, and asking yourself, as Walt Whitman suggested:  Does it insult your soul?

This week, I look at how the zeitgeist seems to be shifting just a little bit against our beloved tech-billionaire heroes, and suggest what the presidential campaign that I support could do to make me REALLY excited to vote for them.Mentioned this week:Citation Needed: Coinbase appears to have violated campaign finance lawsCitation Needed: How the crypto industry is lining up behind TrumpForbes: Silicon Valley billionaires support TrumpNew York Times: Clarence Thomas took more undisclosed trips

This week I explore the conflict that seems to be at the core of so much tension in modern America: The relationship between equality and freedom.  For the past 50 years, there has been a concerted effort --initially begun as an economic movement -- to place freedom above equality.  Milton Friedman said that putting equality before freedom leads to a society with neither, while putting freedom before equality leads to a society with a high degree of both.  That kind of thinking led to the neoliberal movement that has dominated American economic and political society for almost 50 years, and it seems to be demonstrably false.  Without fundamental equality, true freedom is only available to a subset of the population.  And we're seeing the results of that in the potentially existential threats to democracy that we're currently experiencing.

This episode delves into the concept of freedom in America, contrasting its philosophical underpinnings with modern consumerism, exemplified by Amazon's Prime Day. I criticize how consumerism is often mistaken for freedom and explore differing societal views on government and market power. I discuss the recent Microsoft Crowdswift outage, illustrating corporate irresponsibility and the lack of regulatory oversight. The episode also examines the balance between individual freedom and societal responsibilities, arguing that true freedom should consider collective well-being rather than individualistic desires.

This week, I re-visit David Foster Wallace's famous graduation speech, "This is Water," and try to dig a little bit deeper into the nature and composition of our "water," that is, the culture that we swim in without even noticing it.  Beyond just recognizing that our culture isn't governed by natural laws, and is in reality a very human construction, I recommend that the best way to truly understand our particular "water" is to get out of it and dive into another culture's.Mentioned this week:SLATE: "How Adobe Canceled Itself"THE NEW YORK TIMES: "The Key to Longevity Is Boring"THE NEW YORK TIMES:  "The Supreme Court Is Gaslighting Us All"

This week, find out what Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jeremy Clarkson, and Ratso Rizzo can teach us about the ungaslighting power of controlling the way we interpret our own realities.  From how we define success and how drivers think about pedestrians (and vice versa), to our understanding of corporate hierarchies, taxes, and even the value of money, it's really all up to us how we decide to think about things.  Mentioned this week:The New York Times: How Big Is Taylor SwiftKareem Abdul-Jabbar: Should Biden Quit & SCOTUS Wants Trump ElectedFuturism: NASA Says That the Beoing "Astronauts Are Not Stranded" While the Astronauts Remain StrandedFuturism: NASA Praises Boeing's Stranded Starliner for Managing to Not Explode While Docked to Space StationVox: How Marginal Tax Rates Actually WorkBarnes & Noble: The Mountain in the Sea

This week I look at how the U-shaped curve of happiness -- how our happiness tends to decline into middle age and then increase again into old age -- is partly explained by our inability to fully understand how our future selves will view our lives.  We see our future selves through a sort-of tunnel vision that only considers how part of us will change, and we miss the complete picture.The same is true for how we imagine our connection to the past.  Originalist thinkers make the same kind of mistake, creating a tunnel though which to view whichever issue they seek to bring from the past, while ignoring all of the other changes in culture and technology that should influence our current understanding of laws conceived long ago.Mentioned this week:The Economist: "The U-Bend of Life"The Conversation: A Critique of the U-Shaped Curve of HappinessBig by Matt Stoller: "The Harvey Weinstein of Antitrust"Scientific American: "Population Decline Will Change the World for the Better"

This week, recount my personal experience during the eve of Y2K, purchasing our first home, and navigating through the American caste system as a new landlord.  I look at the tax policies and systemic inequalities that favor property owners, using my journey to shed light on broader societal issues. Non-Sponsor: This week's episode is not sponsored by RealPage, a company under FBI investigation for its landlord price-fixing software. Remember to share this episode with anyone who might benefit from a critical examination of our economics and society.Mentioned this week:The American Prospect: How an 'Algorithm' Turned Apartment Pools GreenProPublica: Rent Going Up?  One Companies Algorithm Could Be WhyCory Doctorow on Capitalism's Comfortable Sociopathy

This week, I explore the power of asking 'Why?' to challenge assumptions, beliefs, and societal norms.  Demanding explanations of why our politicians, thought leaders, and ourselves believe what we believe can lead to deeper understanding and meaningful change.Mentioned this week:This American Life: Come RetributionPopular Information: Publix Versus the PublicHannah Ritchie's Sustainability by Numbers

This week I try to rationalize my idiotic decision to not invest in Amazon's IPO by showing just how terrible we all are at making predictions, novices and professionals alike.  But, more and more these days, lazy non-journalists are relying on clickbait-y predictions to attract more eyeballs and make more money (which last I checked were not the main jobs of journalists).So, basically, if your main source for what you think is news makes a lot of predictions, and poses a lot of questions, you may want to look for a legitimate source for your news.Mentioned this week:ArsTechnical: Oral-B Bricks their Guide ToothbrushEmma Explains: Beware Prediction JournalismProPublicaPoliticoPopular InformationCory Doctorow's Pluralistic.netThe Big Newsletter by Matt StollerThe Ink from Anand Giridharadas

It's hard enough to move to another city when you're 12 years old.  But when you're a die-hard Philly fan and you move to Boston, the trauma can last a lifetime.  This week I look at how Us vs. Them thinking exists throughout our lives, in some innocuous ways and in some ways that have serious repercussions. The key is to remember that we all contain multitudes and that there's no single Us and no single Them that should keep us from finding common ground wherever possible.Believe it or not, I use the abortion debate as a launching off point for finding that common ground.Mentioned this week:404 Media: Samsung Requires Independent Repair Shops to Share Customer Data, Snitch on People Who Use Aftermarket Parts, Leaked Contract ShowsVice: How Sony, Microsoft, and Other Gadget Makers Violate Federal Warranty LawThe New Yorker: Culture War CartoonThe Onion: You Will Suffer Humiliation When The Sports Team From My Area Defeats The Sports Team From Your Area

In this episode of The Great Ungaslighting, I revisit the famous Stanford marshmallow test and its implications for delayed gratification and life success, delving into subsequent studies that revealed economic and cultural biases in the original findings. I explore the broader context of adult expectations versus children's natural behaviors, particularly in light of current societal upheavals like campus protests over the Israel-Palestine conflict. Along the way, I critique how society values productivity via GDP, discuss the insights from 'The Extended Mind' by Annie Murphy Paul, and examine the real story behind Red Lobster’s bankruptcy.  Finally, I urge a re-evaluation of entrenched beliefs and a more creative and flexible view of societal norms.Mentioned in this Episode:Wikipedia -- The Stanford Marshmallow TestScientific American -- How Culture Affects The Marshmallow TestThe American Prospect -- The Raiding of Red LobsterThe Extended Mind by Annie Murphy PaulRobert F. Kennedy SENIOR on the GDP (March 18, 1968)The Ink -- Anand Giridharadas on the Campus Protests

In this episode of 'The Great Ungaslighting', I'm reminded of a scary night from my college days in West Philly and I delve into how our perceptions of fear and our reactions to it can be surprisingly calm in the face of perceived imminent danger. This anecdote serves as a springboard to explore the broader theme of the situational dependence of our behaviors and emotions, challenging the notion of a singular, consistent personality. I critique the 'effective altruism' movement and its implications, particularly critiquing GiveWell and the rationality-driven yet detached approach to philanthropy championed by its adherents. The episode juxtaposes this critical analysis with a discussion on the societal tendency to judge behaviors without understanding individual contexts, drawing on Dr. Devon Price's work 'Laziness Does Not Exist' to argue for a more compassionate and empathetic approach to understanding human behavior. I encourages listeners to embrace the complexity of their own and others' personalities, urging for more compassion and less judgment in assessing actions and motives, ultimately advocating for a recognition of our shared humanity and the complex interplay of factors that influence our behaviors.Mentioned in this episode:"The Deaths of Effective Altruism," WIRED, May 27, 2024"Laziness Does Not Exist" by Devon Price"Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman

This week's episode delves into the nostalgic world of the Johnson Smith catalog, a treasure trove of novelty items, to springboard into a broader discussion on the concept of mind control. However, the focus here is not on fringe or malicious forms of mental manipulation but on empowering practices for self-discipline and awareness. After touching on the impact of inequality on societal structures, including the controversial practices of Alden Global Capital, the episode transitions to exploring practical strategies for mental self-governance. Drawing from Shirzad Chamin's work on identifying and overcoming mental saboteurs, and the simple yet profound practice of mindfulness meditation,  listeners are encouraged to cultivate a disciplined mind to improve personal well-being and compassion towards others. The episode is packed with insights on introspection, mental health, and societal critique, offering listeners both deep reflections on internal and external dynamics of control.Mentioned this week:1979 Johnson Smith CatalogTax Lien Investing: An Infuriating IntroductionShirzad Chamine's Positive IntelligenceMeditation Changes Your Brain

This episode  uses the metaphor of a lobster's color change when cooked to explore how human nature is often revealed through external pressures. We'll discuss how tragedies and disasters bring out the inherent compassion in people, challenging the complacency and inward focus of everyday life. Then we'll delve into societal issues like poverty, the housing crisis, and the concept of collective sacrifice and support for the betterment of all, emphasizing the importance of recognizing our interconnectedness and the potential to embrace our true compassionate nature without waiting for extreme circumstances.This week's episode is NOT sponsored by Red Lobster, whose Endless Shrimp and Endless Lobster promotions don't quite mean what the company thinks it means.Mentioned in this episode:Why Do Lobsters Turn Red When Cooked?Red Lobster's Disclaimer-Riddled Press ReleaseMatthew Desmond on How America Manufactures PovertyHow a Homeownership Perk Drives InequalityDiana Butler Bass on Gratitude and the 'Table of Hospitality'

This episode explores the effects on the ground (and in the air) of extreme inequality.  It turns out, addressing extreme inequality can improve life satisfaction for everyone, even those currently at the top.  And while we've been told over and over again that we're living in a society with historical levels of inequality, what does that actually mean and how does it impact our daily lives?This episode is NOT sponsored by Nestlé, which only adds sugar to its best-selling baby formula and cereal in select markets.  See if you can guess which ones.00:00 The Myth of Fitzgerald and Hemingway: Unpacking a Literary Legend02:15 The Real Impact of Wealth Inequality03:25 Nestle's Controversial Sugar Practices in Developing Countries06:17 Air Rage: A Symptom of Societal Inequality10:59 Personal Reflections on Inequality and Social Cohesion13:56 Concluding Thoughts on Fairness and Society

This week we look into how our individual actions, no matter how small, are interconnected and influence the larger societal ecosystem. We'll draw on inspiration from anthropologist Gregory Bateson's views on the mismatch between natural systems and human thinking to highlight the importance of understanding our place in the ecosystem. Using the examples of how credit card rewards programs redistribute wealth from the poor to the rich, and the significant impact of housing affordability on homelessness rates, we'll emphasize the need for a shift in attitude and behavior to foster a more compassionate and equitable society, advocating for small, thoughtful changes in everyday actions to create broader positive effects.Mentioned This Week================="Why Gregory Bateson Matters" by Ted GioiaProPublica: FTC Orders Makers of TurboTax to Cease 'Deceptive' AdvertisingNYT: "The Dirty Little Secret of Credit Card Rewards Programs"Thom Hartmann:  "Why Homelessness Stalks America Like the Grim Reaper

This week we'll explore how discovering other cultures can help us better understand our own, featuring an interview with Jonathan Blank, writer and director of the documentary "Sex, Drugs, and Bicycles".Mentioned this week:Paul Fussell on the Lost Art of TravelThe Strange Design of American ToiletsStudy: Cycling and the Common GoodWatch "Sex, Drugs, and Bicycles" HERE, HERE, or HERE

This week, we take a closer look at the normal, everyday world we live in, and realize that in some important ways it's anything but normal.  We explore how important it is to put our normal, everyday world in context, to better understand how we got here, and to figure out how we might move forward for the better.Mentioned this week:Mick Stevens' New Yorker cartoonNPR: How Big Oil Misled the Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be RecycledBrookings: Rising Inequality:  A Major Issue of Our TimeNYT: The Rich Really Do Pay Lower Taxes Than YouRAND:  Income Trends from 1975 to 2018Bloomberg:  The Mortgage Interest Deduction Has Got to Go

We're always scolded not to think that we're the center of the universe, but David Foster Wallace reminded us that we actually kinda are.    Every experience we have unfolds with us at the center of it, but we get into trouble when we forget that EVERYONE ELSE is also at the center of their own universes.This week, we look at how improper perspective-taking can get us into trouble, and learn a few techniques to help us find a more balanced, inclusive perspective that's not only good for the rest of the world, but ultimately good for us, too.Mentioned this week:"Your Brain Has Tricked You Into Thinking Everything Is Worse""This Is Water" by David Foster WallaceNot the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie"Sustainability by Numbers" by Hannah RitchieCook's Illustrated Revolutionary Recipes

The most famous gaslighter's line is, "Who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes?"  While you should NEVER believe a gaslighter, sometimes you shouldn't believe your own eyes, either.  This week, we look at moments when you might not want to believe everything you see, or think.Mentioned this week:Watch the Marx Brothers' classic, Duck Soup on VimeoStudy showing Next Door use leads to inaccurate crime perceptionMIT study showing that false stories spread faster than true ones"The Rich Really Do Pay Lower Taxes Than You"Ted Gioia on René Girard

If you get something of value for free online, then odds are you're not the customer, you're the PRODUCT!  You attention is harvested and sold off to the actual customers of that platform.  This week, we look at the consequences of misunderstanding who or what we actually are.Mentioned in this week's episode:Subscribe to Cory Doctorow's excellent blog:  Pluralistic.netMore great stuff from Cory Doctorow HERE.Check out Oliver Burkeman's book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals

This week, we explore why true contentment is so hard to attain, no matter how much stuff you have, and how once you recognize the most common source for your desires, it's much easier to figure out what's really important in your life.Mentioned this week:J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability StudyRené Girard & Mimetic Theory"The Deepest Breath" on NetflixWanting by Luke Burgis

In this episode, we'll transform "kindness" from a noun to a verb, and unleash an army of kind-doers on the world.  Plus, in just two short sentences, poet Danusha Laméris will transform the way you think about those tiny, kind interactions you have with your fellow humans all the time. You can find Danusha's books at Bookshop Santa Cruz! Mentioned this week:"Offloading for Mrs. Schwartz" by George Saunders"Kindness Can Have Unexpectedly Positive Consequences," Scientific AmericanThe Pay-It-Forward Effect of KindnessBookshop Santa Cruz

We are not humanity, as Daniel Quinn revealed in The Story of B, just one particularly successful and destructive culture that has devoured almost all other cultures and may not last all that long in evolutionary terms.  The good news is, we can change.  But we have to recognize the most destructive parts of that culture before we can change them.This week, I start with potentially THE most destructive element of our culture: Male Supremacy, first exposing it for the fraud that it is, and then suggesting how we might move beyond it, for EVERYBODY's good.Mentioned in this episode:The Story of B by Daniel QuinnWomen After All by Melvin Konner"Move Over, Men: Women Were Hunters, Too" by Katrina Miller, The New York Times"We’ve studied gender and STEM for 25 years. The science doesn’t support the Google memo" by  Rosalind C. Barnett and Caryl Rivers, Vox"In Praise of Heroic Masculinity" by Caitlina Flanagan, The Atlantic

This week's episode includes our initial introduction to the inspirational text of this podcast:  Ishmael by Daniel Quinn.  This wonderful philosophical novel attempts to reveal all the myths that our human culture takes as natural facts, and the consequences of our misunderstanding of our own reality.    Most importantly, we learn how powerful it can be to examine and question our reality and realize that it's changeable.  And the specific reality we re-examine is one that occupies so much of our time and causes so much distress:  Driving!In addition to learning a few techniques to bring a bit more civility to the roads, we also discuss the outsize influence that PARKING has on our world with Tony Jordan, president of The Parking Reform Network.Mentioned this Week:For more on all things Ishmael, check out The Friends of Ishmael SocietyCheck out Henry Grabar's book Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the WorldLearn more about (and support if you can) The Parking Reform NetworkHere's that ridiculous Chumash Casino ad