CK Unmuted

I worked in the field of early childhood education for 25 years. The last 10 were spent promoting bilingual early literacy. In 2017, my daughter and I converted one of our bilingual children’s books to a VR (virtual reality) app to teach English and Spanish to preschoolers. The kids loved it. Got rather addicted, in fact. Then we did research and found that exposing little kids to virtual reality can mess with their developing brains. So we reeled it in, uneasy about the impact we might be having on young children.Recently, I got to wondering about how teachers are using AI at the university level. When COVID hit and students were unable to hang with human friends, social media and AI stepped in. Educators and parents are seeing the adverse affects of too much social media and AI. Will these technologies be reeled in? Unlikely. We must face the fact that AI, VR, AR, MR, XR are here to stay. We ignore their potential - and pitfalls - at our peril.In this episode of CK Unmuted, University of Pittsburgh English Professor Annette Vee talks with me about AI integration in higher ed. Many educators feel overwhelmed as students turn to AI for shortcuts, raising questions about academic integrity. Yet, there’s a growing wave of faculty embracing AI’s potential to enhance research and teaching.Striking the right balance is crucial. We discuss the moral dilemmas students face when using AI and how to equip them with the necessary skills to navigate this evolving landscape.Thank you, Annette Vee, for sharing your insight as a university professor in this brave, new world.~ CKResources:Annette Vee’s “Computation and Writing” Substack newsletter: annettevee.substack.comHow AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education, Sal Khan, TED: https://youtu.be/hJP5GqnTrNo?si=Xnkk9SAabHBLdnJ_AI Enablement at Pitt Digital: https://www.digital.pitt.edu/news/pantherbytes-blog/spotlight-joe-yun-leading-ai-enablement-pitt-digitalBooks:Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy, by Tressie McMillan CottomThe Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, by Jonathan Haidt.

Understanding the origins of a conflict can be instrumental in resolving it. This is the case in human relations, as well as global ones. In this episode of CK Unmuted, Iran scholar Negar Razavi reviews the crucial history of the Iran conflict, major players and instigators and possibilities for resolution. Women, she contends, will be - should be - instrumental in negotiating an end to hostilities and to creating a more stable, peaceful path forward.Many opinions and “experts” on this topic. I’ve listed several resources and rabbit holes below. Separating fact from fiction is a tricky business these days. I’ve tried my best to offer listeners places to go to discern the truth.Thank you, Negar, for your take on this subject and for all your efforts to shed light on resolving it.~ CKResources:1. Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies:https://cipgs.princeton.edu/2. Negar Razavi’s website: https://negarsrazavi.com/3. Rethinking Iran Project at the John Hopkins School for Advanced InternationalStudies (SAIS): http://rethinkingiran.com4. Democracy Now: http://democracynow.org5. International Crisis Group: http://crisisgroup.orgWoman Life Freedom Movement: https://www.womanlifefreedom.today/Atoms for Peace speech by Dwight D. Eisenhower, December, 1953: https://www.iaea.org/about/history/atoms-for-peace-speechGen Z and the Red Pill: https://www.colorado.edu/today/2024/11/19/gen-z-takes-red-pillVideo clip of American Journalist Shane Harris asking CLAUDE (Anthropic’s AI chatbot) how the chatbot feels about being used by the U.S. military to target positions in Iran: https://www.facebook.com/debalie/videos/american-journalist-shane-harris-asked-chatbot-claude-how-he-feels-about-the-us-/2729151134138020/

I don’t know much about football, but the 4th quarter, apparently, is the time you pull out all the stops, execute your most daring plays, and leap over the top into that glorious End Zone.At 66, recently retired, I’m feeling a distinct urge to push past the defense and go for it, the big, ME things I’ve always wanted to do: podcast; write poetry; swim with manta rays off the coast of Mexico; go wild ice skating in Maine; visit Vietnam.My guest on this episode of CK Unmuted is a cheerleader and teammate in living boldly in the 4th Quarter. Listen to my conversation with Emily Scheivert and write a playbook that will exhilarate and delight you.Thank you, Emily Scheivert, for your inspiration and wisdom.~ CKResources:Emily’s e-commerce T-Shirt shop: https://girltriptravelclub.com/Blooming Peace Studio: http://bloomingpeace.com

My husband and I bought our little 3-bedroom, 1-bath rancher, in the suburbs of Philadelphia, for $141,000. That was 1999. 25 years later, it’s worth about 400K. In ORELAND! Great for us, but sucks for people wanting to buy and settle in this nice, little, suburban town.In this episode of CK Unmuted, Montco County Planning Manager Anne Leavitt-Gruberger, talks about the housing shortage in Pennsylvania and what’s being done to address it.* Recorded in 2023~ CKThank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

When I was in high school, back in the ‘70’s, my mother gave me an indenture paper she found in an old trunk in her bedroom. She suggested I take it to my American History teacher, who undoubtedly would have interest in local slave history. He was intrigued by the document and asked to keep it and do some research for a few days. He returned it, carefully sealed in an archival plastic sleeve.Growing up, we had a maid named Sally, who slept at our house during the week to clean, cook and take care of my brother and me. She was my other mom - my black mom - and she stands on a pedestal in my heart.I have a keen interest in Black History as a result of these formative childhood experiences. Lest We Forget Museum of Slavery is one of the best museums in Philadelphia. One of the best things about it, is executive director and tour guide, Gwen Ragsdale. She is a powerhouse of information, a riveting speaker and a passionate advocate of social justice for the African American community.Put this museum on your list. It’s an unforgettable experience. Thank you, Gwen, for illuminating this dark chapter of our story.~ CKThank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

Emily and her husband Ant have been working for years to have a child, or children, come live in their home in Norristown. They’ve been through the trainings, background checks and home inspections. They’ve been so close.Through it all, Emily says they’ve grown in grace and maturity, as individuals and as a couple. I am in awe of her tenacity and her desire to nurture; to share, as she says, the tenderness and the hardness of life… with a child.Listen to our interview and share Emily’s resources if you or someone you know is interested in fostering or adopting. Thank you, Emily, for sharing the ups and downs of your journey!~ CKResources:* Adopt PA Kids: adoptpakids.org* The Kindness Project: mykindnessproject.org* Fostering Hope: fosteringhopepa.com* The Feathered Nest Blog: thefeatherednestblog.com* Emily’s Instagram handle: e_a_ward* Google “adoption meetups near me”Thank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

Dr. Geri Lynn Utter walks her talk. She grew up in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. Her parents had mental health and drug abuse issues. She is now a licensed psychologist, working with children and adults with severe mental illness and drug addiction.In my interview with Geri Lynn, I got a sense of her pragmatism, her power and her wisdom. I hope the mayor of Philadelphia and City Council members listen to her and employ her skills. I hope teachers and parents listening to this interview consult the resources she recommends (see below). She’s the real deal. Thank you, Geri Lynn, for sharing your experience on CK Unmuted.~ CKFollowing are books by Geri Lynn and the link to her documentary:Books:Aftershock: How Past Events Shake Up Your Life Todayhttps://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Aftershock/Geri-Lynn-Utter/9780757324901Mainlining Philly: Survival, Hope and Resisting Drug Addictionhttps://www.amazon.com/Mainlining-Philly-Survival-Resisting-Addiction-ebook/dp/B085HDVZ5SLink to Documentary:Utter Nonsense (available on Apple TV and Prime Video)https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/utter-nonsense/umc.cmc.4ci7r9t351wp6b9vm83nxny05* To pitch an interview idea, contact Cynthia Kreilick at [email protected] you for subscribing. Share this episode.

“Americans are touch-starved and emotion-phobic” says Transformative Touch Practitioner Noël Wight. I think she’s right. Having worked most of my professional life with immigrant communities who touch, kiss, hug and caress a lot, I’m often a little chilled by my fellow Americans’ reluctance to touch and express emotion. Listen to my interview with Noël when you have a quiet, unhurried moment. My own experience with somatic therapy has been life changing.~ CKResources:* Noël’s website: thesomatictherapycenter.com* Books: * The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk* The Body Never Lies: The Lingering Effects of Hurtful Parenting by Alice Miller* Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory by Deb Dana Thank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

I was a quiet fan of astrology and tarot for years, accompanying my mother on covert forays when church wasn’t working. I had my birth chart read the other day by Philadelphia astrologer Nicole Goicuria. My 1-hour session was so inspirational, I plan to make these readings a regular part of my mental and spiritual health regimen.In addition to revealing the probable roots of my own recent agita, Nicole’s astral observations helped me put the global “shituation” into context. Stellar!Thank you, Nicole, for giving me guidance and inspiration at this precarious time in my life and on planet Earth.~ CKResources:Thank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

I’ve tried lots of therapy: massage therapy; retail therapy; somatic therapy; axe throwing therapy; psychotherapy. One of the most successful has been art therapy.Daune Marie launched Blooming Peace in the suburbs of Philadelphia in 2024 to help people use art to work through trauma and grief. She knows a lot about both.Blooming Peace has been a salvation to me this year, as I manage the changes associated with home renovations, retirement and our first grand baby (I love you, Addy!). The classes Daune offers, the facilitators who teach them and the people who attend are what make this healing arts studio so special.Listen to my interview with Daune over coffee or your drive to work. See if you’re not inspired by her story and her healing mission. And, if you live in the Philly area, take a class!~ CKResources:organization: The Foundation for Art and Healing: https://www.artandhealing.org/ (they have an annual short film series)YouTube video (Your Brain on Art):article: https://www.bluezones.com/2025/07/engaging-with-the-arts-can-help-you-live-a-longer-happier-life/?mc_cid=c53a693fd0Books:The Grief Club by Melody BeattieThe Pivot Year by Brianna WiestYou Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. HayThank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscar’s, I totally sympathized. To me, Chris Rock’s joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s lack of hair was a pathetic attempt at humor. What kind of person stands center stage, in front of thousands of people, and makes fun of a disease over which people have no control? I don’t care that Smith laughed at first, then saw his wife’s expression and decided to defend her honor. I don’t condone violence, but Rock had it comin’. Maureen McGettigan would agree with me. She’s had alopecia areata for 45 years. She’s in a clinical trial now, hopeful that the new drug will finally restore her hair, including her eyebrows and eyelashes, to the luxuriant red hair she had when she was 16. Maureen says that alopecia aerata is not a life-threatening disease, but it’s a life-altering one. She decided to take her disease and turn it into a campaign for compassion and education. She’s one of the spunkiest, most kind-hearted people I know. Listen to my interview with Maureen. I think you’ll agree.~ CKAlopecia Areata Resources:National Alopecia Areata Foundation - https://www.naaf.org/ 2. Diana Smith, organizer of the Philadelphia NAAF virtual support meetings - [email protected] Thank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

People like Rachel Lucks-Hecht amaze me with their encyclopedic knowledge of bathroom fixtures. I don't know what I would have done without her ability to steer me away from cast iron bathtubs to stone resin tubs (the latest, greatest tub material for heat retention, etc.). I am SO excited about our new bathrooms. Rachel has helped me and my husband design and select products for both the guest bath and the primary bath. Thank you, Rachel, for all your help. Listen to our interview above and stop by Flow Bath and Kitchen Design Studio in Glenside, PA. Rachel and her team will wow you with their design flair and their practical approach to creating the bathroom of your dreams.~ CK Thank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

For Corinne Goodwin, being transgender isn’t a “lifestyle choice.” She knew she was transgender when she was three. She came out when she was 50. New studies strongly suggest that the brains of transgender people are wired differently in utero. There appear to be genetic markers and hormonal variations during pregnancy that predispose a person to being transgender. These prenatal conditions can cause a child born with a penis to identify as female or a child born with a vagina to identify as male. Transgender people face innumerable challenges. They are often rejected by family and friends, refused service by health care providers, denied employment and turned away by landlords. As a result, they are prone to substance abuse, mental and physical health problems and homelessness. My interview with Corinne Goodwin is a call to compassion and a call to educate ourselves about the trans community. Thank you, Corinne, for encouraging us to recognize and support trans people striving to create family, meaningful work and good health…just like the rest of us. ~ CK Resources:Organizations: Advocates for Transgender Equality: https://transequality.org/ GLAD - GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders: https://www.glad.org/ Eastern PA Trans Equity Project: http://patransequity.orgScience: https://www.newsweek.com/neuroscientists-brain-sex… https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-ther… https://www.newsweek.com/transgender-people-brains…Books: Becoming an Ally to the Gender-Expansive Child: a Guide for Parents and Carers by Anna Bianchi Call Me Max, by Kyle Lukoff, Illustrated by Luciano Lozano You Need to Chill, by Juno Dawson, Illustrated by Laura Hughes Thank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

Barbara Adolphe crackles with energy. She pulses with passion. She is a very live wire at 76, and she electrifies people wherever she goes. As president of Philadelphia’s Northwest Village Network, Barbara helps folks age in place and do it with grace and gusto. Helping older people find new sources of joy is also high on her list of priorities. Starting with herself. She recently got a puppy. Barbara says the puppy is helping restore some of the joy she felt as an avid contra-dancer and hiker, two things she’s had to significantly cut back on due to back problems.In this episode of CK Unmuted, we talk about the benefits of belonging to a supportive community as we age. The inevitable losses are softened. The isolation is minimized. The whittling away of autonomy and independence is more easily managed. Barbara stresses the importance of asking for help when needed. It takes courage, she says, but the people who step forward to help, feel the blessing of serving others. Feeling useful and appreciated are gifts, whatever your age. I love listening to good podcasts in the car or when I’m knitting. Chose your favorite place to listen to this interview with Barbara. You’ll get inspired and you’ll get some great resources for yourself or those older folks you love. Thank you, Barbara, for sharing your energy and your wisdom! ~ CK Resources On Aging: 1. Northwest Village Network (NVN), Philadelphia, PA: northwestvillagenetwork.org 2. Next Avenue: News and Information for People Over 50: nextavenue.org 3. Book: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande: https://atulgawande.com/book/being-mortal/ 4. Positive Aging Community: https://www.youtube.com/@ProAgingNetwork Thank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

I’m sorry, but salamanders do not deserve to be associated with dirty politics. Granted, they’re slimy and they hang out in shady places, but they enhance shady places by controlling pests not electing them. One of my fondest childhood memories is turning over rocks with my best friend Gail to find red-backed salamanders. They’d stare up at us with their little, bulbous eyes and run off on their little, stumpy legs. Such fun! Eldridge Gerry was a Founding Father. I’d never heard of him. He became governor of Massachusetts in 1810 and in 1812 signed a bill that created a bizarrely configured - salamanderesque - state senate map that enhanced his party’s control over state and national offices. This was not the first instance of tricksy districting, but the term “gerrymandering” originated here, with Eldridge Gerry and the ill-begotten district he signed into law in 1812.   Pennsylvania is famous for gerrymandering. My guest, Ruth Yeiser, is Volunteer Coordinator for Fair Districts PA, a non-partisan, citizens group working to create a fair, transparent redistricting process. Allowing politicians to draw voting maps is a dangerous thing. It is an affront, not only to salamanders, but to people like you and me, who go to the polls believing the ballot we cast is an accurate reflection of who we voted for.  Listen to my interview with Ruth and check out the resources she offers below. Let’s work together for fair districts in PA! ~ CKResources:1. Interested in volunteering for Fair Districts PA?  https://fairdistrictspa.com/take-action/volunteers (There is a volunteer survey at the bottom of this page for prospective volunteers to fill out.) 2. Want a Fair Districts PA speaker to talk to your group?  https://fairdistrictspa.com/events/request-a-speaker  3. Sign the Fair Districts PA on-line petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/join-fdpa-support-redistricting-reform-2/ 4. Here is a general link to the Fair Districts PA “Take Action” page:  https://fairdistrictspa.com/take-action 5. Fair Districts PA has monthly Zoom Updates (first Monday of the month 7 PM). Anyone is welcome to attend. Here's a bit of information from their website calendar and it includes the registration link: https://fairdistrictspa.com/events/2023/11/06/statewide-update-volunteer-virtual-meeting Know some young voters who want to get involved? https://tinyurl.com/FDPA-HYVE Here is a link to Ruth testifying on behalf of Fair Districts PA https://www.tiktok.com/@fairdistrictspa/video/7200728217815125291 Thank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

It’s like rugby on skates. It’s rough and fast and people get hurt, but Roller Derby today is nothing like the bruising, hurl-’em-over-the-rails days of the Philly Warriors. More rules. More safety protocols. More mainstream.Philly Derby member Jennifer Sulikowski says being part of the team is kind of like being in a sorority, but not in the “cringy” way. You can be yourself, be athletic, get strong, and get sweaty with folks who love physical contact. “I was always in the mosh pit at concerts,” she says with a laugh.Back in 1971, I was at a slumber party at a friend’s house. We decided it would be cool to play tackle football in the front yard. We spent about two hours ramming each other with our spindly, blue-jeaned bodies, ripping each other’s hair, tackling without guidelines and dragging each other across rock-studded earth. Not too many rules. It was a free-for-all, a hormone-infused exorcism of sorts. It was pretty awesome. Who knows why we did it. We’d never done it before. We never did it again (too sore and too stunned by our own brutal impulses). I guess we wanted to know what it felt like to be boys, the pubescent wrecking balls we knew who grew up on farms with horses and barns and parents who partied, but were never seen. The physicality of the game was exhilarating. Sure, we played field hockey and lacrosse in school, but this was different. There was something animalistic about it. Something like releasing demons and dark, core energy. It was, perhaps, a ferocious farewell to the comfortable androgyny of youth, before breasts and pubic hair and periods.As I prepped for my interview with Jennifer, I watched YouTube videos of recent roller derby bouts. That football game came back to me, sparking like a buried cable struck by a shovel. I felt the secret energy. It was rebellious and unladylike and oh, so satisfying. Watching roller derby reminds me of that singular day with my girlfriends, my pre-teen sorority, and our urge to break free from the code of femininity imposed by our time and place.I’m too old to put on skates and scrum with the pack, but I’m glad there’s a sport that lets people of all genders roll around a rink at top speed, grunting and shoving and testing their sinew and muscle. Choose your favorite place to listen to my interview with Jennifer. Tell people about roller derby. There’s always room on the roster.~ CKRoller Derby Resources:Philly Roller Derby website: phillyrollerderby.comWomen’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) website: https://wftda.com/Philly Junior Roller Derby (YouTube): https://youtu.be/-_O48n2ZzsY?si=PPoL5siPBZ32337WTips From Australian Roller Derby Player Marilyn Tantrum: https://youtu.be/RmzvFbf2T5Q?si=rq-0u10JFH4XwI-aThank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

My son convinced me to invest in crypto. Crypto and blockchain are related in the world of digital assets, and despite the naysayers and doomcasters, I’m diving in. I wanna know what bright people in the field are saying about the future of money. I wanna hear their recommendations on securing my personal data (i.e health care files, mobile apps, etc.) as it becomes more widely distributed. In this episode of CK Unmuted, Karen Hsu, founder of Blockchain by Women, enlightens us on crypto and blockchain. If you’re thinking about investing in cryptocurrency and/or you want to know more about the astonishing promise of blockchain, listen to Karen’s interview above and check out the resources she recommends below. Thank you, Karen, for answering my questions and for being a trailblazer in this exciting new space! ~ CK Resources: Blockchain by Women: https://blockchainbywomen.com/ (company founded by Karen Hsu to educate and connect people in the blockchain world) The Block: https://www.theblock.co/ (all about digital assets) Cointelegraph: https://cointelegraph.com/ (all about the future of money) Coindesk: https://www.coindesk.com/ (events and information services company for the crypto asset and blockchain technology community) The Brutal Truth About Bitcoin: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-brutal-trut…). Thank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

It was no hardship for me to mow less and let the clover and wild strawberries overrun my lawn this spring. I’ve been schooled on lawns. I’ve embraced natives and No Mow May and all the other hippy dippy environmental trends that are becoming more and more common place. And for good reason. The fertilized, “pest-free” lawns of today have virtually zero nutrients and little food or shelter for birds and other creatures vital to a balanced ecosystem. This spring, my yard was teaming with bees, birds, chipmunks and spiders. I love them all! (Out of respect for my neighbors, whose lawn aesthetic is more Puritanical than mine, I try to keep their side of the property more conventionally manicured.).Is your yard a sterile wasteland of emerald green grass, pumped full of pesticide and herbicide? Take a walk on the wild side! Try less lawn. Experiment with native plants. My interview with Heidi Shiver, of Bird Town PA, will inspire you to start building a healthier home for yourself and all the living things around you. Thank you, Heidi, for extolling the virtues of vultures and all of our feathered friends!~ CKResources:1. Bird Town PA link: http:/birdtownpa.org2. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Threats To Birds: https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/threats-bi…3. Bird-Friendly Habitat Recognition Program: https://pa.audubon.org/bird-friendly-habitat-recognition-programThank you for subscribing. Share this episode.

My neighbor, Nancy Schaeffer, says it’s an honor to help the people in her community vote. I loved interviewing her and hearing her talk about her job as a poll worker. She wishes more of her neighbors and friends would volunteer, even a few hours, to ensure that those who wish to vote can cast their ballots safely and smoothly on election day. I’ve worked the polls. My husband has worked the polls. It’s a real feel-good experience. Whether you’re outside handing out literature for the candidates you’re backing, or inside directing voters to the right queue, it’s a contribution of the highest order to our unique, enviable form of government. Donald Trump’s attempts to erode election protections and regulations in the U.S. are frightening. If Americans do not protect the vote; if they do not strenuously oppose and defeat these attempts, the Nancy Schaeffers of the world will disappear, along with polling places and our ability to live in a free country. We all need to stand firm for democracy. ~ CK, May, ‘25 Thank you for subscribing. Share this episode.