Shows
Key Thinking (Aloud)Pew Political Test 2024I'm curious where I stand these days on the political spectrum. I identify as a radical centrist, giving both sides their due and chosing neither (most of the time). But I suppose our views are relative to one another, so my moderate thoughts might seem more leftist or conservative, depending on the populace I'm a part of. Anyways, you be the judge, based on my answers to each question.
A video version of this podcast is available on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/pew-research-98011067
I would love your support over there, where I have...
2024-02-0635 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Squaring Race with the American DreamMartin Luther King dreamed that people would one day be judged not by the color of their skin, but the content of their character. How are we doing with that?
2024-01-1623 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Israel's cause is morally justifiableIt is the moral impulse of many that Palestine is an oppressed victim, exploited by a colonizer apartheid Israel. History doesn't explain this, nor do the religious and cultural differences between Israel and Palestine.
It is more just and virtuous to advance society through education, medicine and technology, to recognize the human rights and dignities of women, children and gays, to attract tourism of all sorts, and to defend an existing homeland... than to wage constant war against your neighbors, to pursue above all else their destruction, to fight for the spread of your religious zealotry, to...
2023-10-1946 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Politicizing Mainstream Things (a baseball/pride story)The Los Angeles Dodgers have been going through quite an interesting set of controversies lately, surrounding their LGBTQ Pride Night in June. It's been pretty silly to watch. And it makes me wonder: why are things that are meant to be inclusive so often actually divisive? Is it wrong to focus on celebrating truly universal things? Given that people's interests and experiences vary so wildly in a pluralist society, what's the proper amount of compromise?
2023-05-3035 minKey Thinking (Aloud)The Case of Jordan NeelyA New Yorker died on the subway recently. He was mentally unwell, and the city hadn't done anything productive to deal with his situation, which was ultimately decided in a complicated and controversial form of vigilante justice. This is a teaching opportunity for New York and our society - it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. Hopefully radical politics don't interfere with what can certainly be a rational and popular solution: mandatory institutionalization.
2023-05-1349 minKey Thinking (Aloud)The Toxicity of Online SpacesI was banned from several subreddits recently, for merely commenting in a totally separate community. Maybe you think it's a good thing, that certain voices be silenced in order to protect others from dangerous ideas, or something like that. But it must be recognized: an insidious trend is growing - people are power-tripping, possessed by idiology, and turning everything political. Conversations are getting harder, people more radical, and spaces less tolerant. I shouldn't be banned from participating in a photo community merely for having certain skepticism about lockdowns. That doesn't make sense. And dare I say it: it's something...
2023-04-1348 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Climate change - what are we afraid of, exactly?Climate change is a real thing, and I'm not going to say that I don't care about it. But I will say that I don't worry about it to the extent that it feels like we're asked to. I don't see it as the biggest crisis of our time, and in fact, I think that mindset can be quite dangerous. I'm more just confused why we don't appreciate our ability to master our environment, and aim to harmonize with the planet, instead of remorsefully deify it. I don't relate to the worship of this earth goddess concept - nature...
2023-03-2350 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Why I can't simply "trust the science"A new study shows that mask mandates were essentially ineffective. The lab-leak hypothosis is being strongly favored by a broad consensus. The impact of the actual corona virus seems less and less fatal, while draconian lockdown measures are proving worse and worse for individuals and society as a whole. And yet, throughout the havoc of the pandemic, we were told to "trust the science", as if science were some sort of authoritative monolith, not to be questioned. Ironically, that's the very opposite of what science teaches us to do. And in fact, there were plenty of scientists who doubted...
2023-03-0134 minKey Thinking (Aloud)How to think about violenceWhat counts as violence? Certainly a mass shooting, but how about being bumped on the subway? How do we balance our sensitivities with the brutal facts about the world? Can we regulate away everything that offends us? Is it really possible to live in a safe world? I think not. And I wonder what the point even is to the whole gun control debate. The real issue to be dealing with, in my opinion, is mental health care and support. I'd rather work towards a more compassionate system for derranged people than to pretend than anything substantive can be...
2023-01-3139 minKey Thinking (Aloud)How to think about valueDeterming the worth of something is difficult enough... we usually let markets decide for us. But value? There are so many more factors than price and quality. Opportunity costs, time and energy, other people's influences and perspectives - it's a tricky endeavor, and one I've been sort of obsessed with lately. Whether it's a commodity, experience or life decision, deciding on what I value - and how to best do that - is something I really need to think through.
2022-12-2151 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Travel Journal: PanamaI recently returned from another trip to the Caribbean, this time centered on the Panama Canal. It wasn't the most amazing trip. In fact, I don't really even recommend going to Panama (unless you have a clear reason to).
2022-12-0950 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Sex & Love AddictionI think of myself as a hedonist - I pursue instant gratifications, even at the risk of long-term goals. Does that make me an addict?
I recently accompanied a friend to a sex+love addiction anonymous meeting. They gave me a pamphlet with 40 questions. I answer them now.
2022-11-231h 00Key Thinking (Aloud)My California election ballot: State officesCalifornia: 40 million people, 12% of the USA, 52 House Representatives (down from 53), 1 of 2 senators up for (re)election, a slew of top Democrats up for re-election, including Gavin Newsom. It's not always clear which way to go here, and of the nine offices, I'm splitting my vote somewhat evenly between Dems and Reps, because I think conservatives do have ideas and attitudes worth injecting to our suffering state. I value balance more than anything, and despise ideological indoctrination, so it's worth finding opportunities to side with people who see the world differently. I'll also be abstaining from a few races, including...
2022-11-071h 03Key Thinking (Aloud)My California election ballot: the local LA stuffEveryone running for government positions in Los Angeles is left of center - there are no conservatives or Republicans in these races. That said, some candidates are more radically far left than others, and some are more sensible. This city has been plagued by homelessness for too long, all under the watch of the Democratic party. Crime is on the rise. Am I crazy for wanting a different perspective to hold public office? To balance things out a bit? I'm not eager for conservatives to take over at all, but I have no allegiance to tribal progressive thinking. Instead...
2022-11-051h 03Key Thinking (Aloud)My California election ballot: the propositionsLiberty, efficiency and respect for the commons - these are my guiding principles as a voting citizen.
I don't believe in moralizing through legislation, and I prefer pragmatism over idealism for its own sake.
It's also crucial to contextualize every policy decision, to consider its costs as well as benefits, and to scrutinize the players, profiteers and motives behind each argument.
All that said, hopefully we can all appreciate our shared goal for the flourishing of humankind.
The California mid-term election ballot is here, and I offer an explanation for the seven propositions:
2022-11-021h 12Key Thinking (Aloud)Energy as a Belief SystemI spoke last time about energy as fuel, and as a tradable, creatable commodity. Now I'd like to speak more to this amorphous, spiritual form of energy. This is a quick meditation on the invisible forces in our lives, and how we might perceive them.
2022-10-2030 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Energyen·er·gy /ˈenərjē/
noun
1.
the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity. "changes in the levels of vitamins can affect energy and well-being" (Similar: vitality, vigor, life, liveliness, animation, vivacity, spirit)
2.
power derived from the utilization of physical or chemical resources, especially to provide light and heat or to work machines.
"nuclear energy"
2022-09-3055 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Passing TimeI'm recuperating in my hometown at my parents' home, passing time with video games and other indulgences, wondering about life and what I should really be doing with myself. It's a balancing act, to be sure: being nice to yourself while also monitoring your habits for dangerous tendencies. We pursue what makes us feel good - that's not exactly pleasure, but more like flow and being present. All sorts of interests can accomplish this; some of us pursue one or two, others like me pursue many of them. It makes me wonder what I should really be doing at...
2022-09-2050 minKey Thinking (Aloud)On DisappointmentIt's inevitable that we feel disappointed, and disappoint others in our interpersonal relationships. How do we handle it? What is to be done with the negative feelings involved? Whose responsibility are these feelings? A close friend disappointed me in a very casual, small way - nothing to fight over at all - and yet we did manage to have a little fight about it. Why? Let's think about it.
2022-08-231h 02Key Thinking (Aloud)Disorganized FeelingsDo our feelings matter? What's the point of them? I feel things, but I try not to talk about them too much, except as they pertain to useful thoughts. Maybe I complain about life as much as anyone, but does anyone want to hear about it? Lately I'm feeling especially disorganized and out of sorts. Maybe it's useful to think through this sort of feeling, this annoying feeling of not having things together. I would very much like to be a more organized person, for everything in its right place.
2022-08-1834 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Inclusivity: What's the Point, Really?I'm currently disabled from a recent injury, and thinking a lot about what it means to be "able-bodied", and this idea of ableism. And that gets me thinking about the tremendous social pressure these days to use "inclusive language". No one likes to feel excluded, and I can say now with experience that it's no fun to feel like the world was designed without you in mind... But is it really possible to help marginalized people with language? Is that the sort of help people really need? Or might we be enforcing such language for more nefarious reasons, like...
2022-08-0343 minKey Thinking (Aloud)WokephobiaCharacterized by having a fear or disdain of woke ideology. After meandering around the topic of trans activism, I've settled on sharing my triggered thoughts and feelings on all such topics here: the commonality behind all radical leftist PC language in general, which evokes in me more than anything else a strong sense of ALIENATION. What is this strange new world order we're subject to, and why must we submit to it?? How many friends and connections do I lose as a result of dissenting? What's more alienating: acquiescence or rebellion?
2022-07-231h 15
Key Thinking (Aloud)Why is it so hard to talk (about abortion... still)Roe v Wade has been overturned, officially. This topic remains such a difficult one for us to discuss collectively. For me, to record this alone, in my room, it's somehow a meditative experience. Join me as I think out loud in all sorts of directions, free (as possible) from all the noise I've been seeing on the internet.
2022-06-2953 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)California PoliticsI'm embracing contrarian thinking. I've never thought of myself as controversial, but people tell me I am. I just appreciate nuance, and despise groupthink. It's important to seriously consider facts and goals before forming opinions, and this podcast offers a space to do that.
2022-06-0458 minKey Thinking (Aloud)The End of Safe, Legal Abortions?Roe v Wade is in danger. What does this mean? Is it really as bad as liberals say? And what kind of victory would that mean for conservatives? There's plenty of nuance here that I think is worth considering.
2022-05-2827 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Wayward AmericaA critique of going to a baseball game, and going to the cinema. Both of these collective experiences should be nicer. Uptight, rigid attitudes and declining quality of product are making them unpleasant.
2022-04-2636 minKey Thinking (Aloud)How to Make a Best-Of ListMy dad and I are trying to make a best-of classic rock list. I think it's interesting how we each approach this sort of idea. And one has to wonder, perhaps: is it even worth it? How much energy is worth giving any random project?
2022-03-1633 min2022-03-0750 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Peace with RussiaThinking through some of the complexities in this sad act of war by Russia against Ukraine. Is peace possible with Russia? Or does it have too many irreconcilable issues, geopolitically and psychologically?
2022-02-2743 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Free Speech 2022Freedom, specifcally personal liberty, is one of my fundamental values. There are some current events that might be threatening it. The Canadian government's threats against a trucker Convoy, and the recent attempt at canceling Joe Rogan, are both kind of interesting topics to discuss through the lens of personal freedoms. When are we not allowed to say what we think?
2022-02-1755 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Covid SolsticeI like recognizing the pagan roots in our holidays. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, where the sun is at its lowest point. It's a good reminder of the delicate balance of life, of how unkind nature can be, but how bountiful it can be in the future. I'm feeling especially pensive this year, especially worn out, and also sick. I have Covid.
2021-12-2236 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Open MindedWhat does it mean to have an open mind? Is it possible to have strong convictions if you're mind is actually open? Are there any dangers to opening your mind to certain ideas? Is it always the coolest thing, or is passé now to be open-minded?
2021-12-0247 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Radical Centrism (and the Kyle Rittenhouse trial)Kyle Rittenhouse is a 17yo boy on trial for murder right now in the USA. Is he guilty? I don't think so. And I say that without any ideological allegiances. Let's take out our political biases and look at this case as rationally as possible (if it is even possible). There's a lot to unpack here.
2021-11-1750 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Workflow / LifeflowI aim for a minimalist life with maximum output. I succeed at one of those more than the other. I believe technology and design can help solve my output issues by removing barriers - both physical and mental - in my work. This applies to travel as well, and to my neurodivergent brain in particular.
2021-11-0250 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Berlin PoliticsI took the Wahl-o-Mat online quiz and it tells me I should vote for the Humanist party.
"(Die Humanisten) see themselves as a social, liberal and progressive party that focuses on the freedom of the individual. In doing so, she invokes evolutionary humanism and advocates a critical-rational political approach that relies particularly on scientific knowledge and - regardless of the political trend - is open to all effective political concepts."
I go through the 38 questions and compare my answers to the Humanists, as well as the SPD, and also the AfD, just out of curiosity.
2021-10-021h 21Key Thinking (Aloud)Feeling OverwhelmedJust a bit of an anxiety attack on an autumn day; lots of admin stress. I'm bad at bureacratic work.
2021-09-2832 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Yeah, Afghanistan is a messJust a few thoughts on the Afghanistan situation that I haven't heard articulated yet. Mainly:
Is this even a real, legitimate sovereign country? Maybe its borders are an inherent problem. Maybe the global community should help the major ethnic tribes in the region establish their own autonomous states.
Do Westerners who support isolation as a foreign policy really have such little conviction in their own underlying value systems? It seems evident that the Western system of governence (based on enlightenment values) has led to bountiful human flourishing. Why is it so bad to encourage other places to adopt...
2021-09-0145 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Flaneur Life"A flâneur is an ambivalent figure of urban affluence and modernity, representing the ability to wander detached from society with no other purpose than to be an acute observer of industrialized, contemporary life."
I am a flaneur.
"The flâneur was, first of all, a literary type from 19th-century France, essential to any picture of the streets of Paris. The word carried a set of rich associations: the man of leisure, the idler, the urban explorer, the connoisseur of the street. It was Walter Benjamin, drawing on the poetry of Charles Baudelaire, who made th...
2021-08-0941 minKey Thinking (Aloud)A New EarthPresence, awareness and trasnscendence of ego - reflections on reading Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth. Be one with the universe.
2021-07-1327 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Woke Capitalism & Virtue SignalingPride Month honors the hardfought accomplishments of the gay rights movement, but has become a sort of husk of what it's meant to honor: a limp season of market pandering to an already progressive USA. Rainbow flags are worn by countless logos, signifying a point so obvious to so many as to constitute almost nothing.. except dutiful virtue signaling. What's the point of all this?
2021-07-0246 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Drugs & Party CultureDrugs are substances that alter consciousness, broadly speaking. But their subsets are vastly different: psychedelics are nothing like opioids, and even within a class like uppers, crystal meth is wildly different than caffeine. Let's think through the reasons why people take various drugs, explore the underlying implications and consequences, and contextualize each case, especially within party culture.
2021-06-2355 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Travel: MiamiHere's an endorsement to travel again. I can recommend Miami, Florida, for people that want some fun and sun. Covid is less threatening these days and it's time to get back out there.
2021-06-0832 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Why I (Mostly) Defend IsraelI used to be "pro-Palestine". Now I'm "pro-Israel", but to be honest, I'm mostly just annoyed by how society talks about this topic. Why is this the singular geopolitical issue that bascially everyone has an opinion about? And why is it so much trendier and cooler to support Palestine?
2021-05-2056 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Am I Sexist?What is sexism? I don't even know anymore tbh, but I know it's a sort of third rail that I sometimes flirt with, depending on context. I want to discuss this honestly and openly, and really explore what sort of ideas I hold that could be problematic. I'm taking an IDR Labs test here to figure out if I may indeed hold any sexist attitudes.
2021-05-0856 minKey Thinking (Aloud)I'm VaccinatedI remain pretty agnostic about it. People that want a vaccination should get one (and have access to it). The goal is herd immunity; the real goal is freedom of movement, open culture and a return to "normalcy". I want to live! And if getting a little bit of death in my arm leads to that, then I'm for it. But it should be a personal decision, ultimately.
2021-04-2845 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Moral Foundations (Part 2)Moral Foundations Theory attempts to explain individual differences in psychology and political intuitions, as well as to make sense of the many instances of moral outrage and offense that are increasingly seen in public debate.
This is part 2of 2 episodes, in which I take this Moral Foundations test: https://www.idrlabs.com/morality/6/test.php
2021-04-141h 17Key Thinking (Aloud)Moral Foundations (Part 1)Social scientists argue that there are substantial variations in human morality, and that these differences influence not just a person's decision making and reasoning processes, but also their political outlook. In recent years, researchers and scholars from all over the world have converged on the framework on Moral Foundations Theory in an attempt to explain these individual differences, as well as to make sense of the many instances of moral outrage and offense that are increasingly seen in public debate. By drawing on findings from their research, this test aims to give you your scores according to the Moral...
2021-04-131h 03Key Thinking (Aloud)Some People Don't Like MeJust a little rant about this dumb night I had. Feeling triggered, might delete later.
2021-04-0143 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Excess Compassion"The houseless community" is being kicked out of Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles. Activists are protesting this as an issue of compassion for the homeless - the city and police are the villains in that narrative. But how fair is that? Is the argument to just allow the homeless to stay in our city parks? Yes, the city has to do a lot more to solve homelessness, but how is this a bad step?
2021-03-2639 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Don't let me be misunderstoodI'm restraining myself. Sometimes I really just want to rant about something in this stupid world, but then I feel embarrassed by it, as if you'll judge me too much for saying something controversial or "wrong". But what if you don't actually understand what am saying? Or what if you think I don't understand you, but I do? Why is dialogue so hard anyways?
2021-03-1832 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Serenity NowI want the caution to accept things I cannot change, the daring to change the things I possibly can, and the wherewithall to know the difference.
2021-03-1337 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Ideas Are RealDo you believe in magic? Fate, destiny, astrology, tarot? When are weird events more than just coincidences? Maybe the energy we put into the world manifests in tangible ways. Or are we just imagining things?
2021-03-0340 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)On AgeOk I admit it: I'm getting older. I care a little less about new music, career obsessions and even girls! Us millennials are no longer the "young people". And I'm noticing small things in Zoomers (Gen Z, born post 1996) that make me conscious of a subtle generation gap. Is it possible teens and college kids care way more about the pandemic, for instance? Are more supportive of a nanny state and authoritarianism? That's probably too vague, but they're coming of age in this very time.
Also, "ageism" (as discrimination) is real. I didn't talk about this, but...
2021-02-1851 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Can we move on?It's ok to acknowledge mistakes - we all make them! I'm ok with embracing my regrets, and trying to use them to gain wisdom through accrued life experience. It's hard though, especially when obsesssing over every missed opportunity, every wrong turn in life while lying in bed at night... We don't make it any easier for each other, the way we scrutinize our social utterances, our trendy beliefs or angry rants - as if those momentary thoughts define each of us as people. Such a rigid, unforgiving world we live in. Do we need it?
2021-02-1156 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)How to Heal HomelessnessHomelessness is bad. That shouldn't be a controversial statement. Why aren't we doing more to solve it?? Is this really a politically divisive or difficult topic? The morality of it is clear: to let more and more people live in the streets is pathetic - it's an embarrassment! Let's honestly address this.
2021-01-2848 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)What Is Essential?I'm not appreciating whatever rubric is being used to determine what is "essential" these days. I know what I need in my life, and I don't feel like the government understands it. I appreciate a concern for public health, but I think we're losing track of balance these days.
2021-01-2133 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Chilling Out (Against Hate)My take on the DC stuff, radical belief systems these days, threats to our livelihoods and how it's all just a bunch of noise, in a way. It's important that we regulate our emotional responses to all things, and prioritize in our lives things that actually matter to us, really. Like love, hobbies, bonding, etc, you know?
2021-01-1446 min2021-01-0624 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Between the Years"Zwischen den Jahren" is the theme of this quick podcast ep. I'm on a bit of a holiday with my parents and brother, recording this in a very slow, somewhat dulled mindset. I talk about some holiday movies and what it means to be traveling right now.
2020-12-2915 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Life is BalanceThis is a stream-of-consciousness one, a little lighter, a little empathetic, and of course some politics, but also depth. Let's be one with the universe yall.
2020-12-1753 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Why I won't declare my pronounsTrans activism has been simmering for a while. I've been paying attention, wondering what my role is as a well-intentioned person who cares about progress and justice. I've decided that it does not include adding he/him to my bio, my by-line, my email signature or anything else. I have a few reasons for that. Does it make me a transphobe or bigot? You can tell me.
2020-12-1051 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Sex CrimeA difficult and explicit look at abhorrent behavior, especially depicted in various films.
Why Irreversible is the most traumatic film I’ve ever seen
It’s important that we calibrate our moral intuitions
Victims and villains: what are the rules?
#metoo, Harvey Weinstein, _The Morning Show _and power dynamics
Understanding maturity and agency
The burden of male sexuality vs our higher ideals
Michael Jackson (Leaving Neverland), paedophile who courted boyfriends
R. Kelly (Surviving R. Kelly), Aaliya was 13-14, hebephile who imprisoned adolescents
Jeffrey Epstein (Filthy Rich), ephebophile who corrupted teens and the legal system
Chronophilia and age of cons...
2020-12-0351 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Libertarian LeftI'm embracing contrarian thinking. I've never thought of myself as controversial, but people tell me I am. I just appreciate nuance, and despise groupthink. It's important to seriously consider facts and goals before forming opinions, and this podcast offers a space to do that.
LibLefts get made fun of a lot on reddit.com/politicalcompassmemes, and maybe that's fair. But it's how I identify, despite my contrarian attitudes toward other leftists, and my appreciation for centrism and other ways of thinking. Still, this is where I land. In this episode, I take the political compass quiz and...
2020-11-261h 11
Key Thinking (Aloud)Fake NewsTopics covered in this one:
Podcasting as writing
What is real? What can we trust?
Covid news, election controversies
The Social Dilemma and our individual realities
Fake news masquerades generic ideas as facts
Privacy vs vulnerability
The Great Hack and weaponizing data
We must be better at discerning information
The psychology of conspiracy theories
Vigilance against corruption
Reality is satire
The continued drama of the presidential election
The current COVID lockdown
Failures in journalism
Psychology of isolation and online life
Sympathies and responsibilities
Russian hackers and the Mueller report
The psychology of belief
9/11 as a meme
The Overton...
2020-11-1859 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)My Mental HealthHow are you feeling? I've been better, and I want to talk through it. Society doesn't really know how to address the topic of mental health - not intrapersonally, not interpersonally, not more broadly, regarding the least fortunate on our city streets. And we're not quite aware enough of our typical behaviors and socio-political attitudes, and how our mental health contributes to such topics. So let's reflect on all this.
2020-11-1355 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)I Voted (for Myself)Some thoughts post election:
I voted from Berlin, and I’m proud of that, even if my vote in New York doesn’t mean much.
I really expected Biden to win easily, so again I have to eat my words, as the election remains too close to call. Too much deja vu, for sure.
The Dems are pathetic. Regardless of what happens.
I’m not too worried about Trump’s wild authoritarian LARPing.
Leftists need to understand better why the’yre unappealing to average/swing voters. I wish we did more i...
2020-11-0436 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)The LA Dodgers are Baseball ChampionsI'm not a big sports fan. I think sports are an imperfect entertainment, an emotionally draining investment and a poor substitute for narrative fiction. But we love sports as a society for deep psychological reasons, and it IS satisfying when our team wins. The Los Angeles Dodgers are my favorite sports team, and they've (finally) won the world series. I'm especially happy for my dad, to whom this episode is dedicated. He's overjoyed. Me? I'm just relieved, happy that I'm not disappointed.
2020-10-2858 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Do I Really Have to Vote?Civic duty is important. But how much is voting a civic duty, really? Maybe it depends... Depending on your particular circumstances, voting can be really tricky, actually. One might wonder if it's even worth it... It probably depends on the urgency of the particular election, the details of your district, and the social pressure involved. Isn’t stigma a major factor in this decision? I'm personally having a tough time with all of it. There are quite few barriers for some, and apathy doesn't help. And whose fault is that?
2020-10-2141 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Am I Getting Canceled?I keep getting canceled. Not "officially" - I have no boss that can fire me. But I feel it all around, in so many of my social interactions and conversations. I feel the cold shoulder of prominent opinion turning on my provocative nature. Society doesn't seem to embrace contrarian thinking these days, and the room for challenging questions keep dwindling.
2020-10-1559 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)End the War on DrugsOur modern political fight is full of tired slogans, ambiguous chants and outlandish demands. Let's get specific, and target a true enemy of the people: the war on drugs. This policy - American and global - unjustly targets minorities and the poor, it costs billions of dollars a year, and it infringes on the personal liberties of citizens. Insofar as the war on drugs aims to ameliorate the problem of drug abuse, it turns what is clearly a health issue, into a criminal issue, solving nothing. It in fact exacerbates the social problems it purports to solve.
...
2020-10-0524 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Vote Biden I GuessI'm looking forward to Donald Trump no longer being president, for many reasons. For that to happen, Joe Biden must be elected in November. If you live in a swing state, please vote for him. If you don't, I can't blame you at all if you don't feel like it. I outline the reasons why Biden - and the Democratic party generally - is hard for me to support these days.
2020-09-1826 minKey Thinking (Aloud)More Bad PolicingThis news story caught my eye today. I want to make a point about it: the police can be stupid, violent, poorly trained, misguided, aggressive and overly burdened... without being racist. Let's reform the police so this kind of story doesn't happen, even if the victim isn't black. Or can we only reform policing in the context of race?
2020-09-0933 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Feminism is too big a wordWhat is feminism? Are you or I am feminist? It depends on the meaning of this word, and on context. Let's explore the ideas of this political movement over time, and also ponder its more personal, psychological implications.
2020-08-3157 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)White Fragility is PropagandaDespite continual progress, the USA remains unequal and unjust across a variety of metrics. Insofar as race remains a major issue in the fight for social justice, we should be dealing with it. But is "White Fragility" a productive way to confront such issues? I answer a 20-question test to figure that out.
2020-08-221h 16
Key Thinking (Aloud)My EnneagramThe Enneagram is a model of nine personality types. It is commonly used in self-help, business management, and spiritual development.
2020-08-1655 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Equality (Opportunity, Outcome and Morality)The abstract concept of equality has become probably the number one virtue for many of us, especially in the current protest movement. But what is equality, exactly? How do we do we measure it? And at what costs should it be pursued?
It's helpful to think of equality in at least two key ways: equality of opportunity, and equality of outcome. I advocate for the liberal freedom of equal opportunity, for which we must continually strive. I denounce the pursuit of equal outcomes, which is a radical Marxist impossibility.
2020-07-3056 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Critical Race TheoryWe need to think openly and collaboratively about the hard issues surrounding race inequality. We also need police reform. But the academic movement of Critical Race Theory asks us to do something else: look inward, into our murky souls, and ask for something like redemption.
I’m skeptical of intersectionality and modern social justice. I think these movements miss the point, and careen way past our political goals. But my cousin studies this topic and sent me some introspective questions, so I'll answer them now. Maybe it will help the national dialogue.
2020-07-101h 10
Key Thinking (Aloud)What can we know?This is an epistemological look at current events: health, masks, epidemiology and ongoing virus issues - contextuslized as an ominous backdrop to the protest movement. What can we even know about the details of the protests, and of the fundamental bases for them?
2020-06-301h 02Key Thinking (Aloud)Police Brutality vs Race vs ClassWe react to injustice with outrage, appropriately enough. But would it make sense to temper our enflamed emotions with some reason and rationality? I'm not sure, but I'm gonna put it out there.
2020-06-0558 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Chernobyl (vs Coronavirus)Chernobyl (2019) is an HBO miniseries about the 1986 Soviet nuclear power plant disaster. It's excellent. Here's why.
Note: the original file has been updated. The proper version is 58 min.
2020-05-0558 min2020-04-1645 min2020-03-1018 min2020-03-0619 min2020-02-2647 min2020-02-1731 min2020-01-1050 minKey Thinking (Aloud)The Caribbean, explainedIn preparation for a holiday to the Lesser Antilles, I thought I'd try and explain what this place even is.
This episode is in conjunction with a more detailed article, with maps: https://www.journalofthere.com/content/2019/the-caribbean
2019-12-1535 minKey Thinking (Aloud)Cultural RelativismLet's start with a post on reddit about solo travel in Egypt...
2019-12-1242 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Trigger Warnings & Safe SpacesShould universities provide trigger warnings and safe spaces for their students? No.
2019-10-2841 min2019-10-2836 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)LGBT identity issuesLGBT is an acronym (one of several variants) that aims to encompass a myriad of individuals and indetities for the purpose of grouping together a series of political issues, all of which supposedly circle the topic of sexual identity. This is a lot to dissect: the political issues are diverse, and I wonder how helpful it is to nest this discussion around sexual identity.
2019-10-0444 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Governmental DomainI'm loosely tying together here some questions from isidewith.com, about the reach of government on commercial property, and the reach of religion on government property.
2019-10-0136 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Keep abortion safe, legal and rareAbortion is a political issue, but really, it's a personal issue. It's also a moral one, and a social one. Let's delve into the many aspects of this very complex topic, and figure out why things get so political.
2019-09-1048 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)National SecurityShould the President be able to authorize military force against Al-Qaeda without Congressional approval?Should the US assassinate suspected terrorists in foreign countries?
It's important to think carefully about complex issues. There's nuance to all of them, and even if the answer seems clear, I'd like to consider the other points of view.
2019-08-0925 min
Key Thinking (Aloud)Welcome to the podcastHi everyone, my name is Keith. I'm an artist and writer from California, living in Berlin. I am embarking on a public thinking through of various issues - political, psycholgicial, philosophical. This is episode 1: an introduction, and a bit of background about me.
2019-08-0725 min