Shows
Woke PointsWhat it (Was) Like to Visit GazaA whole lot has been happening in the Middle East since October 7th, and there's been no shortage of coverage of the conflict on news, social media, and almost anywhere else we look.But what was it like to visit before all this started — and especially, what was it like to visit Gaza? Listen in as Ted describes his experiences mentoring startups there in 2015 and 2017. This is an atypical episode — no music, and no Marni — but we hope this can help add some context to what's happening in the region today.Ted will read excerpts from a...2024-01-1147 minWoke PointsKissinger's Death Sheds New Light on The Secret War — with Legacies of War's Danae HendricksonWhen Henry Kissinger died, various obituaries struggled to sound respectful while recounting his long history of war crimes and dastardly deeds. Woke Points, on the other hand, will not be burdened with that struggle.Ted and Marni are joined by Danae Hendrickson of Legacies of War to discuss the Secret War that Kissinger led in Laos and Cambodia during the (far-from-secret) war in Vietnam. Together we discuss the devastating impacts that 2 million tons of bombs dropped on Laos in the 1960s and '70s still have to this day. Danae shares her personal history with The Secret W...2023-12-191h 16Woke PointsOutdoorsy Talk with Real Scientist Dr. Joe Boomgard-ZagrodnikGetting outdoors has never been nerdier! Atmospheric scientist and avid ultra runner Joe Boomgard-Zagrodnik joins Ted and Marni to bring a truly informed, scientific perspective on how we can conscientiously enjoy the great outdoors.We talk climate change, optimism, microplastics and much much more. If you like Woke Points then you should love Joe BZ because he originally introduced Ted and Marni when they crewed for him at The Western States 100 race.Books referenced in this episode:Yi-Fu Tuan, TopophiliaLinks:William Cronon, “The Trouble with Wilderness”Keep learning from Joe:2023-12-121h 05Woke PointsTaking a Shot at Talking GunsSome folks on the left have adopted the maxim that the "best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." Listen in as we discuss our own reaction to that belief, and the practice of using guns to defend threatened groups from the violence of oppressors.Marni and Ted share stories of groups in the minority who are taking up arms for their protection, and discuss our own experiences with, and feelings about, guns. Resources from this episode:Books:Killers of the...2023-11-2856 minWoke PointsThe Atlantic's Elliot Ackerman on Reinstating the DraftHaving served five tours of duty as a Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan, Elliot Ackerman knows what he's talking about when it comes to military service. He makes the argument that a draft could increase public engagement with the military and thus potentially reduce wars because everyone would have more skin in the game. In this episode, Ted and Marni talk to Elliot about how his experience informs his perspective and if he sees any real potential for a universal draft to be brought to fruition. Resources from this episode:Elliot's Time article about reinstating the draf...2023-11-1453 minWoke PointsCan we #GetOutdoors without Destroying Them?Ted is super Outdoorsy and Marni is more Outdoors-ish, but we both love our time in the woods, on the water, and just out in the fresh air. In this episode, we explore (see what I did there?) how to love the outdoors without destroying them. Resources from this episode:COVID spikes in Outdoor RecreationOutdoor Activities and Greenhouse Gas EmissionsThe impact of urbanization on Austria’s carbon footprintTrail running events contribute microplastic pollution to conservation and wilderness areasNat Geo article: Rock climbing is getting more popular—and that concerns conservationistsApparently helicopters use lead fuelHelicopters with SAF! Promi...2023-11-0755 minWoke PointsShould We Reinstate the Draft?Most Americans pass every day blissfully unaware of the impacts our military has around the world. We are insulated by a volunteer military that carries out global campaigns while we go about our lives. On this episode, Ted and Marni discuss whether a national, inclusive draft could result in increased civic engagements and fewer wars.Resources from this episode:Why Bringing Back the Draft Could Stop America’s Forever WarsHow I Learned to Love the DraftShould the United States Reinstate the Draft?Watson Institute Cost of War Map — Counterterror LocationsCFR (Council on Foreign Relations) data on mili...2023-10-3148 minWoke PointsA Future Without Philanthropy — featuring Farhad EbrahimiChorus Foundation founder Farhad Ebrahimi is in the process of giving away all $50 million of his inherited wealth, and he'll be done by the end of this year.Listen to this episode to learn not only why is Farhad giving away his fortune, but is encouraging others to follow his lead. Beyond his own foundation, he's part of a larger movement to work with others across society to imagine a future beyond philanthropy as we know it.Resources from this episode:The Chorus Foundation — Farhad's OrganizationThe Whitman Institute —Trust Based PhilanthropyJustice FundersThe Mexico City Poli...2023-10-241h 32Woke PointsPatriotism from Past to Present and Beyond, with Duke's Noah PickusAuthor of multiple books on national identity and patriotism, Duke's Noah Pickus brings his historically-informed perspective to this week's episode.This conversation goes beyond our emotional responses to patriotism and expands into some deep topics, like the relationship between patriotism and immigration policy, and what it even means to be a citizen of a place.Resources and recommendations from this episode:Buy Noah's latest book, The New Global UniversitiesBuy Noah's other books, True Faith & Allegiance: Immigration and American Civic Nationalism and Immigration & Citizenship in the 21st CenturyDismal Science: How Thinking Like an Economist Undermines C...2023-10-1049 minWoke PointsCan Progressives be Patriotic?When you approach a house flying an American flag, do you feel welcome? When you hear the national anthem, do your eyes well with tears of national pride? Do you bleed red, white, and blue? Can you answer yes to any of the questions above and still consider yourself politically progressive? In this episode, Ted and Marni discuss their own relationships with patriotism as well as how it seems to have been co-opted by the right. We ask if progressives should try to re-stake our claim on patriotism, and if so, how we can go ab...2023-10-0344 minWoke PointsDo Only the Rich Get to Eat (Well)? Discussing Food Equity with Kelly HodginsIf you've had enough Marnsplaining, then this episode is for you! Ted and Marni welcome Kelly Hodgins to add her brilliantly informed perspective around equity in our food system.Born and raised on farms in Canada and New Zealand, Kelly brought her interest in farming into her academic career where she focused her research on food and agriculture systems, and did a lot of public engagement on different food system issues, such as food waste and inequality in food access. She's conducted significant research exploring the classed dynamics of the “ethical” or “alternative” food system. You can r...2023-09-2650 minWoke PointsFood Elitism Leaving you Hungry?Season three is here, and if we say so ourselves it's a Snack! Join Ted and Marni for a conversation about how progressives sometimes focus more on elitist dietary practices over increased food access for all.Here are some of the items we mention during the episode:One of our favorite TikToks about City life - thank you Jane Jacobs!The book that inspired that TikTok and that Marni is currently (slowly) reading.Donate to MAG, a great organization helping save lives and open land to farming and tourism in Laos by getting rid of all...2023-09-1947 minWoke PointsSeason 3 TeaserSeason 3 starts on September 19th so now is the time to subscribe!We have a lot of fun in store for you this season like...Food PoliticsPatriotismPhilanthropy (should we abolish it?)and much much more!Thank you to Inny PDX for the music!Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* independent bookstores across the country — thank you!Enjoying Woke Points?Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to st...2023-09-1207 minWoke PointsTravel Talk with Ted and MarniIn our last bonus episode before season 3, Ted and Marni talk about Americans' relationship to international travel, our shared love for solo travel, and why wanderlust drives us both.Thank you to Inny PDX for the music!Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* independent bookstores across the country — thank you!Enjoying Woke Points?Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to stay apprised of updates and new episodes!2023-08-2254 minWoke PointsA Shameless Conversation About Sex WorkAnother bonus episode! Join Ted and Marni for an earnest conversation with professional Dominatrix and fetish wrestler Katarina "The Domme Kat" Pierce, and sexual health educator Momo, about the wide world of sex work. We'll get their perspective on *everything* Sex Robots too. Did we mention that Momo had a sex robots blog back in the 2000s?Learn more about Kat via her website or Instagram, or visit her Link Tree. Follow and learn (and laugh!) from Momo on Instagram.Check out this book that comes up during the episode as well. Thank yo...2023-08-081h 02Woke PointsShould we Sanction Sanctions? Bonus Episode with Rob Morris of the More Freedom FoundationPodcaster, Political Commentator and founder of the More Freedom Foundation Rob Morris joins Ted and Marni for this bonus episode to reveal the unseen violence of US Sanctions, and we do our very best to have fun while doing it.Check out Rob across multiple social channels:YouTubeTwitterInstagram, TikTok, and Threads: @morefreedomfoundation Listen to Rob's podcastRead Rob's BookThank you to Inny PDX for the music!Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books...2023-07-2547 minWoke PointsSchool's Out for Summer: Season 2 CloserJust like any reputable educational institution, Woke Points works in semesters. So now's the time we sign off for Ted and Marni to take a summer break! Now is also a great time to catch up on any episodes from Season 1 or Season 2 that you've missed. Season 3 is coming at the end of August.Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to stay apprised of updates and new episodes!Follow Woke Points:@wokepointspod on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.Help keep Woke Points going & growing with support through...2023-05-1615 minWoke PointsWho Decides Truth in Media — and Do We Even Need It? with Professor A.J. BauerUniversity of Alabama Communications Professor and author AJ Bauer joins Ted and Marni for this week's deep dive into the history of truth and fairness in media. By the end, we wonder, "is truth even the right goal?"Follow AJ on Twitter, and buy his books: the acclaimed News on the Right: Studying Conservative News Cultures, and his forthcoming Making the Liberal Media.Resources from this episode:Institute for Public KnowledgeNews on the Right: Studying Conservative News CulturesThank you to Inny PDX for the music!Woke Points u...2023-05-091h 09Woke PointsWas Fox News Preventable?In this episode, Ted blows Marni's mind by explaining to her that once upon a time it was legally mandated that news outlets (at least those using terrestrial channels) present both sides of a story. Our current Fox News vs MSNBC world seems very far from the days of the Fairness Doctrine. While we recognize that cable news would not actually fall under the decree of the rule we discuss in this episode, we do wonder whether it could have helped us avoid the extremes we live with now. Resources from this episode:Host: D...2023-05-0245 minWoke PointsDoes My Sex Robot Need a Lawyer? with Legal Scholars Tania Leiman and Madi McCarthyHave you had enough Sex Robots talk yet? Of course not! In this episode, Ted and Marni welcome Tania Leiman, Dean of Law at Flinders University, and legal scholar Madi McCarthy (no relation to Ted), both of whom have studied and written extensively about how the law handles intimate AI.Find Tania's publications here.Thank you to Inny PDX for the music!Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org, so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* independent bookstores across...2023-04-2549 minWoke PointsAre Robots the Next Stage of our Sexual Evolution? with Author and Evolutionary Biologist Rob BrooksThis week Ted and Marni welcome author, professor, and evolutionary biologist Rob Brooks to the podcast to provide a scientifically informed perspective on human/AI relationships particularly when it comes to intimacy. Rob's knowledge of human evolutionary behavioral patterns provides a rich context to understand how we currently interact with technology and the potential future for those interactions. If you listened last week and wondered, what can scientific research tell us about sex robots then this episode is for you!Buy Rob's Book: Artificial Intimacy: Virtual Friends, Digital Lovers, and Algorithmic MatchmakersOther...2023-04-1849 minWoke PointsSex Robots: How Intimate Should We Get with AI?In this episode, Marni and Ted stutter and blush while doing their best to discuss the promise and peril of humanoid sex robots. Are they a solution for socially incompatible sexual drives? Will they lead to even worse abuses in human sexual interactions? We don't know, but we are still going to discuss these and more questions.If you enjoy the schadenfreude of eavesdropping on folks in the midst of a very awkward conversation, then this is the episode for you!Resources from this episode:Love and Sex with RobotsSex, Robots, and...2023-04-1146 minWoke PointsA Charitable Look at Effective Altruism with Jennifer RubensteinThis week Ted and Marni welcome Dr. Jennifer Rubenstein, Associate Professor of Politics at The University of Virginia and author of Between Samaritans and States to the podcast. Jenn brings a much needed informed perspective on the multitude of approaches to charitable giving and how we each can all evaluate our own giving practices. If you listened last week and wondered "but what would someone with demonstrated knowledge about this topic say?" this week's interview is for you!Buy Jen's book! Between Samaritans and States: The Political Ethics of Humanitarian INGOsOther resources...2023-04-0451 minWoke PointsHow Effective is Your Altruism?In this episode, Marni and Ted discuss the Effective Altruism movement and whether or not there is a "right" or "most effective" approach to charitable giving. Content note - this episode is NOT about Sam Bankman-Fried.If you've ever wondered whether you could make more of every dollar you donate, then this episode is for you.Welcome to a new era of Woke Points! We will now be serving up episodes weekly with the Ted and Marni convo one week, followed by our expert interview on the same topic the next week.Resources f...2023-03-2839 minWoke PointsShould We Give a Hoot About Night Owls? with Author Haley ShapleyIn this episode, Marni and Ted discuss the challenges faced by night owls in a world designed for early birds. Many people are at their most productive or creative late in the day and even into the night, but are squeezed into the modern world's 9 - 5 structure. Can we create more opportunities for night owls to soar?Following Ted and Marni's moderately informed discussion, Haley Shapley, a writer and editor who has recently been researching night owls, joins the conversation to provide a more data-driven perspective. Haley and Ted have some fun razzing Marni for being a...2023-03-141h 15Woke PointsShould We be Psyched About Psychedelics? with MAPS' Devon PhillipsIn this episode, Marni and Ted trip into the increasingly interesting world of psychedelics - both their potential to offer transformative therapeutic treatments and what the recent popular, scientific, and regulatory discourse around them can teach us about the war on drugs.Following Ted and Marni's moderately informed discussion, Devon Phillips, Creative Strategist at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) joins the conversation to share what he has learned in his time working to expand cultural consciousness. Check out:MAPSPsychedelic Science 2023Devon's InstagramMAPS InstagramPS 2023 Instagram2023-02-281h 31Woke PointsProgressives, We Need to Talk About Palestine with Author Mitchell PlitnickIn this episode, Ted and Marni embrace the anxiety of discussing the complex Israel / Palestine conflict, and question why it has been such a taboo, hot-button issue, especially for those of us on the left.Following Ted and Marni's moderately informed discussion, Mitchell Plitnick, president of ReThinking Foreign Policy and co-author, with Marc Lamont Hill, of the book "Except for Palestine: the Limits of Progressive Politics," joins to add context to help us think and talk about this important issue.Check out:Except for Palestine, by Mitchell Plitnick and Marc Lamont HillReThinking Fo...2023-02-141h 08Woke PointsShould We Stop Having Kids to Save the Planet? with Yale's Jenn MarlonIn this episode, Ted and Marni — two childless adults — discuss the ethics of human reproduction in the midst of a global climate crisis.Following Ted and Marni's moderately informed discussion, Jenn Marlon, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of the Environment and the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) joins to share what her research has to say about the way Americans are thinking about climate change in relation to their life choices. Please note that this conversation was recorded in February 2022 before the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade. Some refer...2022-10-181h 19Woke PointsAre We Dead Wrong About No-Kill Pet Shelters?In this episode, Marni returns to her roots as a humane society professional and explains to Ted why the "No Kill" label adopted by many animal shelters is more complicated than you might think.Some references from this conversation:Consider the Lobster by David Foster WallaceWhy Euthanasia Rates at Animal Shelters have PlummetedSupport the your local humane society or municipal animal shelter. Marni knows great local organizations all over the country, feel free to email with questions about finding a reputable organization.Let your elected officials know that you...2022-10-041h 11Woke PointsActivism, Huh, What is it Good For? with Activist Marie CollinsIn this episode, Ted and Marni interview Marie Collins about her work as an actual activist. Marie shares her experiences in activism and some advice for well-meaning progressives who want to put their energy to good use.Referenced in this episode:No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded AgeThe 3.5% RuleYou're More Powerful Than You ThinkTwitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest Support the groups that are supporting activists:IndivisibleSister DistrictLet your elected officials know what you c...2022-09-2053 minWoke PointsIs it Anti-Gay to Eat Chick-Fil-A?In this episode, Ted and Marni discuss the ethics of eating Chick-Fil-A and consumer activism in general. Please note that this conversation was recorded before the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade and thus put many more of our rights in jeopardy. Also, next week we will be coming at you with an interview with an actual activist who can put some of this episode's conversation into a broader perspective.Some references from this conversation:Notre Dame Students Protest Chick-Fil-AChick-Fil-A Controversy ExplainerSupport the groups that are fighting f...2022-09-0657 minWoke PointsWhat Can a Harried Mom Teach Us About Parental Leave? with Journalist Danielle CampoamorIn this bonus episode, Ted and Marni interview Today.com reporter Danielle Campoamor about how the US and corporations can and should do better when it comes to Parental Leave while she fends off her two feral children.Connect with Danielle via Twitter and check out her writing on Today.com Read The Cost of Unpaid Parental Leave is DevastatingSupport the groups that are fighting for parental leave:National Partnership for Women and FamiliesPL+USACLULet your elected officials know that you want them to...2022-08-2329 minWoke PointsShould Singles be Aggrieved over Parental Leave? with HR Pro Avi KopparthiTwo single, childless adults discuss recent pushback against parental leave programs and how America could and should do parental leave better. Following Ted and Marni's moderately informed discussion, Avi Kopparthi, Senior Director of HR at a major corporation joins for an interview about how forward-thinking corporations are handling HR challenges and where government intervention could help drive progress.Tune in next week for an additional interview that offers a journalistic perspective on this topic.Connect with AviCheck out the articles we referenced:Pew: Women more than men adjust their...2022-08-161h 14Woke PointsShould We Stop Traveling to Save the Planet? with Author Sami GroverTwo avid travelers examine whether or not we should all give up traveling in order to save the planet.Following Ted and Marni's moderately informed discussion, Sami Grover, author of We're All Climate Hypocrites Now, joins for an interview about how we can balance the lives we want with the treehugger values we espouse.Learn more about Sami.Buy Sami's book, We're All Climate Hypocrites Now: How Embracing Our Limitations Can Unlock the Power of a MovementCheckout Treehugger.comThank you to Inny PDX for the music!2022-08-021h 17