Shows
It Is Your BirthdayMay 2025 (Mother's Day Special): Happy Birthday to Carmen CusidoCarmen Cusido is turning 42. According to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, this year should answer a lot.But for the past few years, having her birthday hover around Mother’s Day hasn’t been the easiest, given that it hasn’t been long since her mother passed away.In our conversation, Carmen shares what it’s like to lose both parents, learning to handle the grief and recover in the wake of all that loss.We also talk about:Deep-frying cookies for momGrief and guilt, even on your Birth...2025-05-1021 minIt Is Your BirthdayApril 2025: Happy Birthday to VioletThis April, Violet is turning six years old.It’s been a minute (and a half) since I was six, but interviewing Violet about her special day was a treat in itself. Have a listen and you’ll see why.2025-04-2809 min
RevealTrump’s Deportation Black HoleOn March 15th, federal agents rounded up more than 230 Venezuelan nationals who were then deported to El Salvador and locked up in the country’s notorious mega-prison. The Trump administration said the men belonged to a violent Venezuelan gang, but presented no evidence, and there were no court hearings in which the men could contest the allegations. Nearly a month later, families of the Venezuelan men say they have heard nothing about their fate. It’s as if they disappeared. “We're living in a world where you can just be rounded up with no hearing, not even...2025-04-1250 minIt Is Your BirthdayMarch 2025: Happy Birthday to Avery TrufelmanAvery Trufelman had 33 to look forward to because it was her Jesus year.But 34? What happens at 34? There is no Taylor Swift album for that, sadly, if you’re into that kind of music, I guess?In our conversation, we touched on fashion, the New Testament, and the existential dread that comes with creation.Have a listen and subscribe to Avery’s podcast on the culture of fashion and clothing called Articles of Interest. You’re gonna like the stories you hear, I guarantee it. 2025-03-2624 minIt Is Your BirthdayFebruary 2025: Happy Birthday to Siddhartha MahantaThis episode is a few days late, but thankfully, we’re still in Pisces season, which, if you embody, means you might be empathetic and compassionate.Siddhartha Mahanta is a Pisces. He was kind enough to come on the show to talk about his late February birthday and entering his middle age, life on the other side of 40. Mahanta has spent the last several years working as a journalist in places like Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, Business Insider, and The New York Times.But not once has he worked on a story about birthdays. As an...2025-03-0224 minIt Is Your BirthdayJanuary 2025: Happy Birthday to Mia LobelMia Lobel has some relatives who have lived up to 109, so her latest birthday, the big 5-0, isn’t all that big in the grand scheme of things.She says it's more of a halfway point—partly because she’s still actively trying to figure out some big life questions, notably what to do about “work.”She’s no stranger to it, she’s built a career in podcasting well before the industry was cool, lucrative and/or established. She’s helped bring shows like Revisionist History and Broken Record. She became one of the bigwigs at Pushkin Indus...2025-01-3023 minIt Is Your BirthdayHappy Belated Birthday Sylvia ManheimThe average life expectancy for someone born in the United States is slightly more than 77. But that was decades ago for Sylvia Manheim.
During the late summer of 2024, the former switchboard operator turned educator, turned hospital administrator, turned college administrator, turned 99. And while she’s just shy of celebrating her centennial, she’s in good company, one of 1.9 million Americans who have made it past 90.
To say that she’s lived a life is an understatement. Listen to this week’s podcast episode to hear about Sylvia’s advice on relationships, regret, and hope.
And plea...2025-01-0922 minIt Is Your BirthdayIt Is Your Birthday: Komail AijazuddinIt’s the holiday season, and if you’re observing, you’re probably struggling, or have struggled, to buy gifts for the special people in your life.
But why not just get a gift for yourself? Artist and writer Komail Aijazuddin started this tradition when he was 16 and living in Lahore, Pakistan, to celebrate his birthday.
His first gift to himself was a watercolor paint set that played a pivotal role in the trajectory of his life. Komail now lives in New York City and just published his first book, Manboobs: A Memoir of Musicals, Visas...2024-12-2321 minRevealThe Many Contradictions of a Trump VictoryAs Donald Trump prepares to enter the White House for a second term, the reasons people voted him into office are becoming more clear. For Micki Witthoeft, it’s cause for celebration. Her daughter, Ashli Babitt, was shot and killed by a police officer after storming the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Today, Witthoeft is confident Trump will stand by his word and pardon everyone involved. “He said his administration's going to be one on ‘promises made and promises kept,’ ” she said. “I felt like he was talking right to me.”But it’s not the same senti...2024-11-1650 minIt Is Your BirthdayIt Is Your Birthday: Zainab ShahGrowing up, you eventually learn that diamonds are forever and that every kiss begins with Kay.But when Zainab Shah was still a student, she took a class on gender, race, and sexuality in contemporary pop culture where she learned the truth about diamonds—how they’re not scarce, the backstory behind De Beers’ marketing campaign and how that campaign shifted with the rise of female purchasing power across the globe.
But girl boss culture should, Zainab argues, is a manifestation that we could all do away with. Yas queen.
Zainab is an immigrant to the...2024-10-1723 minRevealIn God We VoteA small church in a small town in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, has been flexing its political muscle and building an outsized reputation for blurring the line between church and state. Pastor Don Lamb wants his congregants to be engaged in spiritual warfare and not be “head-in-the-sand, Jesus-loves-you kind of Christians,” especially when it comes to the local school board. To Lamb, this is not a Christian takeover. Yet his church is influenced by an elusive, hard-to-pin-down movement whose followers believe that Christians are called to control the government and that former President Donald Trump was chosen by God...2024-10-1250 minIt Is Your BirthdayIt Is Your Birthday: Priska NeelyI am not good with money. The world of finance feels like invented chemistry, where the equations make sense only to a select few. Sorry, Jerome Powell (don’t worry; I don’t think he is a subscriber), but every time you make the news, I assume it’s because bad news is coming—something about the markets and interest rates—then my eyes start to glaze over, and then I feel helpless and realize how I will likely never own a home.
And I am sure I am not the only one who feels a certain way when a...2024-09-1322 minIt Is Your BirthdayIt Is Your Birthday: KlarikaKlarika works in advertising, and I can’t tell if she reads Inc. Magazine. It’s not something that came up in our conversation about her upcoming 35th birthday. To be honest, I’m not sure why it would.
But what did come up in our conversation was the importance of building community in a new place, thinking about confidence and her very own relationship with time, and that’s the first time I heard about polychronic time.
Maybe there is an article in Inc. about it (there is), but it was a pleasant surprise, along wi...2024-09-0621 minIt Is Your BirthdayIt Is Your Birthday: Shereen Marisol MerajiGates. They are everywhere. Watergate. Bridgegate. Tan-suit-gate.
It’s hard to know when the facts of life merit such a distinction, but for Shereen Marisol Merjai, the moment arrived on her 40th birthday.
She was at her mom’s house and had one small request for her big day—a homemade cheesecake.
And then…the floodgates opened.
P.S. On September 5th, Shereen’s new Audible podcast, “How I Get It Done,” will drop. Be on the lookout for it, give it a listen, and subscribe. ✨✨✨
2024-08-2321 minIt Is Your BirthdayIt Is Your Birthday: LaNisa FrederickIf LaNisa Frederick had her way, she’d reply “grown” anytime anyone asked her about her age.It’s a response she originally read in a Variety interview with Abbott Elementary’s very own Janelle James who said:
“I’m grown. I have a 20-year-old son. I’m not ashamed of my age or anything like that. But for women — and everybody knows it and acts like they don’t — it gives an idea of what you are in people’s heads."
But there is no box to check for “grown,” and LaN...2024-08-1620 minIt Is Your BirthdayIt Is Your Birthday: Earlonne WoodsEarlonne Woods has spent more than half his birthdays in prison. He’s not there anymore, but he doesn’t treat the day any differently; in fact, this year, he’ll be working on his “born-day.” Join us in wishing Earlonne a happy birthday by listening to this episode and tell him and the team at Ear Hustle you listened!2024-08-1221 min
It Is Your BirthdayIt Is Your Birthday: Al LetsonWe speak with Al Letson, the host of Reveal, a playwright and TV writer, as he celebrates his upcoming birthday.
2024-08-0521 min
What Next | Daily News and AnalysisThe Renewable Energy Shell GameBuying “renewable energy certificates” is a way for companies to claim to reach their renewable energy goals—instead of, say, putting solar panels on their roof. One of the most enthusiastic consumers of RECs is the federal government. But is this ostensibly environmentally-friendly system actually standing in the way of true sustainability? Guest: Najib Aminy, producer for Reveal.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dea...2024-01-0124 min
Slate NewsWhat Next: The Renewable Energy Shell GameBuying “renewable energy certificates” is a way for companies to claim to reach their renewable energy goals—instead of, say, putting solar panels on their roof. One of the most enthusiastic consumers of RECs is the federal government. But is this ostensibly environmentally-friendly system actually standing in the way of true sustainability? Guest: Najib Aminy, producer for Reveal.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dea...2024-01-0124 min
RevealIt's Not Easy Going GreenWhen they were invented in the ’90s, renewable energy certificates were meant to stimulate the green energy market. Back then, building wind and solar farms was way more expensive than it is today. The idea was that renewable energy producers could sell certificates that represented the “greenness” of the energy they made. Anyone buying those certificates, or RECs, could claim that green power and also claim they were helping the environment.
For years, corporations have bought RECs as a low-commitment way to claim they’re “going green” – all while using the same old fossil fuel-powered electricity.
So how exa...2023-12-2349 minRevealGaza: A War of Weapons and WordsThis episode focuses on the Israeli and Palestinian conflict and its ripples throughout the world. First, Reveal host Al Letson has a conversation with members of the Parents Circle, Israeli and Palestinian parents who have lost children to the long-standing conflict and continue to work together for peace. We look at the human toll of the decades-old struggle and what it means to work for peace in a time of war.
Next, reporter Shaina Shealy looks at U.S. weapons transfers to Israel. Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack prompted a rush to send arms to the Israeli military, but so...2023-12-1650 minRevealIt's Not Easy Going GreenWhen they were invented in the ’90s, renewable energy certificates were meant to stimulate the green energy market. Back then, building wind and solar farms was way more expensive than it is today. The idea was that renewable energy producers could sell certificates that represented the “greenness” of the energy they made. Anyone buying those certificates, or RECs, could claim that green power and also claim they were helping the environment.
For years, corporations have bought RECs as a low-commitment way to claim they’re “going green” – all while using the same old fossil fuel-powered electricity.
So how exa...2023-07-2250 minRevealAfghanistan's Recognition ProblemThere isn’t a single country in the world that recognizes the Taliban as a legitimate government. And neither do many Afghans. One year after the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan, reporter Najib Aminy checks back in with a teacher from Kabul named Aysha, who fled to the U.K. She was one of the 120,000 people airlifted out of the country as the Taliban took control. Like many other Afghan refugees, she’s frustrated that the Taliban’s leadership has resulted in having to leave her home country behind.
While the Biden administration has claimed to welcom...2022-08-1350 minRevealShooting in the Dark: Why Gun Reform Keeps FailingAs the nation reels from the recent mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, we look at why efforts to enact comprehensive laws to reduce gun violence are failing.
Reveal’s Najib Aminy tells the story of a former lobbyist for the NRA, who explains how another school shooting years ago polarized the political debate about guns and all but eliminated the chances for compromise.
Then, host Al Letson speaks with reporter Alain Stephens from The Trace. Stephens has been tracking how technology is making guns more lethal and says one of the mos...2022-05-2851 min
The ExperimentA Friend in the Execution RoomWas anybody willing to be a spiritual adviser to a Muslim man on death row? That’s the question that went out by email to a local group of interfaith leaders in Indiana. Nobody answered.
After a week without responses, the management professor Yusuf Ahmed Nur stepped forward. A Somali immigrant who volunteered at his local mosque, Nur would counsel Orlando Hall in the weeks leading up to his execution. But Nur didn’t expect he’d end up standing beside Hall in the execution chamber as he was put to death.
“That’s when it hit me,”...2021-11-1128 minRevealFor 20 years, I saw no peaceWe open with a story from Aysha, a Kabul resident in her mid-twenties, who we’ve been checking in with over the past few months. Aysha was born in Pakistan. Her parents fled Afghanistan after the Taliban rose to power in the mid 90’s. Then, after the 2001 invasion by the U.S. and other allies, her family returned to Afghanistan. They saw the war as an opportunity to reclaim their country. Now though, 20 years later, Aysha feels betrayed. She likens it to a doctor leaving in the middle of surgery: “I opened your heart. I fixed your heart bleeding. Now yo...2021-08-2151 minThe ExperimentThe VolunteerWas anybody willing to be a spiritual adviser to Orlando Hall, a Muslim man on death row with a fast-approaching execution date? That’s the question that went out by email to a local group of interfaith leaders in Indiana. Nobody answered.
After a week without responses, the management professor Yusuf Ahmed Nur stepped forward. A Somali immigrant who volunteered at his local mosque, Nur would counsel Hall in the weeks leading up to his execution. But Nur never expected to stand beside Hall in the execution chamber as he was put to death.
“That’s when...2021-03-1828 min
Some NoiseEp 031 — Not Me, Us (Part II of II)Quote: "It's a heated field." —Otto Pippenger About: A two-part story about a campaign trying to unseat Speaker Nancy Pelosi from her congressional seat leads to a much larger reckoning for the left. Show Notes: [00:30] “The Layers of Heaven” by Jovica [01:10] “Coulis Coulis” by The Blue Dot Sessions [03:45] On Senator Amy Klobuchar, sporks combs and salads [04:00] “Grizzlies” by Mary Riddle [04:30] “The second most important race” to watch [06:30] Full results of San Francisco’s 2020 Primary elections Respect to Craig Sager [06:45] h/t Dorris Burke [07:30] Follow Jasper Wilde [08:50] Read Jasper’s 4,300-word essay here [09:20] “Vik...2020-10-3156 min
Some NoiseEp. 030 — Not Me, Us (Part I of II)Quote: "I'm a progressive, yeah." —U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi About: A two-part story about a campaign trying to unseat Speaker Nancy Pelosi from her congressional seat leads to a much larger reckoning for the left. Show Notes: [00:30] “The Layers of Heaven” by Jovica [01:00] Light reading on Agatha Bacelar [01:05] “Coulis Coulis” by The Blue Dot Sessions [01:45] Light reading on the progressive movement [01:50] Light reading on Tom Gallagher [02:00] Light reading on Medicare for All, The Green New Deal and US Militarism [02:50] “Swing That Horn” by Mary Riddle [04:15] A profile of Shahid Buttar...2020-10-3138 min
Some NoiseEp 029 — For the Culture, Part IIQuote: “Where do you want to start?” —Farhad Azad About: Afghanistan has far too often been referred to as a place where countries go to die, it is a graveyard of empires. This moniker has been cited so many times and for so long that it’s unclear who first said it. Even the Afghan community will recite this pride. But what a title like this fails to convey is that while this might be a country responsible for the many tombstones of others, it very well is also a moratorium of progr...2020-09-1845 min
Some NoiseEp. 028 — For the Culture, Part I"You've got boys flying kites again..." —George W. Bush About: Oh, the privilege. And what a privilege it is to publish a story about the broader theme of culture and identity, specifically for Afghanistan’s diaspora living in the States, like those on that third-culture-wave, when Afghans from the home country are left dealing with far harsher realities. The diaspora’s dilemma pales in comparison (if you’re that foolish to try and compare the two) to their dilemma. No less, it is still a dilemma. With that in mind, Par...2020-09-1050 min
Some NoiseEp. 027 — For the Culture: A PrologueThis is a prologue to a multi-part series about the Afghan diaspora in America reclaiming their past and trying to grow from the present. It’s a story about culture, identity and authenticity. Show Notes: [00:30] “The Layers of Heaven” by Jovica [00:55] Hit rewind. (freesound.org / cognitu perceptu) [01:00] “Our Son the Potter” by The Blue Dot Sessions [01:10] When LeBron James threw up his arms at J.R. Smith [01:20] The hit song of Summer 2017 [01:30] Why the Game of Thrones finale was awful The teaser to Season 7 for old times sakes [01:45] Brigette Gabriel’s call to “protest” More on Brigette Gabriel...2020-09-0219 min
SubmitterThe Many Questions of Ramy YoussefReligion says, “you’ve got questions, and I’ve got answers. Art says, “you’ve got answers, and I’ve got questions.” At the intersection of those two statements, we get the show Ramy from the comedian Ramy Youssef. His work brings to life a new landscape in American comedy: being your spiritual self in public. To be one’s spiritual self in public is to grapple with all questions that exist in the space between who you are and who you want to be, and what happens when your journey to answer those questions only presents more questions an...2020-07-0434 min
Some NoiseWe Too Shall PassQuote: "We are all from Allah, and to Allah we return" —Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 156 About: In mere weeks, this country has seen COVID-19-related deaths rise past casualty totals for past wars and surprise attacks, sometimes passing those records daily. It seems like every day is filled with death. But this isn’t the first time humanity has faced a pandemic. And this isn’t the first time society has reckoned with death. Is this a punishment? Or is God to blame? In this latest podcast episode, we turn to the past f...2020-05-0553 min
Some NoiseF R I S C O — (Part III of III)Quote: “Nobody wants to destroy the image of San Francisco.” —James Baldwin About: Whereas Part One looks into the origin of San Francisco’s F-word, and Part Two looks at the buildup and fallout of urban renewal in neighborhoods like Bayview-Hunters Point, Part Three looks at a far more sinister force and questions just how liberal and progressive this city really is. Show Notes: [00:30] “The Layers of Heaven” by Jovica [01:00] Allston Night Owl by The Blue Dot Sessions [03:00] Short bio of Lena Miller [04:00] “Rethinking San Francisco’s War on Drugs” (SF Weekly) [04:10] So...2019-10-021h 02
Some NoiseF R I S C O — (Part II of III)Quote: “When I die, I’m dead.” —Eloise Westbrook About: Three horizontal stripes, red, black and green, add color to the streetlights and poles in and around the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco. These Pan-African flags are a relatively new addition to the area. They were painted just about a year ago thanks to an initiative spearheaded by the neighborhood's local city supervisor, Malia Cohen. “This is about branding the Bayview neighborhood to honor and pay respect to the decades of contributions that African-Americans have made to the southeast...2018-11-2059 min
Some NoiseEp. 023 — F R I S C O (Part I of III)“The fans just want to know who the fuck the artist is.” —Andre "Herm" Lewis About: For a place that proudly heralds slogans like #BlackLivesMatter, the homes of San Francisco house very few Black people. What’s happened to the African-American community in San Francisco is a much more complex tale than just being pushed out by young and transient up-and-comers. Instead, it involves a deeply-rooted history spread across generations with a comet-sized impact that is still being felt today. And for the sake of this three-part story, it begins with the very...2018-08-2958 min
Some NoiseBougie Coffee"They always leave when it gets hot in the cafe." —Man counter-protesting protestors About: Since the turn of the millennium, the percentage of U.S.-based specialty coffee drinking folk, like those who have a cup everyday, has quadrupled. Travel to any major or minor city in the country, and you’ll see an offering of coffees that transcends the uniform Starbucks experience that’s on every block. But the image that reflects after you place a mirror in front of any craft coffee company or cafe is a bit more...2018-04-241h 00
Some NoiseTrailerWhat is this show all about? Learn more at thisissomenoise.com/about.2018-04-0502 min
Some NoiseA State of Mind, Part IIQuote: “The devil is always in the details, right?” —Mark Baird About: If the State of Jefferson ever formed, it’s unlikely Anthony Bourdain would ever travel there for its pizza or burritos. Mark Baird, the “unofficial” leader of the State of Jefferson movement, likes to think they’d be known for their buffalo burgers. Though, he’ll admit, he’s in the minority. Most people behind this movement, he says, would probably prefer beef. Being in the minority is a feeling he’s had for quite some time. L...2017-12-151h 11
Some NoiseA State of Mind, Part I“Mr. Statham, would you consider giving San Francisco to Hawaii?” —Former Calif. Assemblyman Bill Morrow (Oceanside-R) About: If President Kennedy’s moon-shot set the tone that no challenge was too difficult, Donald Trump’s presidential victory reminds us that anything is possible, even creating a new U.S. state. In Northern California, like the proper north, there’s been a generation of folks who believe the time for 51 is now. And given the state of the current political landscape, now may be their best shot. Far from the reach of Sacramento, they’re livi...2017-10-311h 05
Some NoiseTechnology People“Thank you Mr. Machine...or Ms. Machine?” —John Zerzan About: What does one make of our future—like the one 50 years from now? The answer, or rather a possible answer, has a lot to do with choice and technology. Whether we survive or go extinct is, however, another question. Show Notes: [01:20] A link to download the Park Mobile app [01:25] “Inamorata (Marimba Solo)” by Blue Dot Sessions [04:40] “Inside the Tower” by Visager [06:15] More on Clooneys Pub (SFGate) [06:40] Light reading on the James Comey hearings (CNN) [07:50] More on Peter Eckersley (Electronic Frontier Foundation) [08...2017-09-081h 05
Some NoiseWhat Is It All About, Part III"I am not the 'Boont' God." —Rod DeWitt About: With wave after wave of socioeconomic changes crashing into the Anderson Valley, a quiet and historically agrarian area, the lifestyle that gave rise to Boontling is quickly fading away. The fate and the future of the kitschy tongue lies solely in how the community comes to terms with market forces, the environment and, most importantly, its values. Show Notes: [00:20] “Gymnopedies 2” by Blue Dot Sessions [01:10] Map of the Anderson Valley (SF Gate) [02:20] A list of some boontling terms Part I Part II...2017-07-1754 min
Some NoiseWhat Is It All About, Part II“They’re living too fast.” —Wes ‘Deacon’ Smoot About: It used to be that you could grow apples, herd sheep, or fell timber and make a decent living in the Anderson Valley. But not even the few stop signs in this remote valley could slow down the incoming cash crop of grapes. The area’s long legacy of logging now takes a backseat to its newer reputation of producing some of the world’s best pinot noir. But how did a tucked-away valley 40 minutes from the Pacific Coast and the main highway all of a s...2017-06-2250 min
Some NoiseWhat Is It All About, Part I “And I think it saved the day, because we didn't have any money.” —Captain Rainbow About: No place has tested the currents of change more than the Anderson Valley, a Gaza Strip-sized setting hidden in the hills of Northern California. Home to the language of Boontling, a fast fading past prose of the old frontier, the fate of the area’s kitschy tongue relies not on whether the valley will change, but how. And why. Show Notes: [00:40] “Curious” by Blue Dot Sessions Re...2017-05-121h 01
Some NoiseWe Out HereQuote: “I think intelligence in the universe is very rare.” —Dr. James Rice, NASA, Mars Exploration Rover Geology Team Leader About: 2017, let’s start anew! Let’s just pack up, say our goodbyes and march (drive, fly or sail) to greener pastures. But where to? Canada is cold around this time of year, Europe is in limbo, and everywhere else has spotty Wi-Fi (it doesn’t). The globalized world where opportunity was meant to be infinite is really just flawed and finite like everything else. And it’s somewhat daun...2017-01-051h 00
Some NoiseThe Trump Minority“Any true Americans over here?” -Michael, a man from Boston with a sign About: Amidst all the chaos that has been the 2016 presidential election, there is a special group of Americans fighting against the mainstream current—the Trump minority, like actual minorities voting for Trump. On this episode, we travel the country and talk to some of those individuals and ask why? Show Notes: [00:30] The Village of the Appomattox Courthouse [01:35] More on Patrick Schroeder [02:00] Light reading on the election of 1860 [02:10] “Thread of Clouds” by Blue Dot Sessions [03:00] Bernie Sanders on Clinton Emails (CNN) [03:10...2016-10-281h 01
Some NoiseKeeping the Faith, Part II"And then they came for me." -Sabri Benkahla When it comes to the conversation of Islam in America, it can sometimes feel like having a debate where both parties talk over one another, dive into the shallow end of the topic and leave thinking they’ve proved their points—trophies for all. This self-perpetuating social filter bubble of sorts absolves accountability and fogs up facts—it clouds up the reality of what many Muslim communities in America have actually gone through and are going through. No place has had it worse than D...2016-09-301h 02
Some NoiseKeeping the Faith, Part I“Brother, you don’t eat pork do you?” -Man with wine About: New York. St. Cloud. Orlando. San Bernardino. Chattanooga. Garland. Boston. Fort Hood. Brussels. Paris. Nice. Kabul. Baghdad. Quetta. Lahore. Istanbul. It’s difficult to remember what life was like before any of these recent attacks, when there was no YouTube or Twitter and when the Twin Towers were still part of New York City’s skyline. There wasn’t too much cause for concern about being named Muhammad, wearing a hijab or simply practicing the faith. But times change. Now, two month...2016-09-2042 min
Some NoiseWhen the Tides Change, Part II"You just go again tomorrow." -Stuart Vorpahl Stuart Vorpahl is a lifelong commercial fisherman who took pride in providing the fresh produce of the sea. Stuart liked his job. He liked it so much that when regulation and politics threatened it, he ignored the old sayings and squared up against town hall. On the surface, it might seem as if Stuart was just really passionate about fishing, and he was. But his fight was about something bigger. We continue the second part of Stuart Vorpahl’s story—how a commercial fisherman in th...2016-09-021h 01
Some NoiseWhen the Tides Change, Part I"Timeout. If you see a hole, you mend it. You don’t go say I’ll go back and fix it. It don’t work." --Stuart Vorpahl The story of Stuart Vorpahl involves fishing, the Hamptons and the King of England. Amidst a town where Hollywood's A-list comes to summer, how did a commercial fisherman earn the notoriety of first-name recognition amidst locals, town officials and the conservation police? Show Notes: [00:40] "An Accumulation" by Blue Dot Sessions [05:15] Some light reading on East Hampton (Wikipedia) [07:10] "Bright and Blank" by Blue Dot Sessions [07:15] A "Lavish and Luminou...2016-08-0154 min
Some NoiseIt Ain't Easy"It's just status." -Buddy About: In pockets of America, like those in Oakland and throughout the East Bay of Northern California, the status quo of driving a vehicle is proudly rejected. Take a look at some of the rides out here and you’ll immediately get the sense that a car is more than just a car. Who are these people and what caused them to decorate Detroit-produced relics with candy-like paint, oversized rims and a sound-system that can probably be heard from Space? Show Notes: [00:45] “Keep It on t...2016-05-3146 min
Some NoiseIt Goes Both Ways“Thy will be done. Thy will be done. I don’t know. Please, I don’t know.” -Jessica Ripper Jessica Ripper is a white American with blonde hair, blue eyes and a home in Northern California. Yet, to many in Pakistan, she’s an Islamic-gospel musician who plays the tabla. In the 700-year-old sufi-singing tradition of Qawwali, she’s a female trailblazer shattering century-old glass ceilings from sufi shrine to sufi shrine. And everywhere else, she’s a statistical anomaly, a bizarre outlier. Did fate direct Ripper to her path as one of the world’...2016-04-2749 min
Some NoiseThis is Real"“People want to see good overcome evil, even though that’s not always the way it plays out, that’s what they’re coming out to see.” --Shane Hanson Who should you be and what should you do? Escape all the worries of life with a quick trip to Hoodslam, a wrestling outfit based in Oakland, Calif. It’s an adult wrestling show where other people make that decision for you. At least, you submit yourself to believing in everything around you, like someone getting hit in the face with a chair, seeing the ghost of...2016-03-3055 min
Some NoisePardon Me, Pardon Me“It ain’t that I don’t care, it’s that I don’t really care.” -Bishop Glen A. Staples About: We live in a strange time, at least that’s what the story of the praise break reminds us. It’s the tale of an ecstatic dance rooted deep in race, religion and American history. It traveled centuries of oppression and made its way to present times where it’s been rejected by today’s social elites. Maybe because it looks crazy? Or maybe it’s dismissed because it unearths some dark...2016-02-1750 min
Some NoiseWhat We Can Do?“To really answer the question, what is a question, is a very good question.” -Dr. Zeray Alemseged What we can do? That question confronts, inquires, investigates and challenges. And it, by no means, is simple to define. For this episode of Some Noise, we try and get to the bottom of questions and ask a bunch of different people, from a linguistics professor, an experienced LSD taker to a futurist: “What is a question?” Show Notes: [00:05] “Hypnosister” by LUMP [02:30] Zeray Alemseged (TED Talk, 2007) [02:40] On the Discovery...2016-01-2756 min
Some NoisePrologue: The Story of Me, Part IV“I mean I don't see a halo on you, even though I see a couple of horns. See that little angel and that little devil on the side? Yeah. You're you.” -Serafin Jose Saavedra This story, the Story of Me, probably won’t have a proper ending, like the kind that is comforting and reminds you that all is well in the world. It shouldn’t. Because that’s false and I’m not dead yet. More than a month ago, the first part of this prologue aired with the intent of framing up this large...2015-12-2246 min
Some NoisePrologue: The Story of Me, Part III“That’s just part of your mask—we all have a mask...” -Josh Quittner About: Your work experience ultimately comes down to one thing—how you sell yourself. Which, is a lie (or like a half-truth). Achievements and accomplishments are important, but what about everything else? For part three of this prologue—the Story of Me—I’ve reached out to co-workers, old and new and asked them for a performance review. Leave your feedback by endorsing me on LinkedIn, seriously, be creative. Show Notes:...2015-12-0842 min
Some NoisePrologue: The Story of Me, Part IIQuote:
“I felt like there was a dark piece of you that was under there.”
-Rachel Crowe
About:
For Part II of this four-part podcast prologue, we return to the school years. It’s a life experience most people can relate to—good or bad—in large part because of the amount of time spent.
If you’re in your mid-20s and graduated from a four-year college or university, there’s a fair chance that you’ve spent almost one-third of your life waiting for some sort of bell to ring. 2015-12-0142 min
Some NoisePrologue: The Story of Me, Part IAbout:
Who do you think you are?
It’s not an easy question to answer. It shouldn’t be. But I’ve tried to get the bottom of it by starting at the top.
To introduce this podcast project—Some Noise—the foolish pursuit of life, clarity and context—I’ve decided to report on the story of me. But why? If this is going to be a show about other people, their lives and purpose, then I think it’s only fair it start with, well, me.
Who am I? Where do I come fr...2015-11-2439 min