May 1 - 7, 2016
1. The Cracked Podcast - American Customs The Rest Of The World Thinks Are Weird
America's place in the hypothetical ranks of the world's best countries is often polarizing. While some have a patriotic blind spot for anything that would challenge a "we're number 1" mentality, others are seemingly determined to ignore the liberty that comes with citizenship. I try to apply the appropriate amount of nuance to my own view and land somewhere in between, but the fundamental thing most people seem to miss is America's oddness in the context of the rest of the world. This week, Cracked interviewed people from other countries who live in the US and recorded their observations. Amongst other things, Americans smile an abnormal amount, don't understand the point in pursuing purely platonic male-female relationships, and inappropriately idolize their country's founding fathers. Listen and begin wondering whether your every gesture and preconception of reality is a product of your nationality.
2. Planet Money - The Long Way Home (#698)
Housing is a basic necessity for all humans, and so there is some inherent drama behind the process of securing it for those on the cusp of homelessness. Implementing a lottery to determine where a person can live seems absurd, but it almost seems poetic since there seems to be no simple solution on which all entities involved in the process can agree. Still, the joy expressed from the woman in this episode about simply having her own space struck a profound chord of thankfulness surrounding this thing I take for granted. Planet Money is absolutely the right podcast to tackle this story, and I would love to see a longer series investigating housing practices in different states.
3. Slate's Working - The "How Does A Book Seller Work" Edition
Book stores are far from dead, huzzah! This edition of the Slate podcast "Working" picks apart the daily routine and more irregular happenings of a clerk at a local book store in Washington, D.C. As is the case with the other episodes I've heard, Jacob Brogan's interview is heavy on information and light on editorializing. I'd be foolish to think this series will completely solve my quest to unearth my dream job, but it is quite revelatory about how people spend their time at work on a day-to-day basis. Broad strokes are useful for defining the mission of a job, though I think a lot about the specific actions needed to reach such goals. This podcast could likely go on for decades without running out of jobs to explore, and I think regardless of the field I will continue to tune in.
America's place in the hypothetical ranks of the world's best countries is often polarizing. While some have a patriotic blind spot for anything that would challenge a "we're number 1" mentality, others are seemingly determined to ignore the liberty that comes with citizenship. I try to apply the appropriate amount of nuance to my own view and land somewhere in between, but the fundamental thing most people seem to miss is America's oddness in the context of the rest of the world. This week, Cracked interviewed people from other countries who live in the US and recorded their observations. Amongst other things, Americans smile an abnormal amount, don't understand the point in pursuing purely platonic male-female relationships, and inappropriately idolize their country's founding fathers. Listen and begin wondering whether your every gesture and preconception of reality is a product of your nationality.
2. Planet Money - The Long Way Home (#698)
Housing is a basic necessity for all humans, and so there is some inherent drama behind the process of securing it for those on the cusp of homelessness. Implementing a lottery to determine where a person can live seems absurd, but it almost seems poetic since there seems to be no simple solution on which all entities involved in the process can agree. Still, the joy expressed from the woman in this episode about simply having her own space struck a profound chord of thankfulness surrounding this thing I take for granted. Planet Money is absolutely the right podcast to tackle this story, and I would love to see a longer series investigating housing practices in different states.
3. Slate's Working - The "How Does A Book Seller Work" Edition
Book stores are far from dead, huzzah! This edition of the Slate podcast "Working" picks apart the daily routine and more irregular happenings of a clerk at a local book store in Washington, D.C. As is the case with the other episodes I've heard, Jacob Brogan's interview is heavy on information and light on editorializing. I'd be foolish to think this series will completely solve my quest to unearth my dream job, but it is quite revelatory about how people spend their time at work on a day-to-day basis. Broad strokes are useful for defining the mission of a job, though I think a lot about the specific actions needed to reach such goals. This podcast could likely go on for decades without running out of jobs to explore, and I think regardless of the field I will continue to tune in.
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