July 17 - 23, 2016
1. The Cracked Podcast - Modern Cults (Are Scarier Than Jonestown)
Cracked is the perfect place to talk about cults. I'm sure there are other podcasts that cover similar subject matter, but I doubt that any show would match the comically tinged interviewing style and level of quality sources that defines the Cracked ethos. Other than being entertained and informed by and about a previously unknown world, the biggest take away from this particular episode was that intelligent people who are entrenched in their beliefs and identity are more susceptible to falling prey to a cult. This made me consider what we believe without question and the fine line between religions and cults. It also made me thankful that my interests are so widely spread - the lack of specification I sometimes crave could save my life!
2. Reply All - Disappeared (#69)
Due to an error in divvying up shows between Stitcher and Podcast Addict, I inadvertently left Reply All off of both podcatchers. A grave mistake, now corrected. "Disappeared" sheds light on the mysterious world of open source code, and the repercussions of a programmer getting offended. While the majority of users probably will never see it, the world of software is still new enough that it has the propensity for some gaping holes. The second story provides rich historical contextualization for language that is now commonplace in certain internet realms, forcing us to contemplate how words are appropriated and meaning is shifted across time. Both stories highlight Reply All's niche in the podcast world - combining in-depth research with genuine exuberance from the hosts.
3. Invisibilia - Frame of Reference
It is really difficult for me not to view this episode of Invisibilia as a trippy realization that ties together the universe. One story revolves around a person with Asperger's who doesn't get the diagnosis until she is well into adulthood. This woman discussed how she was bullied as a child, and how she later realized this treatment wasn't primarily aimed to harm her but rather to unite her bullies around a shared experience. A similar thread weaves through the other large story, where two children of immigrant parents compare the somewhat skewed views inhabited by parents who had an entirely separate instructive framework. People view things in different ways based on their experience of the world. But some people have a frame thrust upon them, whether that is from a parent's childhood or from some kind of physiological trait. In a week where the Republican National Convention keeps generating news from folks I categorically do not understand, this podcast helped me remember that people are people everywhere, each interpreting reality through their experiences.
Cracked is the perfect place to talk about cults. I'm sure there are other podcasts that cover similar subject matter, but I doubt that any show would match the comically tinged interviewing style and level of quality sources that defines the Cracked ethos. Other than being entertained and informed by and about a previously unknown world, the biggest take away from this particular episode was that intelligent people who are entrenched in their beliefs and identity are more susceptible to falling prey to a cult. This made me consider what we believe without question and the fine line between religions and cults. It also made me thankful that my interests are so widely spread - the lack of specification I sometimes crave could save my life!
2. Reply All - Disappeared (#69)
Due to an error in divvying up shows between Stitcher and Podcast Addict, I inadvertently left Reply All off of both podcatchers. A grave mistake, now corrected. "Disappeared" sheds light on the mysterious world of open source code, and the repercussions of a programmer getting offended. While the majority of users probably will never see it, the world of software is still new enough that it has the propensity for some gaping holes. The second story provides rich historical contextualization for language that is now commonplace in certain internet realms, forcing us to contemplate how words are appropriated and meaning is shifted across time. Both stories highlight Reply All's niche in the podcast world - combining in-depth research with genuine exuberance from the hosts.
3. Invisibilia - Frame of Reference
It is really difficult for me not to view this episode of Invisibilia as a trippy realization that ties together the universe. One story revolves around a person with Asperger's who doesn't get the diagnosis until she is well into adulthood. This woman discussed how she was bullied as a child, and how she later realized this treatment wasn't primarily aimed to harm her but rather to unite her bullies around a shared experience. A similar thread weaves through the other large story, where two children of immigrant parents compare the somewhat skewed views inhabited by parents who had an entirely separate instructive framework. People view things in different ways based on their experience of the world. But some people have a frame thrust upon them, whether that is from a parent's childhood or from some kind of physiological trait. In a week where the Republican National Convention keeps generating news from folks I categorically do not understand, this podcast helped me remember that people are people everywhere, each interpreting reality through their experiences.
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