Episode 14: Censorship

“The only valid censorship of ideas is the right of people not to listen.”
— Tommy Smothers
“Censorship is saying: ‘I’m the one who says the last sentence. Whatever you say, the conclusion is mine.’ But the internet is like a tree that is growing. The people will always have the last word - even if someone has a very weak, quiet voice. Such power will collapse because of a whisper.”
— Ai Weiwei

In this episode we welcome our first guest and friend of the show, Armand Hernandez, who wanted us to discuss ideas surrounding censorship. We actually cover self-censorship, some of the benefits of censorship and what we learn about those that restrain or withhold certain ideas.

Episode 13: Hauntings

“Stories you read when you’re the right age never quite leave you. You may forget who wrote them or what the story was called. Sometimes you’ll forget precisely what happened, but if a story touches you it will stay with you, haunting the places in your mind that you rarely ever visit.”
— Neil Gaiman, M Is for Magic

In this episode, we wanted to continue with some of the Halloween spirit and discuss some of the things which haunt us, both trivial and serious.

Episode 12: The Origins of Halloween

“When witches go riding
And black cats are seen
The moon laughs and whispers
’Tis near Halloween”
“If human beings had genuine courage, they’d wear their costumes every day of the year, not just on Halloween”
— Doug Coupland

In this episode we wanted to examine some of the history of Halloween, which traces some origins back to the United Kingdom. We offer a number of facts about the history and tradition of Halloween while also speaking of our personal experiences and thoughts.

Episode 11: Instragramming Culture

“Everything you post on social media impacts your personal brand. How do you want to be known?”
— Lisa Horn, a.k.a. The Publicity Gal.
“On February 27, 2013, Instagram announced 100 million active users, only two-and-a-half years after the launch of the app. As of September 9, 2013, the company has announced a total of more than 150 million monthly active users.”
— Evelyn M. Rusli, September 8, 2013 "Instagram Pictures Itself Making Money," The Wall Street Journal.

In this episode we wanted to discuss the increasing trend to express ourselves on social media through photography. The argument can be made, however, that we do it too much, to a detrimental degree and we wanted to explore this further.

Episode 10: Early Experiences in Mediocrity

“If any of you have a desire to be mediocre, you will probably find that you have already achieved your ambition.”
— Hugh B. Brown
“He was marked out by his relentless ability to find fault with others’ mediocrity—suggesting that a certain type of intelligence may be at heart nothing more or less than a superior capacity for dissatisfaction.”
— Alain de Botton, "The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work"

It is natural to compare yourself to those around you. In this episode, we wanted to discuss what it means to be average or mediocre, how we respond to mediocrity and how we overcome it.