Episode 45: Human Beings and Pet Ownership

“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.”
— Martin Buber
“Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
— Anatole France
“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.”
— Josh Billings

This week we welcome Elliot Cromer to discuss some of his experiences and thoughts on pets and pet ownership. Both of us come from families with pets (especially Elliot) and we wanted to examine how people approach household animals. We also discuss some of the responsibilities and tasks necessary to care for the animals we own.

Episode 44: Social Implications of Body Hair

“I hit puberty at a really early age and had body hair before a lot of other kids, and was bullied for this ... My mum used to painstakingly pluck and wax my bushy eyebrows for me because I was so worried about fitting in. Now I just let them do their thing.”
— Katie, 21, Sydney, Australia
“My hair on my head is praised for being so long and beautiful, but my body hair is seen as ‘disgusting.’ Why? They both grow out of my skin.... If someone is offended or disgusted by my natural body hair, then in all honesty, I’m glad it repels them from my life.””
— Elvira, Los Angeles, California

This week we welcome Tim Jurney to discuss ideas surrounding body hair. Scientific research has not concluded its every purpose on the body, though several hypotheses have been put forth. Nonetheless, people and cultures around the globe have made statements of approval or dissatisfaction with gendered and socioeconomic motivations. How do we consider body hair on others and on ourselves? Are our views ever independent of the societies in which we live?

Episode 43: The 2015 Academy Awards

“Benedict Cumberbatch: It’s not only the most awesome name in show business. It’s also the sound you get when you ask John Travolta to pronounce ‘Ben Affleck.’”
— Neil Patrick Harris
“When I was 16 years old I tried to kill myself. … This is for that kid out there who feels weird or feels different — stay weird, stay different.”
— Graham Moore

This week we welcome Kyle Aaronson, a film major, to explain some of the dynamics of the Academy Awards and the 2015 Oscars in particular. In our discussion, we examine the roles that actors, directors and film-makers play in determining the popularity and relevance of films. We also talk about the Academy as an organization and its tendencies and general composition.

Episode 42: The Baltimore Riots

“If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable”
— Louis D. Brandeis
“You can’t just lecture the poor that they shouldn’t riot or go to extremes. You have to make the means of legal redress available.”
— Harold H. Greene
“It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.”
— Voltaire
“Where the government fails to protect the Negro he is entitled to do it himself. He is within his rights.”
— Malcolm X

Although the death of Freddie Gray happened over two months ago, on April 19th, 2015, the tragic event and the riots which followed are a result of deeper problems in human and United States history. We don't claim to have the answers to these substantial and systemic issues, but we ardently believe they are worthy of discussion, however uncomfortable or difficult that may be. This week, we welcome resident of Baltimore, Joe Walsh, to engage in this conversation in the pursuit of further understanding. As always, we hope ours are not the only voices in this discourse. Please feel free to share your thoughts with us.

Episode 41: Understanding Death

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.”
— Steve Jobs
“To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.”
— Buddha
“Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.”
— William Shakespeare

A follow-up to last week's episode on life, we examine various approaches to the terminus of death, what it represents and how it affects each of us differently. This certainly is not an easy or comfortable topic for most, so we understand reluctance and respect any decision to avoid this episode. That said, we do encourage listeners to consider the episode as a lens to consider death in different contexts.

As was true of "What It Means to Be Alive," this episode would not have evolved into this final conversation without the honest, eloquent and substantial support of our contributors, whose work will be available to read below. We want offer our sincerest thanks to Rachel Cunningham, Ali Stamatoiu, Emma Munger, Brett Miller, Maureen Hoff, Sarah Miller, Qusay Alsattari, Atticus Koontz, Kay Kelley, Richard Pera and Tim Jurney for their assistance in this episode.

The Written Pieces of Our Contributors (Made Anonymous):

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