Episode 185: Between These Eyes of Ink II

“I am the only person in the world I should like to know thoroughly.”
— Oscar Wilde

This week, we return to "Between These Eyes of Ink," a series which dissects and considers quotations and the insights they contain. For our second episode, we're looking at the words of Oscar Wilde, who said "I am the only person in the world I should like to know thoroughly". What pressures, personal or external, might exist behind the phrasing of "should like"? Is it even possible to know another thoroughly? Does Wilde imply that this condition is an achievable one?

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Episode 184: Headline Culture

Despite its essential role in our lives and agency as citizens, many of us consume journalistic works minimally or inefficiently. In particular, study after study in the past decade have shown that 40 to 80 percent of would-be readers only actually consider headlines before sharing posts or moving on. This week, we consider the effects of doing so and the danger posed by "headline culture". How do consumers influence the headlines that journalists will craft and consequently inform consumer perspectives? Where does the attribute of being "well-read" come into play? How can we more deeply and meaningfully consume carefully-crafted and well-researched journalism?

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Episode 183: Calling Out, Preserved

As podcasts have demonstrated for years now, sound and the human voice have a deep and intimate capacity to affect and inspire listeners. Audio continues to inform, entertain and challenge people around the world. What about a precursor of sorts, the voicemail? Though many roll their eyes at the concept, it maintains a certain charm. This week, Tim Robinson joins us to explore the experience of leaving, receiving and considering voicemails as gifts. How do they allow us to share precious tone, information and connection with others? Why don't we more readily embrace them as a form of communication? What can we learn from the awkward and vulnerable feelings that voicemail stirs for some people?

Episode 182: The Salty, The Savage

Words and the languages they uphold are among humanity's greatest creations. They allow communication, experimentation and profound self-expression. But how do we adapt to terms whose meaning shifts with different cultures and eras? This week, we look at "salty" and "savage" as prominent words in the online rhetoric/lexicon. How do their 21st century versions reflect their original linguistic roots? What do they reveal about contemporary culture and how we think?

Episode 181: Gratitude in 2017

For countless individuals, 2017 was a year characterized by stress, confusion, trauma and exhaustion. Political tensions persist and expand as pop culture also attempts to cope with considerable changes and disparate ideas about our society and how it should function. In such a difficult year, it's worth exploring gratitude as a personal topic. How can gratitude help transform hardships into opportunities for learning and growth? Is it audacious to pursue gratitude when so many continue to struggle and suffer?