Dilettantes' Discussion

Everyone loves a good movie. But what movies are overrated? What movies deserve more love? What actor do you have to watch new movies from? Plus the future of streaming and the movie industry. All of these hard hitting questions were discussed in this week's episode. Intro and Outro Jams by Ryan Stunkel

The Dilettantes are back! Chris and Alec discuss dating apps today including some interesting statistics, their personal experiences, and their efficacy. Guardian Article Cloudwards Article Pew Research Article Castro, Á., & Barrada, J. R. (2020). Dating apps and their sociodemographic and psychosocial correlates: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6500. Intro Jams - Serene Fantasy by Ryan Stunkel Outro Jams - Broken by Ryan Stunkel

Chris and Alec have been slacking a bit. Today we give our opinions on government digital currencies, Elon Musk, Tesla, and an update on GameStop.

On this episode, the Dilettantes discuss the stock market short squeeze with GameStop, AMC, and others.https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/Short Selling Animal AnalogyWall Street Journal Hedge Fund Article

In this episode, the Dilettantes discuss Bitcoin and our opinions about investing in it. Should you buy it? Should you HODL?

We're back from our break! On this episode, Chris and Alec talk about diets.Diets are ConfusingBest DietsFlexitarianNutritionfacts.org 

This episode, the Dilettantes say goodbye to 2020. Chris and Alec both will be taking a recording break during the holiday season for work related reasons. On our farewell episode for the end of the year, we tackle life's biggest questions and give some free advice.We thank you all for your support and hope you have a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season! We'll talk to you all soon.

This episode, the dilettantes discuss the recent presidential election. Alec challenges some perceived signs of hypocrisy and Chris provides some in-depth responses.Sorry about the audio issues in the first publish. Hopefully this is better. 

For this episode, the dilettantes discuss books that changed our lives. Watchmen ArticleMoby Dick ArticleDerek Sivers Book NotesFree to Choose Economics Video Series

This episode, the dilettantes discuss monopoly power and antitrust regulations that are challenging big tech again.House Subcommittee Antitrust ReportAlso check out NPR: Antitrust Part 1, 2, and 3 for additional information and perspectives.Thanks to Ryan Stunkel for the intro and outro jams!

This episode, the dilettantes discuss monopoly power and antitrust regulations that are challenging big tech.House Subcommittee Antitrust ReportAlso check out NPR: Antitrust Part 1, 2, and 3 for additional information and perspectives.Thanks to Ryan Stunkel for the intro and outro jams!

This episode, the dilettantes discuss some current events because... well... there's a lot to discuss. Thanks as always to Ryan Stunkel for the intro and outro jams.

The dilettantes had some fun with this episode discussing movies that changed our lives, kind of... Intro and Outro Music - Ryan Stunkel

This episode, the dilettantes discuss the first five articles of the US Constitution in honor of Constitution Day this week. Enjoy this quick civics review!

In this episode, the dilettantes discuss all things saving the bees. This includes, why they're important and some factors that negatively affect bee populations.Here are the articles discussed:Why Pollinators are ImportantAre Honey Bees Endangered?NASS Article Bee Populations 2019Pesticides and PollinatorsCountry Specific Study of PesticidesCauses of Colony Collapse DisorderHoney Bee Venom and CancerBee Fibonacci Sequence (Spiral)Beekeeper Video Intro and Outro Music - Ryan Stunkel

On this episode, the dilettantes discuss some cognitive and social biases along with some personal biases we hold in each. Everyone has biases so it is good to reflect on them and be open about them. Here is a list of the countless biases that many humans are susceptible to:List of Cognitive Biases Intro and Outro Music by Ryan Stunkel

This week, the Dilettantes discuss the Postal Service. Particularly, the issues its facing, how it got here, and potential solutions.Here are some links to what we discussed:What happened to the USPS and why?Is the USPS closing soon due to COVID-19?Is the USPS purposely slowing mail to reelect Trump?USPS Sustainability Report Intro and Outro Music - Ryan Stunkel

This week, the Dilettantes discuss Stoicism.Fear Setting ExerciseEgo is the Enemy OverviewEgo is the EnemyThe Obstacle is the WayMeditations

On this episode, the Dilettantes continue their discussion about monetary policy and the Fed. We recap last week's episode about some basics of economic theory and monetary policy then discuss the Fed's reaction to 2008 and 2020. Then we give our non-expert opinions on the consequences of these decisions.Derivative Regulation InformationThe Fed's Balance SheetSpecifics About What They've BoughtGreat Video Overview of the Specific Strategies of the Fed Intro and Outro Music by Ryan Stunkel

In this episode, the Dilettantes discuss some the basics of economics and monetary policy along with the relationship between the Federal Reserve (The Fed) and the economy. We also briefly discuss a relatively new way of thinking about monetary policy called "Modern Monetary Theory" and Alec brings forth his dilettante opinion about it (i.e., not an economist). This will be a multi-part series about this topic.

In this episode, the Dilettantes embrace their inner narcissism. Alec discusses his life advice that he stole from better people than himself and shares it with the listeners. Chris talks about himself. 1. Quit early (don't quit at mile 22, embrace the dip or quit).2. Sunk cost fallacy (gift to yourself).3. Happiness is a choice you make and a skill you work at.4. Everyone worships.5. The plateau isn't as great as you think it is.6. You will get what you want as long as you help others get what they want.7. Plant good seeds, don't worry about what will grow.8. A man when he has done a good act does not call out for others to come and see, but he goes on to another act, just as a vine goes on to produce grapes in season.9. I learned not to be led astray to sophistic emulation, nor to writing on speculative matters, nor to delivering little hortatory orations, nor to showing myself off as a man who practices much discipline, or does benevolent acts in order to make a display.10. You'll worry less about what people think of you when you realize how seldom they do. -David Foster Wallace David Foster Wallace Commencement Address

Today the Dilettantes ramble a bit about the Dunning-Kruger Effect. We discuss some personal experiences with challenging ourselves to learn more and ensure we don't end up on... the peak of "Mount Stupid".  Question of the Week: If your life is a book, what is this chapter called? Additional Notes:FYI - Will Smith was flying an F-18 during the dogfight scene in Independence Day As promised, here's the Miley Cyrus song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG2zyeVRcbs  

This week, the Dilettantes discuss nuclear power after watching Chernobyl. We then get into a broader discussion about nuclear power and other renewable energy sources. Here are links to some of the articles and videos discussed:https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hres109/BILLS-116hres109ih.pdfhttps://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/infographic-how-much-power-does-nuclear-reactor-produce#:~:text=Nuclear%20energy%20has%20been%20powering,power%20per%20plant%20on%20average.https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/https://www.dailyastorian.com/opinion/columns/pro-con-is-the-green-new-deal-worth-its-price-tag/article_81240c96-308d-11e9-9f15-436048b71817.htmlhttps://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3075403https://world101.cfr.org/global-era-issues/climate-change/paris-agreementhttps://www.mcginley.co.uk/news/how-much-of-each-energy-source-does-it-take-to-power-your-home/bp254/#:~:text=There%20is%202%2C460%20kWh%20of,around%204%2C750%20pounds%20of%20coal.https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=207&t=3https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=97&t=3https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/thorium.aspxFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)https://youtu.be/UAXdA9fXR80 

In this episode, the dilettantes discuss our favorite teachers, update the listeners on our police brutality episode, and discuss what it means to be a good citizen. Intro Jams: Serene Fantasy by Ryan StunkelOutro Jams: Broken by Ryan Stunkel

This week, the Dilettantes discuss the education system and pros/cons of ways to improve it.Stanford review of educationArgument against vouchersIntro Jam: Serene Fantasy by Ryan StunkelOutro Jam: Broken by Ryan Stunkel

In this episode, Chris and Alec attempt to tackle the most pressing current event of the month. This one gets a bit more explicit.Here are the articles and the documentary discussed:Camden County ReformConfessions of a Former Bastard Cop Police Arrest Statistics in the Tri-State AreaWe stand with the black lives matter movement. We hear you. Intro Jam: Serene Fantasy by Ryan StunkelOutro Jam: Broken by Ryan Stunkel 

In this episode, the Dilettantes discuss the idea of religion and the arguments for and against it. Disclimaer: we were both raised Christian and no longer actively religious, but we make a strong argument (at least, I think so).We bring up two books: "The Case for a Creator" and "Mere Christianity" and a quick aside about Alec's favorite commencement address from David Foster Wallace titled, "This is Water" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CrOL-ydFMI)This one gets a bit long...Intro Jam: Serene Fantasy by Ryan StunkelOutro Jam: Broken by Ryan Stunkel

In this episode, the dilettantes discuss what makes a quality movie? This is a discussion that's near and dear to Chris's heart about a hobby of his so not much research was needed for this episode. Intro Jam: Serene Fantasy by Ryan StunkelOutro Jam: Broken by Ryan Stunkel

In this episode, we provide an introduction to the dilettantes, what this podcast is about, and answer the question: "What the heck is a dilettante?" Intro Jam: Serene Fantasy by Ryan StunkelOutro Jam: Broken by Ryan Stunkel

Dilettante - a person who cultivates an area of interest, such as the arts, without real commitment or knowledge.In today's episode, the dilettantes discuss statistics? The conversation starts with statistics, but morphs into the current state of the media, a policy that changed the way media is portrayed, polarization, and our role as citizens to help change the current culture in media. Intro Jam: Serene Fantasy by Ryan StunkelOutro Jam: Broken by Ryan Stunkel