The Skunk

Roe v. Wade has been overturned. "It's a state's rights issue now", people claim. This is disingenuous, and just the beginning of more to come. 

Elon Musk has purchased himself a seat on the board of Twitter. He claims himself to be a "Free Speech Absolutist", and changes are sure to come. In this episode, we discuss absolutism, free speech, and the implications these concepts have for society. Also, the Will Smith slap. Come on, we had to.

There has been much talk lately about the rise of fascism in America, the undermining of democracy, and the possibility of a new American Civil War. What does this mean? Who would be the partisans in such a war? And what would it even begin to look like?

Does everyone "rising as high as their natural talents and hard work can take them" really lead to the best possible society? Or are their hidden dangers and downsides to merit? The Skunk examines the ins and outs of meritocracy.

This week, The Skunk explores the supernatural as we dive into two famous tales: a haunted doll and a holy apparition.

The Skunk returns after a brief hiatus to discuss the holidays, recent vigilante trials, and Facebook's Metaverse - the future of which will likely affect us all in many disturbing ways. Welcome back!

Halloween is here, America searches for a missing white woman, and US Supreme Court justices complain that "America has lost its respect for their institution". Gee, I wonder how that happened? All of this and more in today's episode of The Skunk.

California rejects the recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom in a landslide victory for Democrats, and sends the GOP's coup attempt packing. We discuss how it happened, why it matters, and what it might mean for upcoming American elections.

Despite our secular constitution, the United States has always had a troubled relationship between God and Government. Today, the battle rages harder than ever as conservative Christians openly admire the Taliban, and states like Texas pass draconian, ultra-Christian laws that infringe upon the rights of non-believers. The Skunk explores this issue and makes a case for a strengthening of our secular values. 

A chance encounter between two prominent men in a Martha's Vineyard grocery store leads to examination of the "tolerance paradox", which states that a tolerant society cannot tolerate intolerance with itself becoming intolerant in the long run. Also, a debrief on Afghanistan.

The world is awash in blaming right now - from the collapse of Afghanistan to the scourge of COVID, presidents, governors, and entire nations are pointing the finger at one another. But who, if anyone, is really responsible for such monumental global events? The Skunk investigates.

Why is "socialism" a pejorative in America? And what does it even mean? Are all socialists Marxists? What do they want? Do I need to be scared? The Skunk answers all of these questions and more as we clear up one of the most misrepresented and confusing political philosophies in the western world.

You hear the term "populism" thrown around a lot these days - but do you really understand it? The Skunk examines what populist movements are, why they arise, and where they typically go. Listen to this episode and think twice the next time you hear about a populist movement kicking off near you.

People don't trust one another, people don't like one another, and everyone thinks the other guy is lying. We don't trust police officers, politicians, doctors, or our own families, constantly second guessing motives and REAL reasons for doing things. This is unhealthy - how did we get here, and what can we do to stop this vicious cycle of cynicism?

This week a stunning event took place: Republicans from Sean Hannity to Gov. Ron DeSantis went on TV and said they backed science and supported Americans getting the COVID-19 vaccine. This wouldn't be news but for the fact that these same individuals spent the last 18 months denying COVID existed, sewing doubt about the safety and intentions of the vaccine, and making vaccination a political - rather than medical - issue for their viewers and constituents. So what happened? Why the 180? The Skunk investigates.

Donald Trump has told us Russian election-meddling was a hoax, that he has no connections to Russia, and that he has been "harder on Russia than any other president". But today a bombshell report from The Guardian uncovered leaked documents from inside the Kremlin detailing Russia's long-term project in blackmailing and manipulating Donald Trump to do its bidding. So what's the truth - does Donald have no connection to Russia at all? Or is he a Russian asset? The Skunk investigates.

In a time where voter suppression, education meddling, and open carry laws are pushing the rights of states to their limits, The Skunk examines how much power the Federal Government has to intervene. Can individual states re-educate their children with false propaganda? Can they pass laws so detrimental to voting that they undermine democracy itself? We examine states' rights issues of the past - cannabis, same-sex marriage, and the right to medically assisted suicide, to see how these battles typically play out, and what the future of our current issues might look like.

Oh my, we're tackling one of the big hot button issues of the day - Critical Race Theory! Everyone is passionate about it, but do people even understand what it is? More to the point, are there some ideas that are worth being banned? We dive into CRT and the movement to stop it, and try to get to the truth of the matter.

Much like Queen Elizabeth or the spectators at the Kentucky Derby, this episode that wears a lot of hats! We catch up on new developments regarding topics The Skunk has covered in the past - UFOs, Israel, and making sense of political lies. A heavy emphasis is placed on China, the ascendency of its totalitarian regime, and lies and misinformation in our own media. It's a fun one, so pour a drink and pop those earbuds in!

The Skunk investigates a pleasant subject matter - how will the world end? From asteroids to gamma ray bursts, pandemics and nuclear war, there are plenty of ways we could end this crazy thing called Earth. But which are fantasy and which are real dangers? And most importantly, is there anything we can do to protect ourselves?

Depending on who you ask, "Cancel Culture" is either the biggest threat facing our society today, or completely non-existent. How can this be? In this episode of The Skunk, we explore what Cancel Culture is said to be, what it really is, and all of the silliness and messiness in between.

Homelessness is on the rise worldwide, but perhaps nowhere is harder hit than Southern California. We discuss LA County's massive problem with housing, homelessness, our failed policies, and possible solutions.

On The Skunk's previous episode, I called chiropractors "pseudoscientists", and some Skunk listeners took issue with that claim. On this episode, I clarify my position on the chiropractic field, discuss its history, and explain the nuance of why some people get relief from their chiropractor while others view the practice as pseudoscience. Trust me - this episode and subject are unexpectedly fun as hell!

Science can fix so many of life's problems, and can even help you become a better person. So why is everyone so scientifically illiterate? From blaming Dr. Fauci for COVID-19 to putting faith in crystal healers and other pseudoscientists, we fail ourselves time and again when it comes to sorting out the truth of the world around us, and it is all due to a poor understanding of the scientific method, and separating real science from fake. The Skunk investigates.

Living forever - who hasn't wanted it at one point or another? In this episode we discuss immortality, and explore its role in religion, myth, science, and philosophy. Is it possible to become immortal? If so, how might we do it? More importantly, should we want such an outcome for ourselves at all? Join The Skunk as we dive into this perennially fascinating subject that has intrigued man since the dawn of time.

This episode is a light-hearted and easy-going look at the insanity of this week's news in Washington. Crazy comments from Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Matt Gaetz are dwarfed by the seriousness of voter suppression, a lack of investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection, and the misunderstood growing pains of a booming economy. 

From 1978 - 1995, dozens of bombs were sent to universities, airlines, and private businesses, killing 3 people and maiming 23 others in an ongoing campaign of terror that would become known as the UNABOM case (or "the Unabomber"). The mystery man behind the bombs - Ted Kaczynski - was finally apprehended in 1995 after his brother recognized his writing style in a published essay called "Industrial Society And Its Future", which laid out the Unabomber's philosophy that technology was killing the planet and enslaving humanity. What stunned people was the well-articulated nature of the Unabomber's manifesto, and his ideas continue to intrigue many to this day - especially since so many of his predictions for society have proven true. In this episode of The Skunk, we explore Ted Kaczyinski's manifesto, the philosophy it lays out, and critique his ideas about technology and humanity. 

This week, Texas passed draconian laws limiting access to women's healthcare and forbidding the discussion of race or current events in public school classrooms. Coupled with the state's "me first" culture and detestable leadership, the Skunk has decided to weigh in on Texas's role in America, and why it always gets everything so wrong.

Uh oh, the Skunk is back and the topic is heavy! On this episode, we wade into the uncomfortable territory of the Israeli / Palestinian conflict, a humanitarian disaster and never-ending conflict that has flared up again in recent weeks. What is the backstory? What are the grievances? Most importantly, is there a solution? This episode explores the whole complicated issue so you don't have to.

With America back up and running in the wake of COVID-19, another pandemic has returned to plague us: mass shootings. This episode of The Skunk discusses American gun culture, and why we can't seem to have an honest conversation about firearms despite the obvious failings of our policies towards them.

Critical thinking is fundamental to understanding the world around you. Yet today, people are increasingly led into belief in conspiracy theories, bogus views of reality, and obvious fallacies. This episode is about debunking popular misinformation and the tools with which to protect yourself against it in the future.

Donald Trump is no longer the president, yet Trumpism is as popular as ever, furthering a divide in American society that seems unmendable for the moment. Why is Trumpism still so popular? What does Trumpism even mean? And how does a man who lost his party the presidency and both houses of congress still have such a grip over it? We explore all of this and more in this episode of The Skunk.

Is It Immoral To Be A Billionaire? This episode of The Skunk explores the moral dilemma of having extravagant wealth while others struggle to get by. Is obscene wealth just the obvious outcome of a fair-play meritocracy, or is there more to the picture? We explore taxes, wealth vacuums, and wealth caps in order to explore this complex and much-contested issue.

In this episode, we discuss "What Is Art?", a philosophical question that has been debated by great minds since the dawn of man. And now, of course, by The Skunk! We focus on Leo Tolstoy's philosophy of art, and cover intent vs. reception, clarity of vision, technique, performance art, commercial entertainment, movies, music, painting, and even art made by machines in a quest to discover what separates legitimate art from the fakers.

Americans love hard work - "the protestant work ethic", "rugged individualism", "pull yourself up by your bootstraps", "self-made man"... these are all terms we proudly assign our view on life. But is that healthy? This episode examines work/life balance, social programs, and why the American attitude towards hard work might be self-defeating and unhealthy to our national psyche.

We have an A-hole problem in our country. Professionally outraged right-wing media figures use people's bitterness and anxiety to manipulate them into voting against their own self-interest. How does this magic trick work? Why do people fall for it? And what can you do to protect yourself from being manipulated? All of these topics and more are covered on this episode of The Skunk. Visit www.trashskunk.com for its companion article.

Everyone is fascinated by artificial intelligence - but what to make of it? In this episode, which is a companion piece to "A Trash Skunk Guide to A.I." on TrashSkunk.com, we discuss narrow vs. broad intelligence, the Turing Test, and what the future of computer intelligence might look like.

This episode examines the peculiar phenomenon of American conservatives thinking that George Orwell was writing to warn them against socialism, AOC, Joe Biden, and Democrats... all while being a self-avowed leftist. 

This is part two of "A Trash Skunk Guide to Aliens", a two part series of articles on TrashSkunk.com examining extraterrestrial life. Part two covers the scientific view of aliens - the Fermi Paradox, the Drake Equation, Rare Earth Hypothesis, and other efforts to answer the question: are we alone in the universe? 

On the very first episode of the Trash Skunk Podcast, we discuss "A Trash Skunk Guide to Aliens". This is a companion piece to the two-part series of articles on TrashSkunk.com covering the topic of extraterrestrial life. In part one, we examine the pop culture view of aliens - UFOs, abductions, Roswell, Area 51, Ancient Aliens, and more. 

This is the kickoff to the Trash Skunk Podcast, a feature TrashSkunk.com will sometimes employ to accompany the articles, thoughts, news, and fiction that it publishes. If you want to know what the site and the podcast are all about, this is the best place to start.