Podcast appearances and mentions of Kurt Vonnegut

There's scientifically plausible time travel, fantasy / sci fi time travel, 'traditional' time travel centered around real history, people trapped in time loops, time travel romance, and we even threw in a couple of great time travel kids books - something here for every reader to love!As we were editing the episode we realized we forgot an incredible, recent time travel book from the list that we'd meant to include - it's one we've mentioned in a previous episode. Drop us a line on discord if you think you know what we forgot (or if you've got a time travel book you love that you think should have been on the list)!Join the Hugonauts book club on discord to tell us about your favorite time travel booksOr you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoThis episode is sponsored by Maya: Seed Takes Root, which you can get here on kickstarterIf you want to jump around, here are the timestamps for all the books we talked about: 00:00 Intro 1:03 Sponsor - MAYA: Seed Takes Root 1:34 Fantastical / far future time travel 2:04 Night Watch by Terry Pratchett 3:15 The Dark Tower series by Stephen King 4:36 Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons 6:10 Scientifically plausible time travel 6:50 Tau Zero by Poul Anderson 9:20 Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang 10:38 The Forever War by Joe Haldeman 12:15 Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky 13:47 Looping time travel stories 14:14 The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 14:44 All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka 17:31 Great Time Travel Kids Books 20:25 Kindred by Octavia Butler 22:09 Lightning by Dean Koontz 23:48 11/22/63 by Stephen King 25:50 The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North 29:18 The Rise and Fall of DODO by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland 31:40 Time and Again by Jack Finney 35:00 The Life of Chuck by Stephen King 36:30 Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut 40:43 The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 44:05 Our top 3 favorite time travel books

Daily Quote As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see. (Vincent Van Gogh) Poem of the Day 菊花 元稹 Beauty of Words Kurt Vonnegut to His Family

Catherine McKenna joined me in person for a live recording of this episode at the Naval Club of Toronto here in our east end. We discussed her new book ‘Run Like a Girl', lessons learned from her six years in federal politics, the reality of political harassment, the tension between party loyalty and telling it like it is, and why we should be wary of “grand bargains” on climate with oil and gas companies.Catherine served as Environment and Climate Change Minister from 2015-2019 and Infrastructure Minister from 2019-2021. She's now the founder and CEO of Climate and Nature Solutions and chairs a UN expert group advising the Secretary General on net zero commitments.Read further:Run Like A Girl - Catherine McKenna (2025)https://www.catherinemckenna.caChapters:00:00 Introduction & Run Like A Girl Book05:32 Lessons from Politics: Hard Work & Balance08:52 Climate Barbie & Political Harassment15:26 Running for Office in Ottawa Centre23:17 Being a Team Player vs. Speaking Truth32:05 Leaving Politics40:30 Climate Policy & the Oil & Gas “Grand Bargain”48:24 Supporting Others in Politics52:56 Carbon Pricing Communication Failures59:13 Gender Balance, Feminism & Cabinet01:04:04 Final Thoughts & ClosingTranscript:Nate Erskine-Smith00:02 - 00:38Well, thank you everyone for joining. This is a live recording of the Uncommon's podcast, and I'm lucky to be joined by Catherine McKenna, who has a very impressive CV. You will know her as the former Environment Minister. She is also the founder and CEO of Climate and Nature Solutions, a consultancy focused on all things environment and nature protection. And you may or may not know, but she's also the chair of a UN expert group that gives advice to the Secretary General on net zero solutions. So thank you for coming to Beaches East York.Catherine McKenna00:38 - 00:56It's great to be here. Hello, everyone. And special shout out to the guy who came from, all the way from Bowmanville. That's awesome. Anyone from Hamilton, that's where I'm originally found. All right. Nice, we got a shout out for Hamilton. Woo-hoo.Nate Erskine-Smith00:57 - 01:19So I ran down a few things you've accomplished over the years, but you are also the author of Run Like a Girl. I was at, you mentioned a book launch last night here in Toronto, but I attended your book launch in Ottawa. And you can all pick up a book on the way out. But who did you write this book for?Catherine McKenna01:21 - 02:58So, I mean, this book has been a long time in the making. It's probably been five years. It was a bit of a COVID project. And you'll see, it's good, I've got my prop here, my book. But you'll see it's not a normal kind of book. So it has a lot of images of objects and of, you know, pictures, pictures of me getting ready to go to the state visit dinner that was hosted by Obama while I'm trying to finalize the text on climate. So it's got like random things in it, but it's intended for a much broader audience. It's really intended to inspire women and girls and young people. And I think that's particularly important right now because I work on climate and I think it's really hard. Do people here care about climate? Yes, I imagine here you care about climate. I mean, I actually think most Canadians do because they understand the wildfires and they see the smoke and people are being evacuated from communities and you can't get insurance if you're in a flood zone. But I do think in particular we need to bolster spirits. But also it's a book, it's really about how to make change. It's not like people think it's like a political memoir. So I think, you know, fancy people in politics will look at the end of the book to see if their name is there and maybe be disappointed if it isn't. But it's not really that kind of book. It's like I was a kid from Hamilton. I didn't want to be a politician. That wasn't my dream when I grew up. I wanted to go to the Olympics for swimming. And spoiler alert, I did not make the Olympic team, but I went to Olympic trials.Nate Erskine-Smith02:59 - 02:59You're close.Catherine McKenna03:00 - 04:05I was, well, closest, closest, but, but it wasn't, I mean, you know, life is a journey and that wasn't, it wasn't sad that I didn't make it, but I think it's just to hopefully for people to think I can make change too. Like I didn't come as a fully formed politician that was, you know, destined to be minister for the environment and climate change. So in particular for women and young people who are trying to figure out how to make change, I think it's a little bit my story. I just tried to figure it out. And one day I decided the best way to make change was to go into politics and get rid of Stephen Harper. That was my goal. He was my inspiration, yes, because we needed a new government. And yeah, so I really, really, really am trying to reach a much broader audience because I think we often are politicians talking to a very narrow group of people, often very partisan. And that's not my deal. My deal is we need everyone to be making change in their own way. And I want people who are feeling like maybe it's a bit hard working on climate or in politics or on democracy or human rights that you too can make change.Nate Erskine-Smith04:06 - 05:17And you were holding it up. I mean, it's a bit of a scrapbook. You've described it. And it's also honest. I mean, there was some media coverage of it that was sort of saying, oh, you said this about Trudeau, calling him a loofer. And there's a certain honesty about I've lived in politics and I'm going to call it like it is. But what I find most interesting is not the sort of the gotcha coverage after the fact. It's when you go to write something, you said you're not a writer at the launch that I saw in Ottawa, but you obviously sat down and were trying to figure out what are the lessons learned. You've had successes, you've had failures, and you're trying to impart these lessons learned. You mentioned you sort of were going down that road a little bit of what you wanted to impart to people, but you've had six years in politics at the upper echelon of decision-making on a really important file. I want to get to some of the failures because we're living through some of them right now, I think. Not of your doing, of conservative doing, unfortunately. But what would you say are the lessons learned that you, you know, as you're crystallizing the moments you've lived through, what are those lessons?Catherine McKenna05:19 - 07:12It's funny because the lessons I learned actually are from swimming in a way that actually you got to do the work. That, you know, you set a long-term goal and, you know, whatever that goal is, whatever you hope to make change on. And then you get up and you do the work. And then you get up the next morning and you do the work again. And sometimes things won't go your way. But you still get up the next morning. And I think it's important because, like, you know, look, I will talk, I'm sure, about carbon pricing. We lost the consumer carbon price. There's a chapter. It's called Hard Things Are Hard. I'm also, like, really into slogans. I used to be the captain of the U of T swim team. So I feel like my whole life is like a Nike ad or something. Hard things are hard. We can do it. But yeah, I mean, I think that the change is incremental. And sometimes in life, you're going to have hard times. But the other thing I want people to take from it is that, you know, sometimes you can just go dancing with your friends, right? Or you can call up your book club. I would sometimes have hard days in politics. And I was like, oh, gosh, that was like, what? happened. So I'd send an email, it would say to my book club. So if you have book clubs, book clubs are a good thing. Even if you don't always read the book, that would be me. But I would be SOS, come to my house. And I'd be like, all I have is like chips and wine, but I just need to hang out with regular people. And I think that's also important. Like, you know, life is life. Like, you know, you got to do the work if you're really trying to make change. But some days are going to be harder and sometimes you're just trying to hang in there and I had you know I had I have three kids one of them they're older now one of them is actually manning the the booth selling the books but you know when you're a mom too like you know sometimes you're going to focus on that so I don't know I think my my lessons are I I'm too gen x to be like you've got to do this and INate Erskine-Smith07:12 - 07:16learned this and I'm amazing no that's not writing a graduation speech I'm not I'm not writing aCatherine McKenna07:16 - 08:43graduation speech and I don't know that you know the particular path I took is what anyone else is going to do I was going to I went to Indonesia to do a documentary about Komodo dragons because my roommate asked me to so that led me to go back to Indonesia which led me to work for UN peacekeeping and peacekeeping mission in East Timor but I think it's also like take risks if you're a young person Like, don't, people will tell you all the time how you should do things. And I, you know, often, you know, doubted, should I do this, or I didn't have enough confidence. And I think that's often, women often feel like that, I'll say. And, you know, at the end, sometimes you are right. And it's okay if your parents don't like exactly what you're doing. Or, you know, people say you should stay in corporate law, which I hated. Or, you know, so I don't know if there's so many lessons as a bit as, you know, one, you got to do the work to, you know, listen to what you really want to do. That doesn't mean every day you're going to get to do what you want to do. But, you know, if you're really passionate about working human rights, work on human rights, like figure out a way to do it and then also have some fun. Like life can feel really heavy. And I felt that during COVID. I think sometimes now after, you know, looking at, you know, social media and what Donald Trump has done or threatened to do, it can feel hard. So I think it's also OK to to just check out and have fun.Nate Erskine-Smith08:44 - 08:46I like it. Well, there aren't lessons, but here are three important lessons.Catherine McKenna08:48 - 08:50I am a politician. It's good. Well, it's OK.Nate Erskine-Smith08:50 - 09:57You mentioned a few times really writing this book in a way to young people and specifically to young women to encourage them to to make a difference and to get involved. and yet politics, we were both drawn to politics, I think for similar reasons, and it is one of the most important ways to make a difference, and I wanna get to you. There are other ways to make a difference, of course, but there's a bit of a tension, I think, in what you're writing, because you're writing this encouragement to make a difference, and politics is so important, and on the flip side, you document all sorts of different ways that politics has been truly awful, the absurdity of, I knew the ridiculous idiocy of Climate Barbie, but I didn't actually appreciate that you had these bizarre men coming to your house to take selfies in front of your house. That's just a next-level awfulness. And so how do you, when you're talking to young people, to encourage them on the one hand, but also you don't want to shield them from the awfulness, and we all want to make politics a more civil, better place, but these are problematic tensions.Catherine McKenna09:58 - 10:42Yeah, I mean, look, I thought a lot about what I wanted to say about like the hate and abuse that I got, but also my staff got. I mean, they come to my office and start screaming. And of course, everything's videotaped. So and, you know, there were incidents at my house. And so I first of all, I believe in being honest. Like, I just believe in it. I believe that people deserve the truth. But also in this case, I wasn't looking for sympathy. I'm out of politics. I don't need sympathy, but we need change. And so I think the only way, one of the only ways we get changed, and you know how hard it is to get policy, like online harm legislation. We still have not gotten online harm. In a way, it's kind of unfathomable that we can't just get it. Like, we know that online.Nate Erskine-Smith10:42 - 10:43C5 happened real quick, though. Don't worry.Catherine McKenna10:43 - 10:43Okay.Catherine McKenna10:44 - 10:48Well, luckily, I'm not in politics anymore. I'm not in politics anymore.Catherine McKenna10:48 - 11:48I just do my thing. But I do think that by documenting this, I'm hoping that people will read it and say, well, wait a minute, that's not OK, because that's how we will get the support to get legislation to make sure that we hold social media platforms accountable. that's the way that we will be able to get people to say to politicians, you cannot go and do personal attacks and then go spread them online to get to get clicks. And that we can get proper protection for politicians, which I don't love, but actually we need that sometimes. So I think that it is important to say that I don't want people to feel down because I have multiple purposes in the book. Like people are talking about this. And I've had a number of my female politician friends saying thank you for stepping up because now people are taking it more seriously because they're like wow that was bad like climate barbie sounds kind of quaint now but climate barbie led to a whole bunch of things that led to a bunch of things that led to rcmp finally being outside my house whichNate Erskine-Smith11:49 - 12:05wasn't amazing but at least i felt safe but it's one thing to say quaint but it normalizes a misogyny that is that is awful right yeah so it's and it might it might not be a direct threat it might not be taking a selfie outside of your home which is an implicit threat but it is it's normalizing an awfulness in our politics.Catherine McKenna12:06 - 12:10Yeah, I mean, it is. From other politicians. It was a former minister in Harper's CabinetNate Erskine-Smith12:10 - 12:11who started it, right?Catherine McKenna12:11 - 12:21It was, or at least amplified it. We'll go there, like the climate Barbie. Okay, so climate Barbie is, it's quite weird because now my kids are like, well, Barbie went to the moon.Catherine McKenna12:21 - 12:22Barbie was an asteroid.Catherine McKenna12:23 - 14:57Quinn is here, like, you know, Barbies are, like, you know, not that big a deal. The thing is, if you are my age, if anyone here is 50 or over, I think you're pretty clear when someone who's 50 or over calls you climate barbie there's a lot going on in that and i said nothing like i was actually baptized climate barbie very early on um by a rage farming alt-right outlet they are not media and that's what they do this is their game they go after progressives to make money actually um for clickbait but i didn't do anything for so long um and i guess my team was lovely and i had a lot of really awesome women and they're like just don't do it because you'll they'll know that you know they can go after you um and so i'm at the un actually it's like seven years ago i was just at the un last week yes i heard donald trump but i was there to work on climate but it was the same thing it was the end of a really long day i was going back to the hotel i was actually in the hotel lobby some crabby hotel with my team and i look at my phone i was like why is my twitter exploded what has happened and then i see the climate barbie tweet and i said to my team. I said, okay, I'm sorry. I'm just going to have to deal with this situation. And they knew, like, I'm, when I say I'm dealing with it, I'm going to deal with it. And so I, I, you know, I'm a lawyer by training. So I, you know, try, I am Irish. I've got the hot headed side and then I've got the lawyer rational side. So I was like, okay, what am I going to say? There's going to call it out, but in a way that isn't falling into the trap of just calling names. So I said, it's in this book. I'm not going to get exactly right, but it was something like, would you use that kind of language with your girlfriend, wife, mother? You're not chasing women out of politics. Your sexism is going to chase women, whatever it was. And what was so interesting about this, and this is why in this book, I do the same thing, is that it went viral. And I wasn't trying to do this. I was trying to shame him so he would stop. And people like would stop me in the streets. And it would be, you know, conservative men, they'd be like, I'm a conservative, I'm ashamed. This is not acceptable. And I really appreciate this. This is how you stand up to bullies. And I thought, oh, this is important that we do this every once in a while, because often as a woman, you're kind of supposed to take it because otherwise you look a bit weak. And I realized actually the power is other people saying that this is not okay. So I actually appreciate that you call it out. You will see in my book. I will just let me see if I can find it. I also, like, kind of bizarrely, a bunch of, like, men would send me Barbies with really mean notes.Catherine McKenna14:57 - 15:04So they'd go to a store, buy a Barbie, then go and find the address of my constituency office or my ministerial office,Catherine McKenna15:05 - 15:32and then send it with a note that they personally addressed. Like, that's kind of weird. So anyway, the funny thing is, I guess, is it funny? I don't know. It's just it. There's a Barbie. This is actually a picture of one of the Barbies that was sent. We would normally put our Barbies in the Christmas toy drive. I guess we figured might as well give it to, you know, kids that would like the Barbie. But I found one when I was cleaning up my office. And I was like, oh, I'm going to just keep that. I'm going to like, you know, just keep that. So you can...Nate Erskine-Smith15:32 - 15:33No one's sending you Barbies.Catherine McKenna15:33 - 15:38I have a book of just... No one's sending you Barbies. Glorious things that people have sent, like written notes that people have sent over the yearsNate Erskine-Smith15:38 - 16:33where you're just like, this is the most bizarre thing to have received. And, you know, in 10 years in politics, the scrapbook grows. So speaking of, you mentioned Harper being an inspiration of sorts. You also have said, I'm just a regular person who wanted to make a change. And politics, you also said, I didn't want to be a politician. I want to be an Olympian. But you also document Sheila Copps as someone you looked up to. You mentioned your dad being very political. And Pierre Elliott Trudeau was the person in politics who was a bit of an inspiration for your dad and family. And so Harper, obviously, a motivating force for me as well in the lead up to 2015. I think there's a whole class of us in the lead up to 2015 that wanted a different kind of politics. How did you get on the ballot, though? It was you were a lawyer and you thought, no, this is this particular moment. Were people tapping on the shoulder and saying, come on, Catherine, now's the time?Catherine McKenna16:37 - 18:52Yeah, I mean, it's kind of a funny story because women often have to be asked multiple times. The thing is, I'd already been asked before 2015. And it's kind of funny because I saw my friend last night who's part of the story. So when Stéphane Dion was running, I went back to Hamilton. So that's where my parents, my dad passed away. But that's where my parents lived. And I was walking up my street. And the head of the riding association was like, would you like to run? So the election, I think, was already called. I'm pregnant. I live in Ottawa. And so I was like, oh, maybe I should think about that. So I asked my friend. He's like, well, I guess you won't have to knock on doors. So that was my first time getting asked. I did not run then. But I ran a charity that did human rights, rule of law, and good governance. I'd started this charity after having lived abroad with a friend. And, I mean, it was like banging your head on a wall in the pre-Harper times. We were trying to support human rights. We were working with indigenous youth in Canada focused on reconciliation. I cared about climate change. I was like, all of these things I'm trying to do outside of the system are a complete and utter waste of time. So I thought, OK, we've got to get rid of the government. So that's my theory of change now. My theory of change was create this charitable organization, and it's just not getting the impact. So I decided I was going to run, but I was in Ottawa Centre. So I don't know if many of you know Ottawa Centre. It's actually where Parliament's located, so it's great. It's a bike ride to work. But it was Paul Dewar, who was a really beloved NDP member of parliament. His mother had been mayor. And I really like Paul, too. But the reality is you've got to win, right? So you've got to win enough seats so you can form government. So I ran for two years. And it's interesting because I just decided to run. I canvassed, and so maybe the woman, this will maybe resonate a little bit. So I was like, okay, I really want to run, but I kind of need permission. I don't know why I thought I needed permission, but I did. So I went the rounds. And I like the Liberal Party, but it can be like an inside club. And I wasn't from Ottawa Centre. And so I think people were like a bit perplexed. They're like, we're kind of keeping this riding for a star candidate. And I was like, okay, what the heck? Who's a star?Catherine McKenna18:52 - 18:53Like, what's a star candidate?Catherine McKenna18:53 - 19:07Is that like a male lawyer who gives a lot of money to the Liberal Party? Like, I was like, seriously, what is a star candidate? Yeah, that's what it is. Okay. Sorry. Sorry. I don't know. You are a male. I ran when I was 29 and had no money.Nate Erskine-Smith19:07 - 19:09That was a setup. That was a setup.Catherine McKenna19:09 - 20:15No, it wasn't. Okay. Anyway, we'll just blow by that one. You're a little bit unusual. Okay. So we'll take you out of that. But anyway, it's quite funny because then I was like, and then people were like, actually, you should just get the party to go get you another riding that's winnable. So I was like, okay, on the one hand, you need a star candidate here for this great riding that, but on the flip side, no one can win. So I was like, okay, I don't really know. So I looked at, like, you know, I'm not a fool. I was a competitive swimmer. I want to win. So I looked at the numbers, and I realized, like, you know, if Justin Trudeau was then leader, if we did super well, we were in third place, and it was two years out. But if I worked really hard and we did super well, there was a shot at winning. So I just decided I'm going to run. And I got the chapters called The New Girls Club. And then I had men supporting me. It was fine. But I literally had a lot of women who were just like, I don't know if you can win. This is kind of bonkers. You're doing it. But I'm going to step up and give you some money. I'm going to go help sell nominations. And at that point, you had to sell them. And no one wanted to buy a nomination.Catherine McKenna20:15 - 20:20People are like, I don't want to be a party. I want to join a party, especially a liberal party.Catherine McKenna20:22 - 21:04And so those of you who are thinking about politics, how do you win a nomination? I was trying to sell memberships and people weren't buying them. I was like, oh gosh, every night I'm going out, I've got these kids and I'm going out and talking to people. And I'm spending two hours and getting one or two nominations, people signing up. So I actually realized it was my kids' friends' mothers whose names I didn't know. I just knew their kids. And I think they were like, wow, we don't really know anyone that would go into politics. But we actually think you'd be pretty good. And your kids would kind of nice. And I don't know. I'll just sign up. I don't care.Catherine McKenna21:04 - 21:06And so it was actually really heartening.Catherine McKenna21:07 - 23:15And I will say, like, for all the bad of politics, and there is some bad for sure. And you will read about it in my book. That campaign for two years, like, we knocked on more than 100,000 doors. We had the highest voter turnout in the country. We had, I had my own rules. Like, I was like, we're going to do this in the way that I believe in. and you know some like some of it was following the bomb a snowflake model like you know we wanted to run hard but we also engaged kids and it wasn't like we had just like a kid area we would have kid canvases and I just felt important to me and we went to low income parts of the riding where some people said they're not going to vote or we went to university we went to university residents they're like they're not going to vote actually they turned out in strong numbers and I got a ton of volunteers who, and people that knew my name, because like someone who knows someone who knows someone. So it was great. But I will say like, that's the one thing about getting involved in politics. You may be here. I met a couple of you who said younger people who said you'd like to run. You can do it. You don't need permission. You're gonna have to hustle. You're gonna have to build your team. But this isn't an in club. And I do sometimes worry that politics feels like an in club and it shouldn't be that like we need everyone who wants to step up and get involved in however they want to get involved to be able to do that and so that's my lesson read that chapter hopefully you feel quite inspired and when I knocked on the last door I didn't know if I would win or not but I knew we'd left it all on the ice and I felt great like I was like we also have another woman who has run here it's Kelly is it Kelly who's run a couple times you know what it's like like you build a team. Now you were in a super hard riding. I do hope you run again. But it, it's just this feeling of doing something that matters and bringing people together in a common cause that is bigger than yourself. And it's about believing you can improve lives and you can tackle climate change. So that was a great I hope you read it and feel like you can do it too, if you want to run because you can, I will say you got to work hard. That is one of the most important thing doors gotNate Erskine-Smith23:15 - 23:36got a knock on doors well so i want to get back to though you were emphasizing one this idea of an insider culture but at the same time the need to have a really local presence and it was people who who were on the ground in the community who who ultimately helped get you over the finish line the nomination i mean here you know sandy's working the bar i went to high school with his kids andCatherine McKenna23:36 - 23:41he signed up in the nomination you got sandy and he got us a beer and and you got claire and fredNate Erskine-Smith23:41 - 24:44here who again i went i went to high school with their kids and they signed up in the nomination probably for joining the Liberal Party for the first time. And you go down the list, and there are people who are behind you locally. And in part, I think when you get started, now you go, okay, well, I know this person in the party, I know that person in the party, I've lived in the party for 12, 13 years. But I was 29 when I was starting to run the nomination. No one was tapping me on the shoulder and going, like, you're a star candidate, whatever that means, as you say. And so it does require that desire to say, no one has to ask me. I'm going to go do it and I'm going to build my own local team. But it also gets, I think, at another tension of who is your team? Because you say at one point, sometimes you need to be on the outside so you can push the inside to do more. And so you're on the outside now and you can be probably more honest in your assessment of things and more critical. I have tried, though, at times over the 10 years to play that same role in caucus.Catherine McKenna24:46 - 24:49What? Nate? I thought you were always all in on everything. Yeah, all in on everything.Nate Erskine-Smith24:50 - 25:32But it does get to this idea of team. It's like, be a team player, be a team player, be a team player. And the answer back is, well, who's your team? And yeah, sure, of course the team is the Liberal caucus, but the team is also people in Beaches of East York, the people who are knocking doors with the nomination, people who are knocking doors in the election. And they also want accountability. They also want the party and the government to be the best version of itself. And so do you find you were when you think back at the six years that you were in. I mean, cabinet's a different level of solidarity, obviously. But do you think it's possible to navigate that, you know, critical accountability role inside the tent? Or do you think it's essential as you are now to be outside to play that, you know, that that truth function?Catherine McKenna25:34 - 25:46I mean, that's a that's a really hard question because I mean, I'm a team person. I just sound like I was captain of a swim team. But that doesn't team. So it's different. Like, I'll just have to distinguish like being in cabinet.Catherine McKenna25:47 - 25:52Like you do have cabinet solidarity. But in cabinet, let me tell you, like I spoke up.Catherine McKenna25:52 - 26:50I like everyone didn't didn't always like it, but I felt like I had an obligation to just say things. And that was as much to myself as it was to anyone else. But then once you do that, you know, there is this view that then you stand with the team or else you leave cabinet. That is hard. That is hard. But it's probably less hard than being in caucus where you feel like you might have less influence on the issues. The one time I felt this was actually when I was out, but it was hard to do. And this is when I spoke up and I said I felt it was time for Justin Trudeau to step down, like to like have a leadership race to allow someone new to come in. And it was funny because I got like all these texts like and I was out. Right. So you think not such a big deal. But I got texts from people and like saying, who do you think you are? Like, you know, we're a liberal team. And I was like, OK, this is weird because I get team, but team doesn't equal cult.Nate Erskine-Smith26:52 - 26:52Welcome to my world.Catherine McKenna26:56 - 28:06Nate and me, are we exactly the same? Probably not exactly the same, but no, no. but I think it's true because I was like, well, wait a minute. We also owe it to, in that case, it was also like, we got to win. Are we going to just go? Is this the way it's going? We're just going to allow us to go down even though it's clear that the wheels have come off the cart. And that was hard. But I thought about it, and I was just so worried about the other option. Like Pierre Paulyab, that was too much. And I was like, okay, if I can make a bit of a difference, I will take a hit. It's fine. But I like, look, there is it is really hard to navigate that. And I mean, obviously, if it's super chaotic and no one's supporting things, I mean, the government will fall and you can't get agendas through. There does have to be some leeway to say things like that is important. It's that line and the tension. And I know you've you've felt it. And, you know, we haven't always been on the same side of those things, probably. But that is hard. That is hard. And I don't know that there's any easy answer to that because you can't always be in opposition because you can't govern.Catherine McKenna28:07 - 28:09So I would actually put that to you, Nate.Catherine McKenna28:10 - 28:38No, but I think it's an interesting question for you because, as I said, I was in cabinet, so it was a little bit easier. I mean, you literally have to vote with the government. But for you, there were times that you decided to, you know, be your own voice and not necessarily, well, not when I say not necessarily, not support, you know, the government's position. like how did you make decisions on that like how do you decide this is the moment i'm going to do that sometimes i care but i don't care as much or maybe i've done it you know a few times and iNate Erskine-Smith28:38 - 31:51should stay together like how did you how do you make that choice so i i think that uh trudeau and running for his leadership one thing that drew me to him actually he was calling for generational renewal at the time which which appealed to me but he was also talking about doing politics differently and whether that promise was entirely realized or not you know you lived around the cabinet table you you know more than me in some ways but I would say the promise of freer votes was incredibly appealing to me as the kind of politics that I that I want to see because I do think you you want that grassroots politics you want people to be it sounds trite now but that idea of being voices for the community in Ottawa not the other way around but there is a there's a truth to that. And so how do you get there and also maintain unity? And I think they navigated that quite well when in the leadership and then it became part of our platform in 2015, he articulated this idea of, well, we're going to have whipped votes on platform promises. Do I agree with everything in the platform? No, but I'll bite my tongue where I disagree and I'll certainly vote with the government. Two, on charter rights and human rights issues. And then three, and this is more fraught but on confidence matters more fraught i say because there were moments where they made certain things confidence matters that i didn't think they should have but you know that was that was the deal and that was the deal that you know you make with constituents it's the deal that you make with with members of the liberal party beyond that i think it's more about how you go about disagreeing and then it's making sure that you've given notice making sure that you've explained your reasons i i've i've uh i've joked i've been on many different whips couches but uh andy leslie i thought was the best whip in part because he would say why are you doing this and you'd run through the reasons he goes well have you have you engaged with them like do they know yeah well have they tried to convince you otherwise yeah and but here are the reasons okay well sounds like you thought about it kid get in my office and it was a there was a you could tell why he was an effective general because he he built respect as between you uh whereas you know the other approach is you have to vote with us. But that's not the deal, and here's why. And it's a less effective approach from a whip. But I would say how you, you know, I've used the example of electoral reform. I wasn't going and doing media saying Justin Trudeau is an awful person for breaking this promise, and, you know, he's, this is the most cynical thing he could have possibly have done, and what a bait and switch. I wasn't burning bridges and making this personal. I was saying, you know, he doesn't think a referendum is a good idea. Here's why I think there's a better forward and here's why I think we here's a way of us maintaining that promise and here's why I don't think we should have broken the promise and you know different people in the liberal party of different views I think the way we go about disagreeing and creating space for reasonable disagreement within the party outside the party but especially within the party really matters and then sometimes you just have to say there's an old Kurt Vonnegut line it's we are who we pretend to be so be careful who you pretend to be and I think it's double each room politics and so you know you want to wake up after politics and think I did the thing I was supposed to do when I was there. And sometimes that means being a good team player, and other times it means standing up and saying what you think. Okay, but back to questions for you.Catherine McKenna31:52 - 31:57Do you like that one? That was pretty good. Just put Nate on the hot speed for a little bit.Nate Erskine-Smith31:59 - 33:01You can ask me questions, too. Okay, so I was going to ask you why not politics, but you've sort of said, I've heard you say you felt that you were done, and you did what you came to do. But I want to push back on that a little bit, because you did a lot of things, especially around climate. First climate plan, you put carbon pricing in place, a number of measures. I mean, that gets all the attention, and we can talk about the walk back on it. But there's stringent methane rules, there were major investments in public transit, there's clean electricity. You run down the list of different things that we've worked towards in advance. And then we talk about consumer carbon pricing, but the industrial carbon piece is huge. Having said that, do you worry you left at a time when the politics were toxic, but not as toxic as they are today around climate and certainly around carbon pricing? And do you feel like you left before you had made sure the gains were going to be protected?Catherine McKenna33:02 - 33:11I think the lesson I learned, you can never protect gains, right? Like, you're just going to always have to fight. And, like, I can't, like, when am I going to be in politics? So I'm, like, 120?Catherine McKenna33:12 - 33:12Like, sorry.Catherine McKenna33:14 - 34:43And it is really true. Like, when I, the weird thing, when, so I'd been through COVID. I had three teenagers, one who, as I mentioned, is here. And I really thought hard. Like, I turned 50. And, like, I'm not someone who's, like, big birthdays. It's, like, this existential thing. I wasn't sad. It was, like, whatever. But I was, like, okay, I'm 50 now. Like, you know, there's what do I want to do at 50? I really forced myself to do it. And I really felt like, remember, I got into politics to make change. So I just thought, what is the best way to make change? And I really felt it wasn't, I felt personally for myself at this point, it wasn't through politics. I really wanted to work globally on climate because I really felt we'd done a lot. And I did think we kind of landed a carbon price. and we'd gone through two elections and one at the Supreme Court. So I felt like, okay, people will keep it. We will be able to keep it. So I just felt that there were other things I wanted to do, and I'd really come when I – you know, I said I would leave when I had done what I'd come to do, and that was a really important promise to myself. And I really want to spend time with my kids. Like, you give up a lot in politics, and my kids were going off to university, and I'd been through COVID, and if any parents – anyone been through COVID, But if you're a parent of teenage kids, that was a pretty bleak time. I'd be like, do you guys want to play another game? And they're like, oh my God.Audience Q34:43 - 34:44As if, and then they go to their bed.Catherine McKenna34:44 - 35:15They'd be like, I'm doing school. And I'd be like, as if you're doing school, you're online. Probably playing video game. But what am I going to do, right? Let's go for another walk. They're like, okay, we'll go for a walk if we can go get a slushie. And I was like, I'm going to rot their teeth. And my dad was a dentist. So I was like, this is bad. But this is like, we're engaging for 20 minutes. Like it was really hard. And so I actually, when I made the decision, like, but the counter, the funny thing that is so hilarious now to me is I almost, I was like, I'm not going to leave because if I leave, those haters will thinkCatherine McKenna35:15 - 35:16they drove me out.Nate Erskine-Smith35:16 - 35:18So I was like, okay, I'm going to stay.Catherine McKenna35:18 - 35:20And like, it was bizarre. I was like, okay.Nate Erskine-Smith35:20 - 35:21I don't want to stay when I'm staying. I don't want to stay.Catherine McKenna35:21 - 35:46I don't think this is the most useful point of my, like, you know, part of what I, you know, this is this useful, but I'm going to stay because these random people that I don't care about are actually going to say, ha ha, I chased her out. So then I was like, okay, well, let's actually be rational here and, you know, an adult. So I made the decision. And I actually felt really zen. Like, it was quite weird after I did it, where it was actually politicians who would do it to me. They'd be like, are you okay?Catherine McKenna35:47 - 35:49And I'd be like, I'm amazing.Catherine McKenna35:49 - 36:05What are you talking about? And, like, you know, it was as if leaving politics, I would not be okay. And then people would say, like, is it hard not to have stuff? I was like, I'm actually free. I can do whatever I want. I can go to a microphone now and say whatever. Probably people will care a lot less. But I don't.Nate Erskine-Smith36:05 - 36:07You can do that in politics sometimes too.Catherine McKenna36:08 - 36:08Yes, Nate.Nate Erskine-Smith36:09 - 36:09Yes, Nate.Catherine McKenna36:09 - 39:32We know about that. Yeah, it was just. So anyway, I left politics. I was not. I do think that what I always worried about more than actually the haters thinking they won. It was that women and women and girls would think I love politics because of all the hate. And once again, I'll just repeat it because it's very important to me. The reason I say the things that happened to me in the book is not because I need sympathy. I don't. We do need change. And I felt when I left, I said I would support women and girls in politics. One of the ways I am doing it is making sure that it is a better place than what I had to put up with. Now, sadly, it's not because it's actually worse now. I hear from counselors. I hear from school board trustees. I hear from all sorts of women in politics, but also men, however you identify. Like, it's bad out there. And it's not just online. It is now offline. People think they can shout at you and scream at you and take a video of it, like put it in the dark web or wherever that goes. So, you know, that's bad. But I feel like, you know, people are like, oh, we got to stop that. And that's what's important. There's a nice letter here. So as I said, I have like random things in here. But there's this lovely gentleman named Luigi. I haven't talked about Luigi yet, have I? So I was at the airport and this gentleman came over to me. And I still get a little nervous when people, because I don't know what people are going to do. Like I probably 99% of them are very nice, but it only takes one percent. So I always get like slightly nervous. And I don't mean to be because I'm actually, as you can see, quite gregarious. I like talking to people, but never exactly sure. And he hands me a note and walks away. And I'm like, oh, God, is this like an exploding letter? Who knows? And I open it and it's in the book. So I'll read you his letter because it actually, I put it towards the end because I think it's really important. because you can see I asked Luigi if I could put his note so his note is here so Ms. McKenna I did not want to disturb you as I thought so I thought I would write this note instead because I identify as a conservative in all likelihood we probably would disagree on many issues I find it quite disturbing the level of abuse that you and many other female politicians must endure. It is unfortunate and unacceptable, and I make a point of speaking out when I see it. I hope that you take consolation in the fact that you and others like you are making it easier for the next generation of women, including my three daughters, Luigi. And I was like, this is like the nicest note. And I think that's also what I hope for my book like I hope people are like yeah we can be we can actually disagree but be normal and you know okay with each other and probably most people are um most people are like Luigi are probably not paying attention but there are people that aren't doing that and I think they're also fed sometimes by politicians themselves um who you know really ratchet things up and attack people personally and And so that's a long answer to I can't even remember the question. But I mean, I left politics and I was done. And that's not related to Luigi, but Luigi is a nice guy.Nate Erskine-Smith39:34 - 41:21It's a I think I've got those are my questions around the book. But I do have a couple of questions on climate policy because you're living and breathing that still. And although it's interesting, you comment about politicians. I mean, there's a deep inauthenticity sometimes where politicians treat it as a game. And there's these attacks for clicks. Or in some cases, especially when the conservatives were riding high in the polls, people were tripping over themselves to try and prove to the center that they could be nasty to and that they could score points and all of that. And so they all want to make cabinet by ratcheting up a certain nastiness. But then cameras get turned off and they turn human beings again to a degree. And so that kind of inauthenticity, I think, sets a real nasty tone for others in politics more generally. But on climate policy, I was in Edmonton for our national caucus meeting. I think I texted you this, but I get scrummed by reporters and they're asking me all climate questions. And I was like, oh, this is nice. I'm getting asked climate questions for a change. this is good. This is put climate back on the radar. And then a reporter says, well, are you concerned about the Carney government backtracking on climate commitments? And I said, well, backtracking on climate commitments. I mean, if you read the book Values, it'd be a very odd thing for us to do. Do you worry that we are backtracking? Do you worry that we're not going to be ambitious enough? Or do you think we're still, we haven't yet seen the climate competitiveness strategy? I mean, you know, here's an opportunity to say we should do much more. I don't know. But are you concerned, just given the dynamic in politics as they're unfolding, that we are not going to get where we need to get?Catherine McKenna41:22 - 42:31I mean, look, I'm like you. You know, first of all, I did get into politics. I wasn't an expert on climate, but I cared about climate because I have kids. Like, we have this truck that's coming for our kids, and I'm a mother, so I'm going to do everything I can. I was in a position that I learned a lot about climate policy, and climate policy is complicated, and you've got to get it right. But look, I mean, you know, Mark Carney knows as much about, you know, climate as an economic issue as anyone. And so, I mean, I'm certainly hopeful that you can take different approaches, but at the end of the day, your climate policy requires you to reduce emissions because climate change isn't a political issue. Of course, it's very political. I'm not going to understate it. I know that as much as anyone. But in the end, the science is the science. We've got to reduce our emissions. And you've probably all heard this rant of mine before, but I will bring up my rant again. I sometimes hear about a grand bargain with oil and gas companies. We did a grand bargain with oil and gas companies.Catherine McKenna42:31 - 42:31How did that work out?Catherine McKenna42:31 - 42:32Yeah.Catherine McKenna42:32 - 42:33How did that work out? Tell us. How did that work out?Catherine McKenna42:33 - 47:27Let me tell you how that worked out. So we were working really hard to get a national climate plan. And I saw it as an obligation of mine to work with provinces to build on the policies they had. The Alberta government had stood, so it was the government of Rachel Notley, but with Murray Edwards, who's the head of one of the oil and gas companies, with environmentalists, with economists, with indigenous peoples, saying, okay, this is the climate plan Alberta's going to do. A cap on emissions from oil and gas. a price on pollution, tough methane regs, and, you know, some other things. And so then we were pushed, and it was really hard. I was the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, where we had a climate emergency one day, and then we had a pipeline. The next, I talk about that. That was hard. But the reality is, we felt like that, you know, the Alberta government, we needed to support the NDP Alberta, you know, the NDP government at the time early on. And so then what did we get? Like, where are we right now? We basically, none of the, either those policies are gone or not effective. We got a pipeline at massive taxpayer costs. It's like 500% over. We have oil and gas companies that made historic record profits, largely as a result of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. What did they do with those profits? They said that they were going to invest in climate solutions. They were going to reduce their emissions. They were all in. But instead, they give their CEOs massive, massive historic bonuses. I'm from Hamilton. That's not a thing when you get these massive historic record bonuses. At the same time, they gave the money back to shareholders who were largely Americans. While they demanded more subsidies to clean up their own pollution, while we are in a climate crisis that is a fossil fuel climate crisis. I now feel taken for a fool because I believed that the oil and gas, like in particular, the oil sands would live up to their end of the bargain. You will see in the book also, I don't know, I probably can't find the page fast enough. I did pinky promises with kids because all these kids came up to me all the time and they said, like, I'm really working hard on climate change. You know, I've got a water bottle. I'm riding my bike. I'm doing like a used clothing drive, whatever it was. And I said, you know what? I'm doing my part, too. Let's do a pinky promise like a pinky swear. And we will promise to continue doing our part. Well, we all did our part. By the way, basically everyone in all sectors have done their part except for oil and gas when they had massive historic record profits. And I wrote a report for the UN Secretary General on greenwashing. And they were exhibit A, exhibit A on what greenwashing looks like, like saying you're doing things that you are not doing and while you're lobbying to kill every policy. So I just hope that people aren't taken for fools again. Like the grand bargain should be they should live up with their end of the bargain. Like that is what bargains are. You got to do what you say you were going to do. And they didn't do it. And as a result, it's extremely hard for Canada to meet our target because they are 30% and growing of our emissions. So I also think like, why are we paying? Why would taxpayers pay? So, look, I don't know. Hard things are hard, as my mug says that I was given by my team because I said it every single day, about 12 times a day. You have to make very tough decisions in government. And we're in a trade war. And also defending our we have to absolutely stand up and defend our sovereignty against the Trump regime, which is very dangerous and very destabilizing. but at the same time we can't not act on climate climate is a here and now problem it's not this fire problem like all these people were evacuated from communities the cost of climate change is massive people are not going to be able to be insured that's already happening and so i just think you gotta walk and chew gum you gotta like figure out how to you know build and grow the economy but you also need to figure out how to tackle climate change and reduce your emissions and to be honest, hold the sector that is most responsible for climate change accountable for their actions and also for their words because they said they were going to act on climate and they supported these policies and they are now still fighting to kill all these policies. You almost can't make it up. And I just don't think Canadians should be taken for fools and I think you've got to make a lot of choices with tax dollars. But I'm not in government And I think, you know, we have, you know, Mark Carney, he's very smart. He's doing a great job of defending Canada. You know, I think like everyone, I'm waiting to see what the climate plan is because it's extremely important. And the climate plan is an economic plan as much as anything else.Nate Erskine-Smith47:28 - 48:23And on that, I would say not just an economic plan, but when you talk about national resiliency, there's a promise in our platform to become a clean energy superpower. There's a promise in our platform to create an east-west transmission grid. And just in Ontario, when you look at the fact that not only are they doubling down on natural gas, but they're also importing natural gas from the United States. When solar, wind, storage is actually more cost effective, investments in east-west transmission grid and in clean energy would make a lot more sense, not only for the climate, not only for the economy, but also as a matter of resiliency and energy independence as well. Okay, those are my questions. So thank you for... Give a round of applause for Calvin. Thank you for joining. With the time that we've got left, Christian, we've got, what, 10, 15 minutes? What time is it? Okay, great. Okay, so does anyone have questions for Ms. McKenna?Audience Q48:25 - 49:09It's a question for both of you, actually. You guys have both been trailblazers in your own right, I think, inside and inside of politics. And you talk a lot about building your community and building your team, whether it's swimming or local politics, and also demanding space in those places to be competitive, all the way up from your local team up to the prime minister. But I'm curious on the other side of that, what does it look like to be a good teammate inside and inside of politics, and how do we support more people, for those of us that might not be running, but trying to get more people like you? Or maybe as an example, somebody that supported you in your run?Catherine McKenna49:11 - 49:56well i mean look i'm trying to do my part and so what i did and it's like what most of you did you go support people that you think are good that are running so i in the last election i went and i supported people that i thought were serious about climate including in ridings that we had never won before um and i also well probably especially those writings um and i also supported women candidates that was just a choice I mean but I think everyone getting involved in politics is a great way to do it but also you know when you think there's someone good that might be good to run you know you know talk to them about it and as I said for women they need to be asked often seven times I think is it so like for women maybe just start asking and if we get to the seventh time maybeNate Erskine-Smith49:56 - 51:38really good women will run and I would add I suppose just on locally I have found one, going into schools and talking politics and encouraging people to think about politics as an opportunity has translated into our youth council. It's then translated into our young liberals internship over the summer where we make sure people are able to be paid to knock on doors and just maintain involvement. And then a number of those people come through either our office and then they're working in politics in the minister's office or in the prime minister's office or they're going to law school or they're adjacent to politics and helping other people and just encouraging people to at least be close to politics so that they see politics as a way to make a difference, there will then be people that will want to run from that or help encourage other people to run. The second thing, and I'll use Mark Holland as an example, when I was running the nomination and I didn't have contacts in the party, but I had someone who knew Mark Holland and he gave me advice to think about it like concentric circles when you're running a nomination where you have people who are close to you and then the people who are close to you will have 10 people that are close to them that maybe they can sign them up for you or maybe they just are they open the door and I you know if so if someone opens the door to a conversation with me I feel pretty confident that I can close the sale but if the door is closed in my face I'm not gonna I'm not gonna even have an opportunity to and so just that idea of building out you start with your your home base and you build out from there build out from there so I just think I have in the last week had conversations with two people who want to run for office at some point, they're both under the age of 30, and I've given that same kind of advice of, here's what worked for me. It may work for you, it may not, it depends, but find where your home base is, and then just grow from there. And so I think just spending time, likeAudience Q51:39 - 52:30giving one's time to give advice like that is really important. Yeah. Building on that, that's, I wanted to, because I think that does nicely into what you said earlier, Catherine, about and really encouraging young women in particular to get into politics. But it's not just, it's all the peripheral people, people that are peripheral to politics, your concentric circles, so that you don't necessarily have to run for an office. And I appreciate what you've done for girls. But I also want you to know that, I mean, I'm older than you, and still you are a role model to me. Not only that, though, I have sons in their mid to late 20s. and I've made sure you're a role model and women like you are a role model to them because I think that's how change begins.Nate Erskine-Smith52:32 - 52:34This was entirely planted just for you, by the way.Catherine McKenna52:35 - 52:37No, but I think that's...Nate Erskine-Smith52:37 - 52:40So I do think that's important, right?Catherine McKenna52:40 - 53:26My book is not... Run Like a Girl, I'm a woman, I identify as a woman and there's a story about how I was told I ran like a girl and so it really bugged me. So it's kind of a particular thing. But I think that is important. Like, you know, this isn't exclusive. Although, you know, there are, you know, certain different barriers, at least that I'm aware of, you know, that if you're a woman, if you're LGBTQ2+, if you're racialized or indigenous, there could be different barriers. But I hear you. And I think, you know, we do have to inspire each other in a whole range of ways. So that is very nice. I hope that, I mean, I'm not, you know, looking to, you know, you know, for kudos. I really, but it is nice to hear that you can inspire people in a whole different way, you know, range of ways.Audience Q53:26 - 53:47It's really, yeah, it's really not about kudos. It's about, you know, it's not that my intent is not just to applaud you. It's just, it's to, it's to recognize you. And that's different, like being seen, holding place, holding space for people to be involved. And so I do have one actual question of this.Catherine McKenna53:48 - 53:50You can ask a question after that.Audience Q53:51 - 53:57Regarding pricing, carbon pricing, how would you communicate the rollout differently?Catherine McKenna53:58 - 54:43Well, I would actually fund it. So hard things at heart, I'm like, okay, well, first of all, we know the Conservatives were terrible. They lied about it. They misled. They didn't talk about the money going back. The problem is, like, we hampered ourselves too. And it was really quite weird because I was like, okay, well, we need an advertising budget because clearly this is a bit of a complicated policy. But the most important thing I need people to know is that we're tackling climate change and we're doing it in a way that we're going to leave low income and middle income people better off. You're going to get more money back. That's very, very important. The second part of the message is as important because I knew the conservatives were going to be like, you're just increasing the price of everything. But we were told we couldn't advertise. And I was like, why? And they said, well, because we're not like conservatives because they had done the, what was the plan?Nate Erskine-Smith54:43 - 54:51The economic action plan. The signs everywhere. They basically, what Ford does now, they were doing it.Catherine McKenna54:51 - 57:40So that sounds really good, except if you're me. Because I was like, well, no one really knows about it. So I'm like one person. And we got some caucus members, not all of them. But Nate will go out and talk about it. Some people will talk about it. But I said, people are entitled to know what government policy is, especially in this particular case, where you've literally got to file your taxes to get the rebate. Because that was the second mistake we made. I was told that we couldn't just do quarterly checks, which would be much more obvious to people, even if it was automatically deposited, you actually named it properly, which was another problem. But, you know, all of these things that are just normal things. And instead, we were told, I was told by the folks in the Canada Revenue Agency, there's no way we could possibly do quarterly checks. after COVID, when we did everything, we blew everything up, then they were like, oh, actually, and this was after me, but they were like, we can do quarterly chaps. I was like, well, that's really helpful. Like, that would have been nice, like a little bit longer, you know, like the beginning of this. And so I think like, we do need to be sometimes very tough, like, don't do things that sound great and are not, are really hampering your ability to actually deliver a policy in a way that people understand. So like, it's just a hard policy. Like, you know, people say, would you have done, what would you have done differently? Yes, I would have communicated it differently. I tried. Like, I was out there. I went to H&R Block because I saw a sign, and they were like, climate action incentive. Oh, by the way, we couldn't call it a rebate because the lawyers told us injustice. We couldn't do that, and I'm a lawyer. I was like, what? And so I should have fought that one harder too, right? Like, I mean, there's so many fights you can have internally as well, but, you know, there I am. I was like, oh, H&R Block, they're doing free advertising for us because they wanted people to file their taxes, so then I would make, I said to all caucus members, you need to go to your HR block and get a family. I don't even want to see you necessarily. I want a family to be sitting down being told they're getting money back. And, and so like, look, I think it's just a hard policy. And, and what happened though, I mean, read hard things are hard, but the chapter, but it's, um, and people will be like, I'm definitely not reading that chapter. You can skip chapters. This book is like, go back and forth, rip things out. I don't, you don't have to read it in chronological order or read particular chapters. But was if the price is going to go up every year, every year you better be ready to fight for it because every year you're literally creating this conflict point where conservatives are like, they're on it. They're like spending so much tax dollars to mislead people. Remember the stickers on the pump that fell off? That was quite funny. They actually fell off. But you're going to have to fight for it. And so we just, it's a hard, it's a very hard policy. I did everything I could. And I don't live with life with regrets. I think it was really important. And by the way, it's a case study outside of Canada.Catherine McKenna57:41 - 57:42Everyone's like, Canada.Catherine McKenna57:42 - 57:52I was like, oh, yeah, there is like a little different ending than you might want to know about what happened. But they're like, yes, this is, of course, how we should do it. Should be a price on pollution. Give the money back.Nate Erskine-Smith57:52 - 58:38I went to a movie at the Beach Cinema with my kids. And there was an ad. This is years ago. But there was an ad. So we were advertising. But it was advertising about the environment climate plan. and it was like people in canoes. And I was like, what is this trying to, like we're spending how much money on this to tell me what exactly? And I went to, Stephen was the minister, and I went, Stephen, can we please advertise Carbon Pricing Works, it's 10 plus percent of our overall plan, and 80% of people get more money back or break even. Just tell people those three things, I don't need the canoe. and then he was like oh we can't we we they tell it they tell us we can't do it no no and that'sCatherine McKenna58:38 - 58:55what you're often told like it is kind of weird internally the amount of times you're told no like on advertising it is a particular thing because like and so then you're like having a fight about comms i was like oh my gosh can we don't think the canoe is going to win this carbon and it didn't turns out i love canoeing by the way so maybe it would have convinced me if i wasNate Erskine-Smith58:55 - 59:01i think last question we'll finish with that with maryland hi i'm maryland and i also happen to beAudience Q59:01 - 01

Gratitude is a key to happiness, and while gratitude journals work for some, alternative practices also work—such as one simple approach suggested by author Kurt Vonnegut's uncle. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In dieser Folge geht es um Kurt Vonnegut – einen Schriftsteller, der das Unsagbare zu fassen versuchte. Als junger US-Soldat geriet er in deutsche Kriegsgefangenschaft und überlebte im Februar 1945 die Bombardierung Dresdens – eingeschlossen in einem Schlachthof. Jahrzehnte später machte er dieses traumatische Erlebnis zum Zentrum seines berühmtesten Romans Slaughterhouse-Five. Vonnegut schrieb gegen das Vergessen – mit schwarzem Humor, bitterer Ironie und der Überzeugung, dass Krieg keine Helden kennt. Wir fragen: Wie erzählt man vom Grauen, ohne daran zu zerbrechen? Und warum bleibt Slaughterhouse-Five bis heute so erschütternd aktuell?

The Great Disarmament Part 11: Fallout & Flower Powers. As nuclear fire darkened the sky, a global peace movement took root. This episode explores the cultural birth of The Great Disarmament—from Hiroshima to Haight-Ashbury, from anti-war protests to international arms control treaties, from monks on fire to flowers in rifles. We mark the year 1963—the year of the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty—as the beginning of The Great Disarmament. Not the beginning of bombs. But the beginning of refusal. This turning point in Cold War history reminds us that resistance is not the opposite of despair. It is the antidote. Featuring the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the voice of Kurt Vonnegut through Slaughterhouse-Five, we trace how conscience, courage, and creative protest began to build a counterweight to destruction—and a new peace culture began to rise. Download the Peace Resource Guide: AvisKalfsbeek.com/PeaceGuide Follow my Kickstarter: AvisKalfsbeek.com/Kickstarter Get the books: aviskalfsbeek.com

Daily Quote The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day. (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) Poem of the Day A Drinking Song William Butler Yeats Beauty of Words Kurt Vonnegut to His Family

Na Albânia, a nova ministra é… uma IA. Um bot que promete acabar com a corrupção em licitações. Do outro lado do mundo, no Nepal, jovens derrubaram o governo e escolheram uma nova primeira-ministra… pelo Discord. Parece ficção científica, mas não é. É 2025. E lembra muito o que o Kurt Vonnegut já escreveu em Piano Mecânico: quando as máquinas assumem porque os humanos seriam péssimos decisores. Mas o que isso tudo significa? Estamos diante do futuro da democracia digital? Estamos terceirizando nossas escolhas para algoritmos e big techs? Ou só vestindo com emojis e avatares o mesmo jogo de poder de sempre? Carlos Merigo, Hiago Vinícius, Bia Fiorotto e Luiz Yassuda se fazem essas perguntas no Braincast 605. 06:36 - Pauta 58:12 - QEAB _ NEXGARD SPECTRA®: É OUTRO NÍVEL DE PROTEÇÃO. https://www.cobasi.com.br/pesquisa?hotsite=nexgard-spectra-podcast&utm_source=parceiro_comercial&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=boehringer_podcast_20nexgard&utm_source=globo&utm_medium=cpm&utm_content=AH_ALAMEA_BRASIL_25_aon_glo_glocom_awa_cpm_tutc_A25mais_60s_NA_braincast_boeh00995ne25&utm_campaign=AH_ALAMEA_BRASIL_NEX_25_AON_GLO_GLOCOM_AWA_CPM Cupom: 20nexgard Vigência: Até 31/12 Regras: 1 uso por CPF, não acumulativo com compra programada -- ✳️ TORNE-SE MEMBRO DO B9 E GANHE BENEFÍCIOS: Braincast secreto; grupo de assinantes no Telegram; e episódios sem anúncios! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGNdGepMFVqPNgaCkNBdiLw/join --

This month marks 50 years of Terry Gross as the host of Fresh Air. What began in 1975 as a local experiment at WHYY in Philadelphia has since grown into a national institution—one that not only transformed public radio, but laid the groundwork for the world of podcasting.To commemorate a half-century on the air, Terry Gross joins us for a rare appearance in the interview seat. At the top, we discuss her Brooklyn upbringing (11:39), early memories of writing (14:13), and her improbable road to public radio (30:51). Then, Terry walks us through the formative years of Fresh Air (34:50) and its seminal conversations with Kurt Vonnegut (41:34), John Updike (47:43), Monica Lewinsky (50:43), Joan Didion (1:02:08), and more.On the back-half, Gross reflects on forty-seven years of partnership with her late husband, jazz writer Francis Davis (1:04:37), their shared affinity for reading and music (1:07:10), the future of public media (1:20:29), and why she continues to have faith in (and love for) the long-form interview (1:32:48).Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This month marks 50 years of Terry Gross as the host of Fresh Air. What began in 1975 as a local experiment at WHYY in Philadelphia has since grown into a national institution—one that not only transformed public radio, but laid the groundwork for the world of podcasting.To commemorate a half-century on the air, Terry Gross joins us for a rare appearance in the interview seat. At the top, we discuss her Brooklyn upbringing (11:39), early memories of writing (14:13), and her improbable road to public radio (30:51). Then, Terry walks us through the formative years of Fresh Air (34:50) and its seminal conversations with Kurt Vonnegut (41:34), John Updike (47:43), Monica Lewinsky (50:43), Joan Didion (1:02:08), and more.On the back-half, Gross reflects on forty-seven years of partnership with her late husband, jazz writer Francis Davis (1:04:37), their shared affinity for reading and music (1:07:10), the future of public media (1:20:29), and why she continues to have faith in (and love for) the long-form interview (1:32:48).Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Episode #196 of the Last Call Trivia Podcast begins with a round of general knowledge questions. Then, we're breaking a sweat with a theme round of “Work It Out” Trivia!Round OneThe game kicks off with a Food Trivia question that asks the Team to name a cooking method based on a description of how it's done.Next, we have a Music Trivia question about a 1996 album that debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.The first round concludes with a Literature Trivia question about a Kurt Vonnegut novel that was inspired by the author's experience as a POW during the Allied bombing of Dresden in 1945.Bonus QuestionToday's Bonus Question is a follow-up to the Literature Trivia question from the first round.Round TwoLet's get those heart rates up with today's theme round of “Work It Out” Trivia!The second round begins with a Phrases Trivia question about a popular phrase used by Jane Fonda in her 1980s aerobic workout videos.Next, we have an Anatomy Trivia question that asks the Team to name a large muscle in the back with a name similar to something that might be found at a circus.Round Two concludes with a Health & Fitness Trivia question about a substance that's popular as a supplement with athletes and “gym bros.”Final QuestionWe've reached the Final Question of the game, and today's category of choice is Science.For today's Final, the Trivia Team is given four liquids and asked to place them in order of where they fall on the pH scale, from highest to lowest.Visit lastcalltrivia.com to learn more about hosting your own ultimate Trivia event!

1112. This week, we look at why you can safely ignore Kurt Vonnegut's famous advice about ignoring semicolons. We also look at why taking punctuation advice from fiction writers may not be a good idea for business writing. Then, we look at how major life events, not age, change how you speak as you get older.  The age segment was by Valerie Fridland, a professor of linguistics at the University of Nevada in Reno and the author of "Like Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English." You can find her at valeriefridland.com.

A few days ago, Nick Mehta announced his transition from CEO to Board Director and Special Advisor at Gainsight. As CEO, he spent more than a decade transforming the company into a global leader in customer success, serving over 20,000 customers and surpassing $100 million in ARR. Before Gainsight, he led LiveOffice through its acquisition by Symantec and co-founded Chipshot in the 90s. Nick serves on the boards of F5 and PubMatic and holds a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and a Master's degree in Computer Science, both from Harvard. Known for leading with heart, humor, and humility, he's also the voice behind the blog Mehtaphysical Musings, a rapper, and a YouTube creator with over 50 parody videos.In this conversation, we discuss:How Nick Mehta balances vulnerability and optimism as a leader navigating uncertaintyWhy Gainsight's values like “childlike joy” matter more in an AI-driven worldWhat happens to identity and purpose in a post-work economy shaped by automationThe growing divide between capital and labor, and why Marxist ideas are resurfacing in the AI eraWhy we shouldn't assume past tech cycles will repeat and how to question AI's impact on jobsWhat Gainsight's AI initiative “Atlas” reveals about the rise of agentic tech in customer successResources:Subscribe to the AI & The Future of Work NewsletterConnect with Nick on LinkedInPast Episode with Nick [Season 5, #298]: On Building A Human-First AI CultureWatch this for a laugh: “I promise that you'll never find a CEO like Nick”Recommended by Nick:Three-Body Problem by Liu CixinPlayer Piano by Kurt Vonnegut 

EPISODE 11: THE STAGES OF GRIEF: DAY DRINKING In this throwback episode, I'm taking you back to 2020, just weeks after my mom died. I recorded this in my sister's backyard with a Yeti cup full of red wine, a little weed, and a whole lot of shock and anger. I talk about what it felt like to face my mom's birthday after losing her, the fog of grief brain, how we distract ourselves from pain, and the strange mix of heartbreak and release that comes with loss. It's messy, unpolished, and painfully real but that's grief. And if you're in the thick of it, I hope this episode reminds you that you're not alone. Kurt Vonnegut quote: "Enjoy the little things in life because one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things." Dying Laughing Sad B!tch Spotify playlist:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4oEPcojn4F8tAl93m7O8dm?si=XvGd7MXASIyUh5qSIFUcmQ&pi=fzUNvYr0SP2oG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CALL/TEXT US: 513-916-0930 EMAIL: JessimaePelusoComedy@gmail.com Outro music: Breathe by Two Person Sex Cult FOR MORE FUN IN YOUR LIFE...FOLLOW JESSIMAE! SUBSCRIBE TO THE DYING LAUGHING POD: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://found.ee/DyingLaughing⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  SUPPORT THE FAN CLUB:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://found.ee/JessimaePeluso-Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SEE JESSIMAE LIVE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://found.ee/jessimaetour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  CHECK OUT JESSIMAE'S WEBSITE:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://found.ee/Jessimae⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FOLLOW JESSIMAE ON IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://found.ee/InstaJess⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ BOOK A CAMEO: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://found.ee/cameo-with-jessimae⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join the Veterans Breakfast Club for an unforgettable conversation with Marine veteran and author Brennan Morton, whose acclaimed memoir Valhalla Boys: Marine Recon Sniper in Iraq is being hailed as one of the most powerful and literary war memoirs of the post-9/11 generation. Valhalla Boys isn't your typical “boots-on-the-ground” war story. It's a raw, reflective, and often poetic meditation on combat, brotherhood, and the darkness that war leaves behind. Drawing comparisons to Tim O'Brien, Kurt Vonnegut, and Joseph Heller, Morton invites readers not just into the battlefield, but into the mind of a Marine Recon sniper struggling to make sense of a war with no clear front lines—and no clear purpose. In this live conversation, Brennan will share his journey from book-loving kid to Marine, from warfighter to writer, and from battlefield survivor to memoirist. He'll discuss the emotional toll of his two deployments in Iraq, the bonds forged in training and tested in combat, and the haunting question that echoes through every page of his book: Was it worth it? We'll hear the stories behind the stories—what it meant to patrol the streets of Iraq during the height of the insurgency, the grief of losing half his platoon, the moment he nearly pulled the trigger on a four-year-old child, and how writing became a form of healing after returning home. This program is for anyone seeking to understand what military service can do to the soul—veterans, family members, readers of war literature, and citizens trying to grasp the human cost of conflict. Valhalla Boys is available now from Casemate Publishers, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. YouTube.com/@veteransbreakfastclub Facebook.com/veteransbreakfastclub #VeteransBreakfastClub #ValhallaBoys #BrennanMorton #IraqWarMemoir #MarineRecon #WarLiterature #PTSD #VeteranVoices #MilitaryStorytelling #CasematePublishers #TimOBrien #Vonnegut #JosephHeller #StorytellingHeals #VeteranWriters #VBCEvents We're grateful to UPMC for Life  for sponsoring this event!

Real Life  Devon has been knee-deep in yard work, prepping and installing artificial grass and fixing up fences. But the real highlight was his trip to Milwaukee for some baseball—and of course, some Alice Cooper trivia because apparently Milwaukee and Alice Cooper are forever linked thanks to Wayne's World. Ben gave us an update on Orion. He's starting to lose his appetite, which is always tough. What do you do when your dog doesn't want to eat? It's something a lot of pet owners face, and Ben's in the thick of it. On a lighter note, he's been living in a world of Clue. Playing the board game, rewatching Clue: The Movie, and even checking out Cal Poly's recent stage production where the ending changes each night depending on which solution the cast performs. (Yes, that's as fun as it sounds)—here's a behind-the-scenes look Steven has been getting some gaming in. He had a Shatterpoint rematch with Christina's husband—this time Steven lost, but it was extremely close. He also got to dive into This Is Not A Test, a post-apocalyptic skirmish game from Worlds End Publishing. Future or Now  Devon started watching Dark on Netflix. It's a time travel show, and while the subtitles/dubs can get a little weird, the slow-burn mystery is “pretty good.” Each character has a younger/older actor because of the show's 33-year cycle, and by Season 3 it's seriously complex. But the real question: is it a slow burn, or is it just a slog? Devon says it's not hard to follow, but your memory has to do some heavy lifting. Devon and Steven circled back to Alien Earth. Their verdict: just alright. Some weird editing choices, decent acting, solid effects. The first episode had promise, but the second one dragged. Jury's still out. Ben came in with a much happier update: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is back with “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail.” Yes, Spock had a Sehlat—a giant bear-cat pet—and the episode absolutely nailed it. Even better, Star Trek finally won another Hugo Award for the first time since The Next Generation's finale. (Lower Decks took home two Hugos!) Here's the news And because Ben can't help himself, he also reminded us that Ryan North (yes, Dinosaur Comics Ryan North) had a hand in B to the F. Book Club  This week we read “2 B R 0 2 B” by Kurt Vonnegut. It's a short satirical story set in a future where humanity has solved aging and disease—but keeps population at a strict 40 million. The catch? For every new baby, someone has to voluntarily die. Vonnegut being Vonnegut, it's absurd, bleak, and a little too close to home. You can read it free on Project Gutenberg or even watch a short film adaptation Next week we'll be reading “When It Changed” by Joanna Russ. It's the Nebula Award-winning 1972 short story about a colony called Whileaway where all the men died off 30 generations ago. When a ship of men finally arrives, they announce their intentions to “restore balance”—but the women of Whileaway have no interest in being “fixed.” It's sharp, powerful, and still incredibly relevant. You can read it here or check out this reading on YouTube.

Put down the Kurt Vonnegut and put on your helmet, you're going in at quarterback as we watch Varsity Blues! Alex and Sean have never seen this high school football cult classic from 1999 that is also at the heart of Michael Scott's movie Monday. We talk about the good, the bad, the insane, the toxic, and the ridiculous that go into this movie, making sure to highlight all of the broken noses, house parties, and whipped cream bikinis on the way to the end zone.  Then in the Conference Room we answer a few extra questions from our Scott's Tots Patreon community about best Beatles songs, greatest athletes, superhero movies, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're Walken into this episode, Saranded by our listeners to talk about a little TV movie from Jonathan Demme, adapted from a 1961 Kurt Vonnegut short story... it's WHO AM I THIS TIME? A little story about a little community, our identities, showing emotion through performance, lonely individuals joining the community through collaboration and sympathy. Led by the incredible duo of Christopher Walken and Susan Sarandon. We talk Talking Heads, John Cale, Queen Latifah, American identity in the Carter era, Tarkovsky, the death of movies, a whole lot more on ALTMANIA Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

In this episode of the show, we are continuing our August with George Roy Hill as we talk about his audacious anti-war epic Slaughterhouse-Five. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about the ways in which this movie adapts Kurt Vonnegut's seemingly unadaptable prose, the comments it makes about the morality of war and two wrongs not making a right, and how its impenetrable structure may be a turn-off for many viewers while being an invitation to others. We also wonder whether the movie was ahead of its time or if the early 70s was the only time in history a movie like this could have come together, the places it goes towards the end with its outlandish science-fiction element, bits of incredible nuance hidden in throwaway lines of dialogue and much, much more!Tune in and enjoy!Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy BurrowsFeaturing: Jak-Luke SharpIntro: Infraction - CassetteOutro: Infraction - DaydreamHead over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠uncutgemspodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to find all of our archival episodes and more!Follow us on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UncutGemsPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠), IG (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UncutGemsPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)

Hang onto your slipcases, because Blake Howard and the prolific and wise critic Nadine Whitney discuss the timeless quality of Terry Gilliam's BRAZIL, now in 4k.BrazilIn the dystopian masterpiece Brazil, Jonathan Pryce plays a daydreaming everyman who finds himself caught in the soul-crushing gears of a nightmarish bureaucracy. This cautionary tale by Terry Gilliam, one of the great films of the 1980s, has come to be esteemed alongside antitotalitarian works by the likes of George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, and Kurt Vonnegut. And in terms of set design, cinematography, music, and effects, Brazil is a nonstop dazzler.DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURESNew 4K digital restoration of Terry Gilliam's director's cut, supervised and approved by Gilliam, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrackOne 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and two Blu-rays with the film and special featuresAudio commentary by GilliamWhat Is “Brazil”?, Rob Hedden's on-set documentaryThe Production Notebook, a collection of interviews and video essays, featuring a trove of Brazil-iana from Gilliam's personal collectionThe Battle of “Brazil,” a documentary about the film's contentious release, hosted by Jack Mathews and based on his book of the same name“Love Conquers All” version, the studio's ninety-four-minute, happy-ending cut of Brazil, with commentary by Brazil expert David MorganTrailerEnglish subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearingPLUS: An essay by film critic David SterrittCover based on a theatrical posterNadine WhitneyNadine Whitney is a freelance critic writing from Melbourne, Australia. She is the co-chair of the Australian Film Critics Association. Her focus is on women-directed films.Support: JOIN THE ONE HEAT MINUTE PATREON FOR AS LITTLE AS $1 A MONTHFollow the hosts:Blake Howard - Twitter & One Heat Minute Website Alexei Toliopoulos - Twitter & The Last Video StoreSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/one-heat-minute-productions/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

My guest today is artist and writer Gethan Dick, an Irish-born author, living in Marseille, who has written a very interesting book about survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Specifically, how pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing interface with a desperate quest for humanity's continuation. In the episode, we talk about the emotional and philosophical questions that arise when survival becomes the only goal, and Gethan shares her inspirations, her writing process, and how her journey through various creative mediums (film, radio, zines, and eventually visual arts) helped her arrive at the story she wanted to tell.Lit with Charles loves reviews. If you enjoyed this episode, I'd be so grateful if you could leave a review of your own, and follow me on Instagram at @litwithcharles. Let's get more people listening – and reading!Gethan Dick's four books were:Riddley Walker, Russell Hoban (1980)Strandloper, Alan Garner (1996)The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut (1959)La Trilogie de Pan, Jean Giono (1929-1930)

We open today's episode talking about Happy Gilmore 2. After that, we settle in for a fun discussion about one of our favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, and five of his great writing tips that are still applicable today.  You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @dpwpodcast You can check out Caleb's work at www.calebjamesk.com. 

There are SO MANY REASONS why so many people love this book. Allow Kimberly to help you see how Vonnegut's deceptively simple prose does so much heavy lifting. She dives deep into the book's structure, its sci-fi elements and its humor. She really wants to share her take on why this groundbreaking, post-modern classic is so much more than its postmodern peers. Listen in now for an immersion into one of Time's best 100 novels of the past 100 years.

Poo-tee-weet! In the year 2031, Renren Galeno feels herself slipping back in time to that one cool evening when she introduced Yan and Nat to the graphic novel adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five," by Ryan North and Albert Monteys. Things go exactly how they always do. Yan considers buying a chicken. Nat sings the Pipeline Song in a funny voice. This episode airs. You listen to it on the train home. You have your dinner. Then one cool evening, you pick up a pencil and start to draw. --- The conversation with Renren continues in the Comic Sans Aftershow, our Patreon-exclusive podcast where Yan and Nat chat in depth with guests on their work and creative practice. Become a Friend of Comic Sans today! 00:00 - Welcome to the show, Renren! 06:43 - Rant-ren Galeno: Adapt the Things You Cannot Change 12:58 - Yan Recaps the Beginning of Slaughterhouse-Five 13:59 - Discussion 49:55 - Yan's Final Questions In this episode, Yan and Nat read Ryan North and Albert Monteys' graphic novel adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's novel, Slaughterhouse-Five. Transcript and bibliography coming soon. --- Renren Galeno is a visual artist from Davao City, Philippines. Her debut graphic novel, Sa Wala, won the Philippine National Book Award for Comics in English, and has been translated into multiple languages. She also illustrated the 2024 Pulitzer-nominated Searching for Maura for the Washington Post. Buy Sa Wala in the United States, Philippines, or Germany. Read Renren's short comics for free on komiks.space. Follow her on Instagram and Bluesky. If you enjoyed the show, you can support us on Patreon, leave us a review, or follow us @comicsanspod on Instagram, Bluesky, and Tiktok. Comic Sans is an Andas Productions podcast hosted by Myle Yan Tay and Nathaniel Mah, produced by Scott Lee Chua and Roshan Singh Sambhi. Edited by Maddy Searle (audio) and Kit Ling Leong (video). Transcribed by Aira Co. Cover art and motion graphics animation by Knikni Studio (Maryana Rudakova). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

sc Fi Tragedy

Send us a Question!MOVIE DISCUSSION: Kathryn joins Melvin to discuss an early 1990s horror feature, Jacob's Ladder! That's right, the gang heads back to the 90s to discuss another cult-classic horror feature, and the two get into all its metaphors, scares, and the joy of having changed opinions on rewatched movies. Topics:(PATREON EXCLUSIVE) 23-minutes discussing Martin Shore's write-up on WhatToWatch titled, "Are movies really getting longer? Were films in the 1980s really shorter? We test the data..." and exploring why that may be. (PATREON EXCLUSIVE) Jacob and Jacob's Ladder as a movie are both very holistic; the whole film explores the whole-person of Jacob.Melvin was caught off guard with how emotional he found the film, especially as this was his second watch, and he shares why he thinks that is.Melvin yells at cloud and wants more movies about adults, and he praises Jacob's Ladder for exploring adult experiences.Exploring the various metaphors at play within the film.Ruminations on memento mori.Jacob cries a lot in the movie which is a nice depiction of manhood. Understanding the ending as a representation of tragic classism, and the death of the American Dream.Recommendations:King of the Hill (1997-X) (TV Show)Labyrinth (1986) (Movie) Support the showSupport on Patreon for Unique Perks! Early access to uncut episodes Vote on a movie/show we review One-time reward of two Cinematic Doctrine Stickers & Pins Social Links: Threads Website Substack Instagram Facebook Group

The brilliant Eisner winning writer RYAN NORTH is not only writing Shawn's favorite comic run of the past few years, FANTASTIC FOUR, he's also writing the new limited series KRYPTO: THE LAST DOG OF KRYPTON. In this episode, he and Shawn celebrate Superman, Krypto the Super Dog, Fantastic Four, Kurt Vonnegut, Star Trek, computer science, and so much more. Is there anything they DON'T discuss? You'll have to tune in to find out!

Special offer! Get 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe Harvard physicist Jacob Barandes returns with a groundbreaking insight that could reshape quantum theory. By questioning a single hidden assumption, Jacob bridges the gap between classical probability and quantum mechanics. This ‘mathematical accident' challenges the foundations of Bell's Theorem, dissolves the measurement problem, and opens a path to a realist interpretation of quantum physics. This episode is a rigorous journey through stochastic processes, non-locality, and the future of theoretical physics. Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 1:01:46 Teaching Black Holes to Graduate Students 1:04:59 Coordinate Systems in Space-Time 1:06:58 Teaching Black Hole Coordinates 1:10:11 Insights from Nima 1:13:41 Nima's Course on Quantum Mechanics 1:16:22 Quantum Foundations and Cosmology 1:18:48 Transitioning to Quantum Gravity 1:23:10 Philosophy's Role in Physics 1:26:10 Leaving String Theory 1:33:39 Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics 1:37:02 Challenges of String Theory 1:42:49 Quantum Field Theory Insights 1:50:30 Foundations of Quantum Field Theory 1:53:47 Particle Existence Between Measurements 1:59:44 Speculations on Quantum Gravity 2:01:41 Legacy and Contributions Links Mentioned: •⁠ ⁠Press release of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics: https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2022/10/press-physicsprize2022-2.pdf •⁠ ⁠Eddy Chen & Barry Loewer on TOE: https://youtu.be/xZnafO__IZ0 •⁠ ⁠Jacob Barandes on TOE (part 1): https://youtu.be/7oWip00iXbo •⁠ ⁠Tim Maudlin on TOE: https://youtu.be/fU1bs5o3nss •⁠ ⁠What Is Real? (book): https://www.amazon.com/What-Real-Unfinished-Meaning-Quantum/dp/0465096050 •⁠ ⁠David Wallace on TOE: https://youtu.be/4MjNuJK5RzM •⁠ ⁠The Copenhagen Interpretation: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-copenhagen/ •⁠ ⁠Bohmian Mechanics: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-bohm/ •⁠ ⁠Everettian Quantum Mechanics: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-everett/ •⁠ ⁠Jacob Barandes on TOE (part 2): https://youtu.be/YaS1usLeXQM •⁠ ⁠Jacob Barandes on TOE (part 3): https://youtu.be/wrUvtqr4wOs •⁠ ⁠The sky is blue (paper): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2205.00568 •⁠ ⁠The Emergent Universe (book): https://www.amazon.com/Emergent-Multiverse-Quantum-according-Interpretation/dp/0198707541 •⁠ ⁠Complex Coordinates and Quantum Mechanics (paper): https://journals.aps.org/rmp/abstract/10.1103/RevModPhys.38.36 •⁠ ⁠Kurt Vonnegut's lecture: https://youtu.be/4_RUgnC1lm8 •⁠ ⁠Max Born's memoir: https://archive.org/details/myliferecollecti0000born/page/n5/mode/2up •⁠ ⁠Hugh Everett's unpublished dissertation: https://ia801909.us.archive.org/20/items/TheTheoryOfTheUniversalWaveFunction/The%20Theory%20of%20the%20Universal%20Wave%20Function.pdf •⁠ ⁠La nouvelle cuisine (paper): https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/speakable-and-unspeakable-in-quantum-mechanics/la-nouvelle-cuisine/6FFC85D84585D9C41AA4A1185BF5290E •⁠ ⁠The Great Rift in Physics (paper): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2503.20067 •⁠ ⁠Quantum stochastic processes (paper): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2012.01894 •⁠ ⁠Bell's Theorem: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/bell-theorem/ •⁠ ⁠Neil Turok on TOE: https://youtu.be/zNZCa1pVE20 ***For full resources please visit https://curtjaimungal.org SUPPORT: - Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a profound paradox at the heart of play – we're told it's "apparently purposeless," yet this very quality might reveal its deepest value. This episode dives into the second criteria of play and examines how it mirrors the essence of showmanship in fascinating ways.When we attend a circus show, comedy performance, or music festival, we don't go primarily to learn something or accomplish a task. We go to have a good time – to experience life fully in the moment. Yet society has conditioned us to view such experiences as frivolous, less valuable than "productive" activities. The Protestant work ethic and educational systems have trained us to be suspicious of enjoyment, to dismiss it as "mere entertainment" without serious purpose.This dismissal of pleasure as a worthy purpose is precisely what creates the illusion that play is purposeless. When we recognize that experiencing joy is itself a profound purpose, the apparent purposelessness dissolves. As Tolkien's Gandalf wisely notes, "All we have to decide is what to do with the time given us." Filling our limited time with experiences that make existence enjoyable seems not just reasonable but essential.George Saunders' epiphany about Kurt Vonnegut's work provides a perfect parallel – he discovered that profound truths could be communicated through humor and accessibility, challenging his assumption that "great writing was hard reading." Vonnegut's toilet-plunger aliens conveyed more about the absurdity of war than many serious treatises. Similarly, JF Martel's distinction between art that astonishes versus didactic art designed to teach specific lessons shows how the most transformative experiences often appear to lack obvious purpose.When performers focus primarily on delivering messages rather than creating authentic shared experiences, audiences sense this ulterior motive. Captain Frodo shares a personal example of his own show being rejected by educators but chosen by students, demonstrating how authentic playfulness creates experiences that resonate deeply even when – or perhaps because – they appear purposeless.Ready to bring more playfulness into your life and performances? Subscribe to The Way of the Showman and explore how embracing the "purposeless" quality of play might unlock your most meaningful creative expressions and life experiences.Support the show...Now you can get t-shirts and hoodies with our wonderful logo. This is the best new way to suport the podcast project. Become a proud parader of your passion for Showmanship and our glorious Craft whilst simultanously helping to gather more followers for the Way.You'll find the store here: https://thewayoftheshowman.printdrop.com.auIf you want to help support this podcast it would be tremendous if you wrote a glowing review on iTunes or Spotify.If you want to contact me about anything, including wanting me to collaborate on one of your projects you can reach me on thewayoftheshowman@gmail.comor find out more on the Way of the Showman website.you can follow the Way of Instagram where it is, not surprisingly thewayoftheshowman.If you find it in you and you have the means to do so, you can suport the podcast financially at:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/captainfrodo

projeto INSPIRE COLOMBIA- video promocional https://bit.ly/watchinspirecolombia projeto CUIDARME – video promocional https://bit.ly/watchcuidarme minha apresentação do projeto CUIDARME em Medellin, Colômbia  https://youtu.be/qgO35q-u7Bc Can Our Cities Survive the Heat? https://youtu.be/qtinSxbRJV8?si=iwty0GXj4057xX9d The Lie That Built America's Most Terrifying Cold War Weapon | BBC Timestamp https://youtu.be/_fFaRzv2n5w?si=BmirAkZf8XdKX7G0 The End of Publishing as We Know It https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/06/generative-ai-pirated-articles-books/683009/ livros por Kurt Vonnegut ... Read more The post especial: Medellin inspira! appeared first on radinho de pilha.

I Am Whatever Kind of Commie Kurt Vonnegut WasAm I a commie? Yes—but not the kind they warned you about. Not the doctrinaire type. Not the utopian. Not the bureaucrat. I don't want to flatten everyone to the same mediocrity. I don't want to abolish excellence, or demand purity tests, or see the world through the lens of enforcement and compliance. I believe in decency, not dogma. I believe no one should suffer for being poor. I believe cruelty should never be efficient. I believe dignity is a right, not a commodity. That's the kind of commie I am—and that's exactly the kind of commie Kurt Vonnegut was.Vonnegut's politics weren't ideological in the party-platform sense. He was a moralist, a satirist, and a deeply wounded humanist. His experience in World War II, especially surviving the firebombing of Dresden, left him with a permanent allergy to patriotic lies and institutional violence. In fiction and in life, he exposed systems that grind people into pulp—and mocked the bureaucrats who call that “order.”But satire was just the method. The message was always moral. And his lodestar was Eugene V. Debs: American socialist, labor organizer, and five-time presidential candidate, who was sentenced to ten years in prison for saying working men shouldn't be forced to kill other working men for the benefit of bankers. Vonnegut quoted Debs constantly. Not as a nostalgic nod, but with spiritual seriousness. If Vonnegut ever built a shrine, Debs would have been on it. Not Marx. Not Lenin. Debs. The man who said, “While there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” That's not just a line. That's the whole faith.I came to see myself that way slowly. I didn't grow up red. I wasn't raised a socialist. I grew up American—meaning I was taught to believe that if you worked hard and followed the rules, you'd be okay. Then I saw what happened to the people who did everything right and still got buried. I watched friends lose jobs, homes, and futures. I watched war after war justified by noble slogans. I watched the language of justice get captured, repackaged, and sold back to us by corporate consultants.By 2016, something had snapped. I didn't become pro-Trump. I became anti-anti-Trump. Because the people yelling loudest about decency and democracy didn't seem to care about wages, rent, insulin, or war. They cared about manners. About terminology. About signaling their virtue, not exercising it. I didn't see a populist Left—I saw a managerial class obsessed with optics and terrified of the poor.What I believe has never changed: healthcare is a right. Housing is a right. War is obscene. Empire is a scam. People matter. The working class matters. We should measure a society not by its rhetoric but by how it treats the weakest person in the room. If your politics can't start there, I don't care what team you're on. That's not my Left. That's not my communism.My kind of communism says: feed the hungry, house the vulnerable, end the wars, tell the truth, and don't pretend cruelty is neutral. That's not ideology. That's human decency.So yes, I'm a commie. A Vonnegut commie. A Debs commie. A plainspoken, anti-cruelty, anti-bullshit, solidarity-over-slogans, material-reality-first kind of commie. I don't want your revolution. I want your empathy. I want to make things less brutal, and I want to start now.Amen.

In this episode, we dig into the meaning behind Kurt Vonnegut's famous line “so it goes” and how it's more than just a catchphrase.Drawing from Slaughterhouse-Five, Stoic ideas, and the book The Courage to Be Disliked, we talk about how accepting what we can't control can actually help us take better control of what we can.

I recited a part of Kurt Vonnegut's book "Breakfast Of Champions" (or, Goodbye Blue Monday)The Feverfew "Selby" - Apparitions Casey Holford "Summer Storm" - All Young And Beautiful www.caseyholford.com Jessie Kilguss "Sleepwalking Heart" - What Do Whales Dream About At Night? www.jessiekilguss.com Charlie Nieland "Elegy" www.charlienieland.com The Steel Wheels "Water's Edge" - No More Rain www.thesteelwheels.com Trent Wagler "Townie Summer" - This Might Be My Prime**********************Britt Connors "Beaufort Breakdown" - Longitude www.brittconnors.com LN Heart "Dark Light" - Colors www.ln-heart.com Aimee Van Dyne "Owning Up" (live at Arlene's Grocery) www.aimeevandyne.com Maya de Vitry "Are You Happy" - Infinite www.mayadevitry.com Kevin Daniel "Dragging Me Down" - The Life & Adventures Of Kevin Daniel www.thekevindaniel.comJohn Shipe "Gold Into Yarn" - Water This Dark www.johnshipemusic.com************************These artists share billing at the Mile Of Music Festival in Appleton WI www.mileofmusic.com Katie Dahl "Sacristy" - Seven Stones www.katiedahlmusic.com Crys Matthews "Like Jesus Would" - Reclamation www.crysmatthews.comJesse Lynn Madera "Dante" - Fortunes www.jesselynnmadera.com Megan Slankard "The Tragic Life Of Caleb" - A Token Of The Wreckage www.meganslankard.com************************These artists will appear at the upcoming Mariposa Folk Festival www.mariposafolk.com Malia Rodgers "Chameleon" - Chameleon www.maliarodgers.ca Cuff The Duke "It's Alright" - Breaking Dawn www.cufftheduke.caJulian Taylor "Dedication" - www.juliantaylormusic.caThe Pairs "Annie's Daughter" - When We Will Find Our Way? www.thepairsmusic.com

343 - Just what was it that "influenced" Kurt Vonnegut?" Artistry and intellect are deemed dangerous in this familiarly unchecked government of the future. Tuck in for Vonnegut's satirical story that still intrigues and divides his critics.

Put down the Kurt Vonnegut and put on your helmet, you're going in at quarterback as we watch Varsity Blues! Alex and Sean have never seen this high school football cult classic from 1999 that is also at the heart of Michael Scott's movie Monday. We talk about the good, the bad, the insane, the toxic, and the ridiculous that go into this movie, making sure to highlight all of the broken noses, house parties, and whipped cream bikinis on the way to the end zone.  Then in the Conference Room we answer a few extra questions from our Scott's Tots Patreon community about best Beatles songs, greatest athletes, superhero movies, and more! Support our show and become a member of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scott's Tots⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Patreon! For only $5/month, Tots get ad-free episodes plus exclusive access to our monthly Mailbag episodes where we casually pick through every single message/question/comment we receive. We also have bonus series available to our Patrons, like our White Lotus Christmas Special, Party Down, Ted Lasso, Survivor, and unreleased episodes of this show. Oh, and Tots get access to exclusive channels on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off their live family time taping, Tim and Guy regroup, with cocktails in hand and spirits high. Among the chaos; wise words from Kurt Vonnegut, Rob Lowe's connection to Patrick Schwarzenegger and maybe outing recent guest Josh Thomson's new film, MAYBE?! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SUMMARY: I pretty much summarized it with the title. I've read/listened to 50+ books since January 1 and I'M DONE. No, but I am done with two authors for sure, listen to find out who!Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 200 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.comBOOKS LISTED IN THIS EPISODE:I actually hope you listen to this episode before reading this list, I hate spoilers and giving them, but I also wanted to provide convenient links to all the books I mention. So listen first, I promise it's more fun than finding out this way. Are you done? Great, here you go:Self Compassion: https://amzn.to/3SC5dyW100 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think: https://amzn.to/3Zi5niGWhat I'd Say to the Martians, by Jack Handey: https://amzn.to/4jxikw0Means of Ascent (LBJ book #2): https://amzn.to/4kp295gSinbad by Kurt Vonnegut: https://amzn.to/43XuLwGBig Magic: https://amzn.to/4dMCVLPAll About Me, by Mel Brooks: https://amzn.to/3Hlysn1

It's another Zoomed Out, Author Deep Dive episode, this time on Kurt Vonnegut, with guest Nic Pietersma. Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Book/Coffee!: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sethheasled Support Me on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/hugospodcast Pick a Book off the Mondo List and contact me: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1s6JbgvwCB3ptr2cDZWWaEHvbc-BEmC5Y5avdf2kaLqQ/edit?usp=sharing Segments and time codes: (06:43) – Intro to Kurt Vonnegut (12:00) – Vonnegut 101 (24:38) … Continue reading "Zoomed Out: Kurt Vonnegut, with guest Nic Pietersma"

Odat: Orbital Drop Armor Team by Ltc(r) Alexander R Armor Ca Tambascia Amazon.com Are you ready to embark on a thrilling journey through the pages of a Military SciFi series that will take you to the edge of your seat? Look no further than "ODAT: Orbital Drop Armor Team" - a story unlike any other in the genre. Based on the personal experiences of a US Army Armor CAV Officer, this series is a gripping account of his time in KFOR/SFOR, OEF, and OIF. But here's the twist - it's all written as science fiction! Buckle up and get ready to immerse yourself in a world of action, adventure, and futuristic warfare. This series is not your typical military SciFi story - it's a true account transformed into a captivating and imaginative tale that will leave you wanting more. With the same spirit as Kurt Vonnegut's autobiography, this series is a must-read for fans of the genre. Don't miss out on the latest news and updates from the author - sign up for the newsletter today! You'll be the first to know about upcoming releases and exclusive content. So what are you waiting for? Dive into the world of "ODAT: Orbital Drop Armor Team" and enjoy the ride!

A great book for if you want to know if your dick size is average! Today we are talking about Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. A classic book full of wild scifi stories, men thinking they are the only person in the world who matters, and a lot of commentary on how capitalism has destroyed the enviroment. WARNING: domestic violence, assualt, racism, homophobia, mental illnessBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/book-cult--5718878/support.

Notes from James:The biggest lie about writing is that it takes years. I've written multiple books in less than a month—including bestsellers. With the right system, anyone can do this.In this episode, I break down how to structure your first book and why your life experience, not your grammar, is your superpower. You'll also hear my take on AI writing, and why your personal story is something no algorithm can ever replicate.Episode Highlights:Yes, you really can write and publish a great book in 30 days. In Part 2 of this writing series, I walk you through the actual systems that make it not only possible—but repeatable.You'll learn four powerful “meta-outline” frameworks you can use to organize any non-fiction book quickly and clearly. I'll show you how I wrote Think Like a Billionaire in under 30 days using one of these frameworks, and how authors I know have launched entire careers with similar methods (some even in just three days). I also dive deep into one of the most important—but most overlooked—parts of writing a book: your first sentence. You'll hear legendary first lines from some of the world's best authors and learn why they work.This episode is a blend of process and artistry—because writing a great book requires both.This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/JAMES and get on your way to being your best self.What You'll Learn:4 concrete frameworks that will help you write a 20+ chapter book fastThe myth of needing years to write a book (and how to break it)How I turned podcast interviews with billionaires into a full book in less than a monthWhy your first sentence matters more than your title—and how to make it irresistibleHow to write with authenticity, vulnerability, and momentumWhy AI can't replace you—and never will—when it comes to storytellingTimestamps00:00 Introduction: Writing a Book in 30 Days00:54 The Four Frameworks for Writing02:03 Example: Think Like a Billionaire05:10 Overcoming Writing Myths13:14 AI and the Future of Writing20:47 The Power of a Strong First Line23:51 Exploring the Opening Lines of Iconic Novels24:14 Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man: A Civil Rights Era Classic25:04 Jack Kerouac's On the Road: A Journey of Rediscovery27:23 Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 100 Years of Solitude: A Nobel-Winning Masterpiece30:54 Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five: A War Story with a Twist34:20 Jennifer Egan's Welcome to the Goon Squad: A Pulitzer Prize Winner35:25 Charles Bukowski's Post Office: A Tale of Mistakes and Realities38:57 William Gibson's Neuromancer: The Birth of Cyberpunk40:16 The Importance of First Lines in Storytelling42:36 Crafting Relatable and Vulnerable NarrativesP.S. Want to go deeper? Check out my full course on Udemy or visit chooseyourselfacademy.com: How to Write and Publish a Book in 30 Days – available now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Leading Human, host Chad Prevost discusses the relevance of Kurt Vonnegut's 1952 novel, Player Piano, in the context of today's AI-driven world. Prevost explores the book's depiction of a future where machines perform both physical and cognitive labor, drawing parallels to current advancements in AI and its societal implications. He emphasizes the need to consider the human experience during this transitional period, addressing issues of job displacement, identity, and societal value. Prevost also reflects on the promises and challenges of AI, advocating for a thoughtful and balanced approach to integrating AI into our lives and work.00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:29 Introducing 'Player Piano' by Kurt Vonnegut01:55 Relevance of 'Player Piano' to AI and Modern Society07:21 The Hierarchical Society in 'Player Piano'08:35 The Turning Point: Paul Proteus' Struggle11:05 AI's Impact on Society and Human Identity14:57 Big Self School's Mission and AI Integration17:21 Conclusion and Invitation to EngageWant a communication and wellbeing workshop that actually sticks? Whether you're building trust or leveling up team accountability, we've got you. Book your custom team training via the link here.

On Ron's Amazing Stories this week we look into the sensational, fast-paced, and wildly imaginative world of Pulp Magazines, exploring both their history and some captivating stories from the era. Episode Highlights: Introduction to Pulp Magazines. Story 1: "Test Rocket" (Read by Ron) Published in Amazing Science Fiction Stories, April 1959. A tale of humanity's first attempt at space exploration. The intriguing juxtaposition of human curiosity and alien perception. Story 2: "Toy Shop" (Read by Corey Samuels) Appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, April 1962. Written by Harry Harrison, famous for The Stainless Steel Rat. A toy can change the world. Story 3: "2BR02B" (Read by Anthony Wood) Authored by Kurt Vonnegut, first published in If: Worlds of Science Fiction, January 1962. A dystopian story reflecting on life, death, and society's control over both. Story 4: "We Didn't Do Anything Wrong…Hardly" (Read by Fatima) From Astounding Science Fiction, May 1959. A whimsical sci-fi adventure, rumored to have inspired the 1985 film The Explorers. Closing Thoughts. Thank You for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and share! Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at . Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod () and is Licensed under . Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from , stream it on or on the mobile version of . Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on . Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this . Social Links: Contact Links:

In the spotlight is Ruby Peru who, studied under Kurt Vonnegut during the 1980s, and David Foster Wallace during the 1990s, and today ghostwrites memoirs, as well as offering developmental editing services. She has also written a novel titled “Bits of String too Small to Save,” among other books.  We discuss:  >> The distinction between memoirs and autobiographies >> Ruby Peru's ghostwriting methodology >> The keys to writing a successful memoir >> Development book editing >> The psychology of readers >> Etc.  Learn more about Ruby Peru's books and writing services here: https://rubyperu.com  Novelist Spotlight is produced and hosted by Mike Consol. Check out his novels here: https://snip.ly/yz18no  Write to Mike Consol at novelistspotlight@gmail.com 

Initial focus in this episode was on the devastating and tragic 2003 Rhode Island Station nightclub fire seen by hundreds of millions of people, how it happened, its takeaways, and the quest for justice as well as related issues on fire safety which continue to persist today. Scott James also spoke about "people without clout" and a frightful incident involving "the killing" of his mother by a driver driving on the wrong side of a one way street. He and Michael Krasny spoke of heroism, victims and survivors and the desire and need to assign blame for tragedies, humanization of villains and how tough it is in the present to be a journalist. Scott James related how his book on The Station nightclub fire became a major story on the television show 48 Hours and the stigma, anger and blowback that was directed at him as well as reported stories that never occurred and media demonizations. He also discussed the role of AI in newspapers now and up ahead, differences between fiction and non-fiction and what writing novels taught him. Michael went on to ask James about the pioneering digitalization of his novels and the early uses of video and YouTube to promote them. James also spoke of the major influence on his novel writing of Kurt Vonnegut, his experiences with homophobia as a young gay writer, why he came out of the closet, differences he sees between journalism and fiction and his work for The New York Times. He spoke nostalgically of New York being "a playground for journalists" and Krasny asked him what his thoughts were as a Columbia graduate on the $400 million held back from Columbia by the federal government. A highly intelligent and wide ranging deep dive interview!

You don't have to be on, you don't have to push. Just be right here. Right now. He wants you to know that He's working when you're resting. He's moving without moving, while you're still.Be still in the Miracle, in His Love. It's your time. SHOW UP AS YOU ARE. HE ALREADY CHOSE YOU. I love you, nik QUOTESDivine Mercy Prayer"Your calling is not about you." - via @rebeccadupas"To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it." - Kurt Vonnegut

Tracy talks about the difficulty of finding English-language writing about another strike she'd like to cover. Holly talks about why Kurt Vonnegut appeals so deeply to teenagers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly is joined by guest host Bryan Young for a live show at Indiana Comic Con, focused on the life and work of the author Kurt Vonnegut, known for his dark humor and dystopian visions of the future. Research: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Kurt Vonnegut". Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kurt-Vonnegut “Kurt Vonnegut Lecture.” Case Western Reserve University. 2004. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_RUgnC1lm8&t=551s Manikowski, Amy. “The Legacy of Kurt Vonnegut.” Biblio. https://www.biblio.com/blog/2022/11/the-legacy-of-kurt-vonnegut “Meet Kurt Vonnegut.” Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library. https://www.vonnegutlibrary.org/biography/ Shields, Charles J. “And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut, a Life.” St. Martin’s Griffin. 2012. Strand, Ginger. “How Jane Vonnegut Made Kurt Vonnegut a Writer.” The New Yorker. Dec. 3, 2015. https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/how-jane-vonnegut-made-kurt-vonnegut-a-writer Sumner, Gregory D. “Unstuck in Time: Kurt Vonnegut’s Life and Novels.” Seven Stories Press. 2011. Weide, Robert B. and Don Argott. “Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time.” IFC Films. 2021. Vonnegut, Kurt. “Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage.” Dial Press. 1999. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Times are strange, and it's doubtful they'll get any less strange any time soon. So the siblings are looking towards the one and only Kurt Vonnegut for some guidance by reading his unfortunately still so topical classic: Mother Night. We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.  URL: Music: "Baby You Change Your Mind" by Nouvellas