Podcasts about Pragmatism

Sam Harris speaks with Matt Mahan, mayor of San Jose and Democratic candidate for governor of California, about governance, pragmatism, and California's policy failures. They discuss the dysfunction of progressive governance, the homelessness crisis and what San Jose has done to reduce it, the proposed wealth tax and its likely backfire, why California can't build housing affordably, rent control, mandatory psychiatric holds, the influence of special interests in Sacramento, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.

You can live by God's truth or your own, but not both. Teacher - Scott Kenworthy

Scott, cofounder of SideSwap, joins the show to talk about what his team has been quietly building in the Liquid ecosystem. We cover SideSwap's atomic swap markets, their peg-in/peg-out service, and how partners like Aqua Wallet are plugging into their infrastructure. Scott breaks down the new Liquid Connect feature, their first Simplicity based binary outcome contracts on Swaption, and the roadmap toward Bitcoin native prediction markets on Liquid. We also get into Liquid's privacy advantages over Tron and Ethereum for Tether users, the surprising growth of the Brazilian stablecoin dePix, the federation trust model debate, and why liquid adoption has been slow but may finally be turning a corner.Sideswap: https://sideswap.ioSwaption: https://swaption.ioLiquid Explorer: https://liquid.networkTether Stats: https://usdt.networkSideswap on X: https://x.com/side_swapEPISODE: 194BLOCK: 940011PRICE: 1452 sats per dollar(03:00) Introducing Scott and Sideswap(05:01) Non‑custodial swaps, peg‑in/peg‑out, and order books(08:08) Liquidity on Liquid: USDT vs. dePix in Brazil(10:03) Market making tools and dealer participation(11:58) Why Liquid adoption lagged and what may change(14:08) Confidential transactions, Tether on Liquid, and privacy gains(18:10) USDT on Liquid: issuance, custody patterns, and censorship resistance(21:08) Prediction markets on Liquid: vision and building blocks(24:46) Designing binary contracts and oracle models(28:54) Trust models: Liquid federation vs. alt L2s(33:29) Pragmatism in scaling: Spark, Phoenix, and layered ledgers(36:33) Liquid Wallet Connect and Swaption MVP(41:13) Ecosystem growth, integrations, and Brazil network effects(43:19) Simplicity on Liquid: why it matters for Bitcoiners(46:26) Calls to action: try swaps, order books, and Swaption(50:31) User experience: Lightning vs. Liquid in practice(52:41) AI agents and potential Liquid use cases(54:46) Roadmap: Satoshi Dice, oracles, and a Polymarket‑style proof of conceptmore info on the show: https://citadeldispatch.comlearn more about me: https://odell.xyzmonitor the situation: https://citadelwire.com

How do we respond to harm and injustice without reinforcing the very systems we want to tear down? What if our most pragmatic responses—fixing, solving, demanding—are part of a trance that keeps us under the thumb of power?In this episode, Jennifer speaks with philosopher, writer, and teacher Bayo Akomolafe, whose work invites a sideways glance at activism, politics, and the idea that we can simply repair the world if we try hard enough. Together, they explore:How activism can sometimes reinforce the “myth of repair” and the logic of pragmatic solutionsWhy saying “no” is not always refusal, and how resistance can still participate in the systems it opposesBayo's concept of parapolitics—an ethically experimental space beyond conventional political choreographyFugitivity as a form of transformation rather than escapeHow the “obvious” response to crisis can hide deeper entanglements and possibilitiesThe seasonal tension between saving and savoring, urgency and presence.Come listen as Jennifer and Bayo explore what it might mean to break the trance of pragmatism—and discover new possibilities for aliveness, creativity, and ethical response in uncertain times.Links & resources—Learn more about Bayo Akomolafe and his workPre-order or explore Bayo's new book: Selah: A Bayo Akomolafe ReaderGet Jennifer's Substack Newsletter Follow Jennifer on Instagram or LinkedInListen for the bonus micro-episode following this conversation for a short integration practice. Gratitude for this show's theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro.

Ahead of her new book What's So Great About the Great Books? coming out in April, Naomi Kanakia and I talked about literature from Herodotus to Tony Tulathimutte. We touched on Chaucer, Anglo-Saxon poetry, Scott Alexander, Shakespeare, William James, Helen deWitt, Marx and Engels, Walter Scott, Les Miserables, Jhootha Sach, the Mahabharata, and more. Naomi also talked about some of her working habits and the history and future of the Great Books movement. Naomi, of course, writes Woman of Letters here on Substack.TranscriptHenry Oliver: Today, I am talking with Naomi Kanakia. Naomi is a novelist, a literary critic, and most importantly she writes a Substack called Woman of Letters, and she has a new book coming out, What's So Great About the Great Books? Naomi, welcome.Naomi Kanakia: Thanks for having me on.Oliver: How is the internet changing the way that literature gets discussed and criticized, and what is that going to mean for the future of the Great Books?Kanakia: How is the internet changing it? I can really speak to only how it has changed it for me. I started off as a writer of young adult novels and science fiction, and there's these very active online fan cultures for those two things.I was reading the Great Books all through that time. I started in 2010 through today. In the 2010s, it really felt like there was not a lot of online discussion of classic literature. Maybe that was just me and I wasn't finding it, but it didn't necessarily feel like there was that community.I think because there are so many strong, public-facing institutions that discuss classic literature, like the NYRB, London Review of Books, a lot of journals, and universities, too. But now on Substack, there are a number of blogs—yours, mine, a number of other ones—that are devoted to classic literature. All of those have these commenters, a community of commenters. I also follow bloggers who have relatively small followings who are reading Tolstoy, reading Middlemarch, reading even much more esoteric things.I know that for me, becoming involved in this online culture has given me much more of an awareness that there are many people who are reading the classics on their own. I think that was always true, but now it does feel like it's more of a community.Oliver: We are recording this the day after the Washington Post book section has been removed. You don't see some sort of relationship between the way these literary institutions are changing online and the way the Great Books are going to be conceived of in the future? Because the Great Books came out of a an old-fashioned, saving-the-institutions kind of radical approach to university education. We're now moving into a world where all those old things seem to be going.Kanakia: Yes. I agree. The Great Books began in the University of Chicago and Columbia University. If you look into the history of the movement, it really was about university education and the idea that you would have a common core and all undergraduates would read these books. The idea that the Great Books were for the ordinary person was really an afterthought, at least for Mortimer Adler and those original Great Books guys. Now, the Great Books in the university have had a resurgence that we can discuss, but I do think there's a lot more life and vitality in the kind of public-facing humanities than there has been.I talked to Irina Dumitrescu, who writes for TLS (The Times Literary Supplement), LRB (The London Review of Books), a lot of these places, and she also said the same thing—that a lot of these journals are going into podcasts, and they're noticing a huge interest in the humanities and in the classics even at the same time as big institutions are really scaling back on those things. Humanities majors are dropping, classics majors are getting cut, book coverage at major periodicals is going down. It does seem like there are signals that are conflicting. I don't really know totally what to make of it. I do think there is some relation between those two things.Ted Gioia on Substack is always talking about how culture is stagnant, basically, and one of the symptoms of that is that “back list” really outsells “front list” for books. Even in 2010, 50 percent of the books that were sold were front-list titles, books that had been released in the last 18 months. Now it's something like only 35 percent of books or something like that are front-list titles. These could be completely wrong, but there's been a trend.I think the decrease in interest in front-list books is really what drives the loss of these book-review pages because they mostly review front-list books. So, I think that does imply that there's a lot of interest in old books. That's what our stagnant culture means.Oliver: Why do you think your own blog is popular with the rationalists?Kanakia: I don't know for certain. There was a story I wrote that was a joke. There are all these pop nonfiction books that aim to prove something that seems counterintuitive, so I wrote a parody of one of those where I aim to prove that reading is bad for you. This book has many scientific studies that show the more you read, the worse it is because it makes you very rigid.Scott Alexander, who is the archrationalist, really liked that, and he added me to his blog roll. Because of that, I got a thousand rationalist subscribers. I have found that rationalists at least somewhat interested in the classics. I think they are definitely interested in enduring sources of value. I've observed a fair amount of interest.Oliver: How much of a lay reader are you really? Because you read scholarship and critics and you can just quote John Gilroy in the middle of a piece or something.Kanakia: Yeah. That is a good question. I have definitely gotten more interested in secondary literature. In my book, I really talk about being a lay reader and personally having a nonacademic approach to literature. I do think that, over 15 years of being a lay reader, I have developed a lot of knowledge.I've also learned the kind of secondary literature that is really important. I think having historical context adds a lot and is invaluable. Right now I'm rereading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. When I first read it in 2010, I hardly knew anything about French history. I was even talking online with someone about how most people who read Les Miserables think it's set in the French Revolution. That's basically because Americans don't really know anything about French history.Everything makes just a lot more sense the more you know about the time because it was written for people in it. For people in 1860s France, who knew everything about their own recent history, that really adds a lot to it. I still don't tend to go that much into interpretive literature, literature that tries to do readings of the stories or tell me the meaning of the stories. I feel like I haven't really gotten that much out of that.Oliver: How long have you been learning Anglo-Saxon?Kanakia: I went through a big Anglo-Saxon phase. That was in 2010. It started because I started reading The Canterbury Tales in Middle English. There is a great app online called General Prologue created by one of your countrymen, Terry Richardson [NB it is Terry Jones], who loved Middle English. In this app, he recites the Middle English of the General Prologue. I started listening to this app, and I thought, I just really love the rhythms and the sounds of Middle English. And it's quite easy to learn. So then, I got really into that.And then I thought, but what about Anglo-Saxon? I'm very bad at languages. I studied Latin for seven years in middle school and high school. I never really got very far, but I thought, Anglo-Saxon has to be the easiest foreign language you can learn, right? So, I got into it.I cannot sight read Anglo-Saxon, but I really got into Anglo-Saxon poetry. I really liked the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Most people probably would not like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle because it's very repetitive, but that makes it great if you're a language learner because every entry is in this very repetitive structure. I just felt such a connection. I get in trouble when I say this kind of stuff, because I'm never quiet sure if it's 100 percent true. But it's certainly one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Europe. It's just so much older than most of the other medieval literature I've read. And it just was such a window into a different part of history I never knew about.Oliver: And you particularly like “The Dream of the Rood”?Kanakia: Yeah, “The Dream of the Rood” is my favorite Anglo-Saxon poem. “The Dream of the Rood” is a poem that is told from the point of view of Christ's cross. A man is having a dream. In this dream he encounters Christ's cross, and Christ's cross starts reciting to him basically the story of the crucifixion. At the end, the cross is buried. I don't know, it was just so haunting and powerful. Yeah, it was one of my favorites.Oliver: Why do you think Byron is a better poet than Alexander Pope?Kanakia: This is an argument I cannot get into. I think this is coming up because T. S. Eliot felt that Alexander Pope was a great poet because he really exemplified the spirit of the age. I don't know. I've tried to read Pope. It just doesn't do it for me. Whereas with Byron, I read Don Juan and found it entertaining. I enjoyed it. Then, his lyric poetry is just more entertaining to read. With Alexander Pope, I'm learning a lot about what kind of poetry people wrote in the 18th century, but the joy is not there.Oliver: Okay. Can we do a quick fire round where I say the name of a book and you just say what you think of it, whatever you think of it?Kanakia: Sure.Oliver: Okay. The Odyssey.Kanakia: The Odyssey. Oh, I love The Odyssey. It has a very strange structure, where it starts with Telemachus and then there's this flashback in the middle of it. It is much more readable than The Iliad; I'll say that.Oliver: Herodotus.Kanakia: Herodotus is wild. Going into Herodotus, I really thought it was about the Persian war, which it is, but it's mostly a general overview of everything that Herodotus knew, about anything. It's been a long time since I read it. I really appreciate the voice of Herodotus, how human it is, and the accumulation of facts. It was great.Oliver: I love the first half actually. The bit about the Persian war I'm less interested in, but the first half I think is fantastic. I particularly love the Egypt book.Kanakia: Oh yeah, the Egypt book is really good.Oliver: All those like giant beetles that are made of fire or whatever; I can't remember the details, but it's completely…Kanakia: The Greeks are also so fascinated by Egypt. They go down there like what is going on out there? Then, most of what we know about Egypt comes from this Hellenistic period, when the Greeks went to Egypt. Our Egyptian kings list comes from the Hellenistic period where some scholar decided to sort out what everybody was up to and put it all into order. That's why we have such an orderly story about Egypt. That's the story that the Greeks tried to tell themselves.Oliver: Marcus Aurelius.Kanakia: Marcus Aurelius. When I first read The Meditations, which I loved, obviously, I thought, “being the Roman emperor cannot be this hard.” It really was a black pill moment because I thought, “if the emperor of Rome is so unhappy, maybe human power really doesn't do it.”Knowing more about Marcus Aurelius, he did have quite a difficult life. He was at war for most of his—just stuck in the region in Germany for ages. He had various troubles, but yeah, it really was very stoic. It was, oh, I just have to do my duty. Very “heavy is the head that wears the crown” kind of stuff. I thought, “okay, I guess being Roman emperor is not so great.”Oliver: Omar Khayyam.Kanakia: Omar Khayyam. Okay, I've only read The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam by Edward Fitzgerald, which I loved, but I cannot formulate a strong opinion right now.Oliver: As You Like It.Kanakia: No opinions.Oliver: Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson.Kanakia: Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson. I do have an opinion about this, which is that they should make a redacted version of Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson. I normally am not a big believer in abridgements because I feel like whatever is there is there. But, Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, first of all, has a long portion before Boswell even meets Johnson. That portion drags; it's not that great. Then it has all these like letters that Johnson wrote, which also are not that great. What's really good is when Boswell just reports everything Johnson ever said, which is about half the book. You get a sense of Johnson's conversation and his personality, and that is very gripping. I've definitely thought that with a different presentation, this could still be popular. People would still read this.Oliver: The Communist Manifesto.Kanakia: The Communist Manifesto. It's very stirring. I love The Communist Manifesto. It has very haunting, powerful lines. I won't try to quote from it because I'll misquote them.Oliver: But it is remarkably well written.Kanakia: Oh yeah, it is a great work of literature.Oliver: Yeah.Kanakia: I read Capital [Das Kapital], which is not a great work of literature, and I would venture to say that it is not necessarily worth reading. It really feels like Marx's reputation is built on other political writings like The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte and works like that, which really seem to have a lot more meat on the bone than Capital.Oliver: Pragmatism by William James.Kanakia: Pragmatism. I mean, I've mentioned that in my book. I love William James in general. I think William James was writing in this 19th-century environment where it seemed like some form of skepticism was the only rational solution. You couldn't have any source of value, and he really tried to cut through that with Pragmatism and was like, let's just believe the things that are good to believe. It is definitely at least useful to think, although someone else can always argue with you about what is useful to believe. But, as a personal guide for belief, I think it is still useful.Oliver: Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw.Kanakia: No strong opinions. It was a long time ago that I read Major Barbara.Oliver: Tell me what you like about James Fenimore Cooper.Kanakia: James Fenimore Cooper. Oh, this is great. I have basically a list of Great Books that I want to read, but four or five years ago, I thought, “what's in all the other books that I know the names of but that are not reputed, are not the kind of books you still read?”That was when I read Walter Scott, who I really love. And I just started reading all kinds of books that were kind of well known but have kind of fallen into literary disfavor. In almost every case, I felt like I got a lot out of these books. So, nowadays when I approach any realm of literature, I always look for those books.In 19th-century American literature, the biggest no-longer-read book is The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, which was America's first bestseller. He was the first American novelist that had a high reputation in Europe. The Last of the Mohicans is kind of a historical romance, à la Walter Scott, but much more tightly written and much more tightly plotted.Cooper has written five novels, the Leatherstocking Tales, that are all centered around this very virtuous, rough-hewn frontiersman, Natty Bumppo. He has his best friend, Chingachgook, who is the last of the Mohicans. He's the last of his tribe. And the two of these guys are basically very sad and stoic. Chingachgook is distanced from his tribe. Chingachgook has a tribe of Native Americans that he hates—I want to say it's the Huron. He's always like, “they're the bad ones,” and he's always fighting them. Then, Natty Bumppo doesn't really love settled civilization. He's not precisely at war with it, but he does not like the settlers. They're kind of stuck in the middle. They have various adventures, and I just thought it was so haunting and powerful.I've been reading a lot of other 19th-century American literature, and virtually none of it treats Native Americans with this kind of respect. There's a lot of diversity in the Native American characters; there's really an attempt to show how their society works and the various ways that leadership and chiefship works among them. There's this very haunting moment in The Last of the Mohicans, where this aged chief, Tamenund, comes out and starts speaking. This is a chief who, in American mythology, was famous for being a friend to the white people. But, James Fenimore Cooper writing in the 1820s has Tamenund come out at 80 years old and say, “we have to fight; we have to fight the white people. That's our only option.” It was just such a powerful moment and such a powerful book.I was really, really enthused. I read all of these Leatherstocking Tales. It was also a very strange experience to read these books that are generally supposed to be very turgid and boring, and then I read them and was like, “I understand. I'm so transported.” I understand exactly why readers in the 1820s loved this.Oliver: Which Walter Scott books do you like?Kanakia: I love all the Walter Scott books I've read, but the one I liked best was Kenilworth. Have you ever read Kenilworth?Oliver: I don't know that one.Kanakia: Yeah, it's about Elizabeth I, who had a romantic relationship with one of her courtiers.Oliver: The Earl of Essex?Kanakia: Yeah. She really thought they were going to get married, but then it turned out he was secretly married. Basically, I guess the implication is that he killed his wife in order to marry Queen Elizabeth I. It's a novel all about him and that situation, and it just felt very tightly plotted. I really enjoyed it.Oliver: What did you think of Rejection?Kanakia: Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte? Initially when I read this book, I enjoyed it, but I was like, “life cannot possibly be this sad.” It's five or six stories about these people who just have nothing going on. Their lives are so miserable, they can't find anyone to sleep with, and they're just doomed to be alone forever. I was like, “life can't be this bad.” But now thinking back over it, it is one of the most memorable books I've read in the last year. It really sticks with you. I feel like my opinion of this book has gone up a lot in retrospect.Oliver: How antisemitic is the House of Mirth?Kanakia: That is a hotly debated question, which I mentioned in my book. I think there has been a good case made that Edith Wharton, the author of House of Mirth, who was from an old New York family, was herself fairly antisemitic and did not personally like Jewish people. What she portrays in this book is that this old New York society also was highly suspicious of Jewish people and was organized to keep Jewish people out.In this book there is a rich Jewish man, Simon Rosedale, and there's a poor woman, Lily Bart. Lily Bart's main thing is whether she's going to marry the poor guy, Lawrence Selden, or the rich guy, Percy Gryce. She can't choose. She doesn't want to be poor, but she also is always bored by the rich guys. Meanwhile, through the whole book, there's Simon Rosedale, who's always like, “you should marry me.” He's the rich Jewish guy. He's like, “you should marry me. I will give you lots of money. You can do whatever you want.”Everybody else kind of just sees her as a woman and as a wife; he really sees her as an ally in his social climbing. That's his main motivation. The book is relatively clear that he has a kind of respect for her that nobody else does. Then, over the course of the book, she also gains a lot more respect for him. Basically, late in the book, she decides to marry him, but she has fallen a lot in the world. He's like, “that particular deal is not available anymore,” but he does offer her another deal that—although she finds it not to her taste—is still pretty good.He basically is like, “I'll give you some money, you'll figure out how to rehabilitate your reputation, and later down the line, we can figure something out.” So, I think with a great author like Edith Wharton, there's power in these portrayals. I felt it hard to come away from it feeling like the book is like a really antisemitic book.Oliver: Now, you note that the Great Books movement started out as something quite socially aspirational. Do you think it's still like that?Kanakia: I do think so. Yeah. For me, that's 100 percent what it was because I majored in econ. I always felt kind of inadequate as a writer against people who had majored in English. Then I started off as a science fiction writer, young adult writer, and I was like, “I'm going to read all these Great Books and then I'll have read the books that everybody else has read.” In my mind, that's also what it was—that there was some upper crust or literary society that was reading all these Great Books.That's really what did it. I do think there's still an element of aspiration to it because it's a club that you can join, that anyone can join. It's very straightforward to be a Great Books reader, and so I think there's still something there. I think because the Great Books movement has such a democratic quality to it, it actually doesn't get you to the top socially, which has always been the true, always been the case. But, that's okay. As long as you end up higher than where you started, that's fine.Oliver: What makes a book great?Kanakia: I talk about it this in the book, and I go through many different authors' conceptions of what makes a book great or what constitutes a classic. I don't know that anyone has come up with a really satisfying answer. The Horatian formulation from Horace—that a book is great or an author is great if it has lasted for a hundred years—is the one that seems to be the most accurate. Like, any book that's still being read a hundred years after it was written has a greatness.I do think that T. S. Eliott's formulation—that a civilization at its height produces certain literature and that literature partakes of the greatness of the civilization and summarizes the greatness of the civilization—does seem to have some kind of truth to it.But it's hard, right? Because the greatest French novel is In Search of Lost Time, but I don't know that anyone would say that the France in the 1920s was at its height. It's not a prescriptive thing, but it does seem like the way we read many of these Great Books, like Moby Dick, it feels like you're like communing with the entire society that produced it. So, maybe there's something there.Oliver: Now, you've used a list from Clifton Fadiman.Kanakia: Yes.Oliver: Rather than from Mortimer Adler or Harold Bloom or several others. Why this list?Kanakia: Well, the best reason is that it's actually the list I've just been using for the last 15 years. I went to a science fiction convention in 2009, Readercon, and at this science fiction convention was Michael Dirda, who was a Washington Post book critic. He had recently come out with his book, Classics for Pleasure, which I also bought and liked. But he said that the list he had always used was this Clifton Fadiman book. And so when I decided to start reading the Great Books, I went and got that book. I have perused many other lists over time, but that was always the list that seemed best to me.It seemed to have like the best mix. There's considerable variation amongst these lists, but there's also a lot of overlap. So any of these lists is going to have Dickens on it, and Tolstoy, and stuff like that. So really, you're just thinking about, “aside from Dickens and Tolstoy and George Eliot and Walt Whitman and all these people, who are the other 50 authors that you're going be reading?”The Mortimer Adler list is very heavy on philosophy. It has Plotinus on it. It has all these scientific works. I don't know, it didn't speak to me as much. Whereas, this Clifton Fadiman and John Major list has all these Eastern works on it. It has The Tale of Genji, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Story of the Stone, and that just spoke to me a little bit more.Oliver: What modern books will be on a future Great Books list, whether it's from someone alive or someone since the war.Kanakia: Have you ever heard of Robert Caro?Oliver: Sure.Kanakia: Yeah. I think his Lyndon Johnson books are great books. They have changed the field of biography. They're so complete, they seem to summarize an entire era, epoch. They're highly rated, but I feel like they're underrated as literature.What else? I was actually a little bit surprised in this Clifton Fadiman-John Major book, which came out in 1999, that there are not more African Americans in their list. Like, Invisible Man definitely seemed like a huge missed work. You know, it's hard. You would definitely want a book that has undergone enough critical evaluation that people are pretty certain that it is great. A lot of things that are more recent have not undergone that evaluation yet, but Invisible Man has, as have some works by Martin Luther King.Oliver: What about The Autobiography of Malcolm X?Kanakia: I would have to reread. I feel like it hasn't been evaluated much as a literary document.Oliver: Helen DeWitt?Kanakia: It's hard to say. It's so idiosyncratic, The Last Samurai, but it is certainly one of the best novels of the last 25 years.Oliver: Yeah.Kanakia: It is hard to say, because there's nothing else quite like it. But I would love if The Last Samurai was on a list like this; that would be amazing.Oliver: If someone wants to try the Great Books, but they think that those sort of classic 19th-century novels are too difficult—because they're long and the sentences are weird or whatever—what else should they do? Where else should they start?Kanakia: Well, it depends on what they're into, or it depends on their personality type. I think like there are people who like very, very difficult literature. There are people who are very into James Joyce and Proust. I think for some people the cost-benefit is better. If they're going to be pouring over some book for a long time, they would prefer if it was overtly difficult.If they're not like that, then I would say, there are many Great Books that are more accessible. Hemingway is a good one and Grapes of Wrath is wonderful. The 19th-century American books tend to be written in a very different register than the English books. If you read Moby Dick, it feels like it's written in a completely different language than Charles Dickens, even though they're writing essentially at the same time.Oliver: Is there too much Freud on the list that you've used?Kanakia: Maybe. I know that Interpretation of Dreams is on that list, which I've tried to read and have decided life is too short. I didn't really buy it, but I have read a fair amount of Freud. My impression of Freud was always that I would read Freud and somehow it would just seem completely fanciful or far out, like wouldn't ring true. But then when I started reading Freud, it was more the opposite. I was like, oh yeah, this seems very, very true.Like this battle between like the id and the ego and the super ego, and this feeling that like the psyche is at war with itself. Human beings really desire to be singular and exceptional, but then you're constantly under assault by the reality principle, which is that you're insignificant. That all seemed completely true. But then he tries to cure this somehow, which does not seem a curable problem. And he also situates the problem in some early sexual development, which also did not necessarily ring true. But no, I wouldn't say there's too much. Freud is a lot of fun. People should read Freud.Oliver: Which of the Great Books have you really not liked?Kanakia: I do get asked this quite a bit. I would say the Great Book that I really felt like—at least in translation—was not that rewarding in an unabridged version was Don Quixote. Because at least half the length of Don Quixote is these like interpolated novellas that are really long and tedious. I felt Don Quixote was a big slog. But maybe someday I'll go back and reread it and love it. Who knows?Oliver: Now you wrote that the question of biography is totally divorced from the question of what art is and how it operates. What do you think of George Orwell's supposition that if Shakespeare came back tomorrow, and we found out he used to rape children that we should—we would not say, you know, it's fine to carry on to doing that because he might write another King Lear.Kanakia: Well, if we discovered that Shakespeare was raping children, he should go to prison for that. No. It's totally divorced in both senses. You don't get any credit in the court of law because you are the writer of King Lear. If I murdered someone and then I was hauled in front of a judge and they were like, oh, Naomi's a genius, I wouldn't get off for murder. Nor should I get off for murder.So in terms of like whether we would punish Shakespeare for his crime of raping children, I don't think King Lear should count at all, but it's never used that way. It's never should someone go to prison or not for their crimes, because they're a genius. It's always used the other way, which is should we read King Lear knowing that the author raped children, but I also feel like that is immaterial. If you read King Lear, you're not enabling someone to rape children.Oliver: There's an almost endless amount of discussion these days about the Great Books and education and the value of the humanities, and what's the future of it all. What is your short opinion on that?Kanakia: My short opinion is that the Great Books at least are going to be fine. The Great Books will continue to be read, and they would even survive the university. All these books predate the university and they will survive the university. I feel like the university has stewarded literature in its own way for a while now and has made certain choices in that stewardship. I think if that stewardship was given up to more voluntary associations that had less financial support, then I think the choices would probably be very different. But I still think the greatest works would survive.Oliver: Now this is a quote from the book: “I am glad that reactionaries love the Great Books. They've invited a Trojan horse into their own camp.” Tell us what you mean by that.Kanakia: Let's say you believed in Christian theocracy, that you thought America should be organized on explicitly Christian principles. And because you believe in Christian theocracy, you organize a school that teaches the Great Books. Many of these schools that are Christian schools that have Great Books programs will also teach Nietzsche. They definitely put some kind of spin on Nietzsche. But they will teach anti-Christ, and that is a counterpoint to Christian morality and Christian theology. There are many things that you'll read in the Great Books that are corrosive to various kinds of certainties.If someone who I think is bad starts educating themselves in the Great Books, I don't think that the Great Books are going to make them worse from my perspective. So it's good.Oliver: How did reading the Mahabharata change you?Kanakia: Oh yeah, so the Mahabharata is a Hindu epic from, let's say, the first century AD. I'm Indian and most Indians are familiar with the basic outline of the Mahabharata story because it's told in various retellings, and there's a TV serial that my parents would rent from the Indian store growing up and we would watch it tape by tape. So I'm very familiar with it. Like there's never been a time I have not known this story.But I was also familiar with the idea that there is a written version in Sanskrit that's extremely long. It is 10 times as long as the Iliad and the Odyssey combined. This Mahabharata story is not that long. I've read a version of it that's about 800 pages long. So how could something that's 10 times this long be the same? A new unabridged translation came out 10 years ago. So I started reading it, and it basically contains the entire Sanskrit Vedic worldview in it.I had never been exposed to this very coherently laid-out version of what I would call Hindu cosmology and ethics. Hindus don't really get taught those things in a very organized way. The book is basically about dharma, the principle of rightness and how this principle of rightness orders the universe and how it basically results in everybody getting their just deserts in various ways. As I was reading the book, I was like, this seems very true that there is some cosmic rebalancing here, and that everything does turn out more or less the way it should, which is not something that I can defend on a rational level.But just reading the book, it just made me feel like, yes, that is true. There is justice, the universe is organized by justice. It took me about a year to read the whole thing. I started waking up at 5:00 a.m. and reading for an hour each morning, and it just was a really magical, profound experience that brought me a lot closer to my grandmother's religious beliefs.Oliver: Is it ever possible to persuade someone with arguments that they should read literature, or is it just something that they have to have an inclination toward and then follow someone's example? Because I feel like we have so many columns and op-eds and “books are good because of X reason, and it's very important because of Y reason.” And like, who cares? No one cares. If you are persuaded, you take all that very seriously and you argue about what exactly are the precise reasons we should say. And if you're not persuaded, you don't even know this is happening.And what really persuades you is like, oh, Naomi sounds pretty compelling about the Mahabharata. That sounds cool. I'll try that. It's much more of a temperamental, feelingsy kind of thing. Is it possible to argue people into thinking about this differently? Or should we just be doing what we do and setting an example and hoping that people will follow.Kanakia: As to whether it's possible or not, I do not know. But I do think these columns are too ambitious. A thousand-word column and the imagined audience for this column is somebody who doesn't read books at all, who doesn't care about literature at all. And then in a thousand-word column, you're going to persuade them to care about literature. This is no good. It's so unnecessary.Whereas there's a much broader range of people who love to read books, but have never picked up Moby Dick or have never picked up Middlemarch, or who like maybe loved Middlemarch, but never thought maybe I should then go on and read Jane Austen and George Eliot.I think trying to shift people from “I don't read books at all; reading books is not something I do,” to being a Great Books card-carrying lover of literature is a lot. I really aim for a much lower result than that, which is to whatever extent people are interested in literature, they should pursue that interest. And as the rationalists would say, there's a lot of alpha in that; there's a lot to be gained from converting people who are somewhat interested into people who are very interested.Oliver: If there was a more widespread practice of humanism in education and the general culture, would that make America into a more liberal country in any way?Kanakia: What do you mean by humanism?Oliver: You know, the old-fashioned liberal arts approach, the revival of the literary journal culture, the sort of depolitical approach to literature, the way things used to be, as it were.Kanakia: It couldn't hurt. It couldn't hurt is my answer to that question.Oliver: Okay.Kanakia: What you're describing is basically the way I was educated. I went to Catholic school in DC at St. Anselm's Abbey School, in Northeast, DC, grade school. Highly recommend sending your little boys there. No complaints about the school. They talked about humanism all the time and all these civic virtues. I thought it was great. I don't know what people in other schools learn, but I really feel like it was a superior way of teaching.Now, you know, it was Catholic school, so a lot of people who graduated from my school are conservatives and don't really have the beliefs that I have, but that's okay.Oliver: Tell us about your reading habits.Kanakia: I read mostly ebooks. I really love ebooks because you can make the type bigger. I just read all the time. They vary. I don't wake up at 5:00 a.m. to read anymore. Sometimes if I feel like I'm not reading enough—because I write this blog, and the blog doesn't get written unless I'm reading. That's the engine, and so sometimes I set aside a day each week to read. But generally, the reading mostly takes care of itself.What I tend to get is very into a particular thing, and then I'll start reading more and more in that area. Recently, I was reading a lot of New Yorker stories. So I started reading more and more of these storywriters that have been published in the New Yorker and old anthologies of New Yorker stories. And then eventually I am done. I'm tired. It's time to move on.Oliver: But do you read several books at once? Do you make notes? Do you abandon books? How many hours a day do you read?Kanakia: Hours a day: Because my e-reader keeps these stats, I'd say 15 or 20 hours a week of reading. Nowadays because I write for the blog, I often think as I'm reading how I would frame a post about this. So I look for quotes, like what quote I would look at. I take different kinds of notes. I'll make more notes if I'm more confused by what is going on. Especially with nonfiction books, I'll try sometimes to make notes just to iron out what exactly I think is happening or what I think the argument is. But no, not much of a note taker.Oliver: What will you read next?Kanakia: What will I read next? Well, I've been thinking about getting back into Indian literature. Right now I'm reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. But there's an Indian novel called Jhootha Sach, which is a partition novel that is originally in Hindi. And it's also a thousand pages long, and is frequently compared to Les Miserables and War and Peace. So I'm thinking about tackling that finally.Oliver: Naomi Kanakia, thank you very much.Kanakia: Thanks for having me. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.commonreader.co.uk

In this episode amongst other things, as we slowly work (or worm) our way back into your hearts and minds we discuss the future of this podcast and potential interesting topics,ideas and perspectives of what can be discussed. Please feel free to give voice to this episode by calling the Dumbing it Down with Dave hotline, aka the Dumbline at 845-330-3410. I welcome your input.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dumbing-it-down-with-dave--1657141/support.

In this episode, I break the ice and end my part of almost a year with a six minute episode saying hello and getting a hint of what's coming up. Please feel free to share this with anybody and everybody to let them know that Dumbing It Down With Dave is back. You could also call the Dumbing It Down With Dave hotline, which is also called the Dumbline. I think that number is 845-330-3410 Thank you for your support. I appreciate it. Let's have some fun! Truth, pragmatism, and the search for it all!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dumbing-it-down-with-dave--1657141/support.

This week on Sinica, I speak with Yi-Ling Liu, journalist, former China editor at Rest of World, and author of the new book The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet. Yi-Ling's book traces the arc of Chinese online life through five protagonists — a rapper, a gay rights entrepreneur, a feminist activist, a science fiction writer, and an internet censor — each navigating the creative and constrictive forces of the Chinese internet in their own way. The result is a deeply reported, novelistic account of what it felt like to live, create, and push back in one of the most surveilled and dynamic digital environments on earth. We discuss the book's central metaphor of "dancing in shackles," the early utopian glow of Chinese netizen culture, the parallel fates of hip hop and science fiction under the state's alternating embrace and constraint, and the eerie convergence between the Chinese internet and our own.0:06 — "Wall dancers" as a metaphor: what it captures that "dissident" or "netizen" doesn't0:09 — Why 网民 (wǎngmín) took root in China as a concept of digital citizenship0:13 — The early Chinese internet: more open than we remember, but not as free as the myth suggests0:15 — Ma Baoli: closeted cop to CEO of China's largest gay dating app, and the Gay Talese reporting strategy0:20 — Lan Yu, Beijing Story, and the film that became a coming-out moment for a generation of queer men0:22 — Pragmatism at the heart of the dance: how individuals and the state negotiated the internet together0:28 — Lu Pin and Feminist Voices: from "playing boundary ball" to sudden exile0:35 — Stanley Chen Qiufan and the state's attempt to co-opt science fiction for nationalist ends0:43 — The generational split in Chinese sci-fi: Liu Cixin's cosmic scale vs. the near-future unease of Chen Qiufan and Hao Jingfang0:46 — Hip hop's arc: from underground scenes in Chengdu and Beijing to The Rap of China and sudden constraint0:51 — Eric Liu, the Weibo censor: humanizing the firewall from the inside0:55 — Common prosperity, Wang Huning, and the moral panic behind the crackdown on "effeminate" culture0:59 — Techno-utopianism in retrospect: was the emancipatory internet always a fantasy?1:03 — The convergence of the Chinese and American internets: Weibo and Twitter, TikTok and Oracle1:07 — What it means to be free: how the book expanded Yi-Ling's sense of what freedoms people actually wantPaying it forward: Zeyi Yang, technology reporter at WIRED, and co-author (with Louise Matsakis) of the excellent tech x China newsletter Made in ChinaRecommendations:Yi-Ling: The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai; Machine Decision is Not Final, an anthology of essays on Chinese AI compiled by scholars affiliated with NYU Shanghai.Kaiser: The Coming Storm: Power, Conflict and Warnings from History by Odd Arne Westad (forthcoming); Essays from Pallavi Aiyar's Substack The Global Jigsaw, particularly "How Has China Succeeded in Making People Mind their Manners" and "Why I Would Rather Be Born Chinese than Indian Today."See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are we being left behind...Let's think about this for a moment.Architects have AutoCAD. Finance folks have Excel. Sales teams have Salesforce. The list goes on.But what do we as service design professionals have? If we're a bit cynical, you could say that often it's a wall of sticky notes (that the cleaners throw away at night).This brings up a deep and often unspoken insecurity in our field. Could it be that our work is seen as "fluffy" or "invisible" because we lack the "hard" tools that other departments have? That is the provocative question Maxe van Heeswijk brought to the Circle community recently. She challenged us to think about whether having "our own software" would help us claim our territory and be taken more seriously by stakeholders.But to which extent can a tool be the answer to our problems?Will Sharples joined the conversation with a different take. He argues that stakeholders don't actually care about our process or our "proper" service design tools, they just want their problems solved.So in this episode of Inside Service Design, we explore this tension between wanting to be "seen" as experts and the messy reality of getting work done in-house.This conversation is packed with spicy topics like:Whether having a dedicated tool makes you more legitimate, or does it just create new silos? Why our most important work is often the hardest to measure (and get budget for).A brutal method for stripping away busy work to focus on the assets that actually tell a story.And why you are "always selling" the value of service design, even years after you've been hired.So, if you've ever felt like you're doing important work... that nobody sees, this episode is for you.What do you feel is the service design tool at the moment? Do we even have one?Let me know, I'm really curious to hear your take!Be well, ~ Marc--- [ 1. GUIDE ] --- 00:00 Welcome to December Round Up01:00 Meet the Guests 04:00 From Physical Engineering to Digital Services 06:30 From Philosophy & Advertising to SD 10:15 Balancing Financial Goals vs. Trust 15:15 Securing Long-Term Funding 18:00 Why Patience is a Superpower 21:45 Thought Experiment26:30 Do We Need Professional Software?35:00 Is Design Too Democratized 44:15 Relationship Building is Slow Farming51:00 Pragmatism vs. The Design Bibles52:45 The Hidden Skill55:45 Navigating Company Politics59:30 Wrap-Up --- [ 2. LINKS ] --- https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxevanheeswijk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-sharples-85a40580/ --- [ 3. CIRCLE ] --- If you're an in-house service design professional and want to learn from the stories of your peers, take a look at the Circle, it might just be the thing you're looking for.Join our private community for in-house service design professionals:⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle--- [4. FIND THE SHOW ON] ---Youtube ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-09-youtubeSpotify ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-09-spotifyApple ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-09-appleSnipd ~ https://go.servicedesignshow.com/inside-service-design-09-snipd

"What is Truth?", said jesting podcasters, who then stuck around for an answer. Back at it again with The Conjectures and Refutations Series (part three) on Chapter 10: Truth, Rationality, and the Growth of Scientific Knowledge. Can we say what truth is, even if we can never be certain we've found it? If not, can we say that science is approaching truth? How would we ever know? And why are so many theories of truth untrue? We discuss Ben's early reflections on Abigail Shrier's book Bad Therapy Why did Popper feel the need to answer this particular "what is" question? Can asking "what is truth" be a demogogic and bad-faith question? The correspondence theory of truth vs The pragmatic theory of truth vs The coherence theory of truth Alfred Tarski's formalization of the correspondence theory of truth Are there problems with the correspondence theory? The disagreement between Vaden and Deutsch on truth References Daniel Bonevac on the Correspondence theory of truth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlG_VaN1LHQ Tarki's 1944 paper on the semantic conception of truth Tarki's 1933 paper "On the concept of truth in formalized languages" Deutsch's 2022 talk on truth: Musings about Truth # Socials Follow us on Twitter at @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link Become a patreon subscriber here. Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations here. Click dem like buttons on youtube It would be both useful, coherent, and correspond to our happiness if you signed up for our patreon or discord. Hit us up at incrementspodcast@gmail.com

Florence Ashley, "Evidentiary Pragmatism in Transgender Health Care," (2026) 116:3 American Journal of Public Health 304(Link to article)

Europe's bus depots might seem an unlikely place to discover the "truth" of its economic ties with China. Not the kind delivered in some European politicians' sound bites, but the kind that shows up on spreadsheets, maintenance logs and accident reports. While these politicians debate "security risks" and "strategic dependence" in carefully calibrated sentences, the people, who actually have to move human beings around cities every day, are making their judgment: Chinese electric buses are what they need.欧洲的巴士车库或许看似并非揭示其与中国经济联系“真相”的理想场所。这里说的并非某些欧洲政客在简短发言中宣扬的那种真相，而是体现在电子表格、维修记录和事故报告中的真实数据。当政客们用精心斟酌的措辞讨论“安全风险”和“战略依赖”时，那些每天实际负责城市客运的人们早已做出判断：中国制造的电动巴士正是他们所需。Across Germany, Belgium and Austria, public transport operators are choosing buses made by BYD and Yutong, even as political anxiety makes a noise in the background. One German executive admitted that quality, safety and reliability matter more than where the buses are made.在德国、比利时和奥地利，公共交通运营商纷纷选择比亚迪和宇通客车生产的公交车，尽管政治层面的担忧始终如影随形。一位德国高管坦言，质量、安全和可靠性比产地更重要。Here lies the tension Europe cannot quite resolve. On the one side are some politicians expressing their "worries", and others theatrically invoking "espionage", "data privacy" and "strategic dependence". On the other side are transport authorities staring down the hard calendar of climate targets that do not care aboutrhetoric and commuters who do not accept excuses. When ideology meets hard demands, ideology is usually the one that blinks.欧洲在此面临着难以化解的矛盾。一方面，政客们或表达“忧虑”，或夸张地鼓吹“间谍活动”、“数据隐私”和“战略依赖”；另一方面，交通部门则直面严苛的气候目标时间表——这些目标不理会空谈，通勤者也不接受借口。当意识形态遭遇严峻要求时，通常是意识形态先退让。Chinese electric buses, inconveniently for the "anti-China" narrative, perform as asked. The advantages of BYD'sblade batteries are not talking points, except to bus aficionados. They are design choices that reduce risk and calm drivers. Yutong's software, praised by European testers as faster and more integrated than systems they already use, is by no means a so-called "Trojan horse". It is a productivity upgrade. In public transport, where margins are thin and tempers thinner, such things matter more than slogans.中国电动巴士的表现符合预期，这让“反华论调”颇为尴尬。比亚迪刀片电池的优势并非宣传噱头（除非对巴士发烧友而言）。中国电动巴士是降低风险、让司机安心的设计选择。宇通的软件系统被欧洲测试人员赞誉为比现有系统更快更集成，绝非所谓的“特洛伊木马”，而是生产力的升级。在利润微薄、情绪易躁的公共交通领域，这些实质性改进远比口号更重要。The market tells the true story. Chinese-made electric buses now command a significant share of Europe's fleet renewals, and brand recognition among operators is high. That is because Chinese manufacturing has crossed the line from "cheap" to "competent", and now to "convincingly good".市场揭示了真实情况。中国制造的电动巴士如今在欧洲车队更新中占据显著份额，运营商对其品牌认可度极高。这源于中国制造业已跨越从“廉价”到“可靠”的门槛，如今更迈入“令人信服的优质”境界。That leap did not occur in a vacuum. Over the past years, China has poured sustained investment into electric vehicle research and development, with a focus on high-end manufacturing, batteries, power electronics and intelligent systems.这一飞跃并非凭空而来。过去数年间，中国持续投入资金用于电动汽车研发，重点布局高端制造、电池、电力电子及智能系统领域。The irony is that much of this progress accelerated during the years when some Western economies were busy "de-risking" and "decoupling". Confronted with technology restrictions and political headwinds, China did not retreat. It sprinted toward self-reliance by overcoming key technological choke points, while simultaneously expanding openness, diversifying partners and scaling up cooperation. In its latest move on Friday in this regard, Beijing urged efforts to leverage the country's comparative advantages to promote continuous breakthroughs in the development of industries of the future.讽刺的是，当一些西方经济体忙于“去风险”和“脱钩”时，中国却在加速推进这些领域的发展。面对技术限制和政治逆风，中国并未退缩。它通过攻克关键技术瓶颈，在加速奔向自力更生的同时，不断扩大开放、多元化伙伴关系并扩大合作规模。在此背景下，北京在上周五的最新举措中强调，要充分发挥中国比较优势，推动未来产业持续取得突破性发展。While some Western politicians spare no effort to safeguard their economies' so-called "security" by shutting doors, Chinese policymakers have called for opening doors wider and rolled out targeted road maps with clear objectives and deadlines across key sectors. So while the enterprises in certain countries waver amid their politicians' inertia, their Chinese counterparts are doubling down on innovation—breaking down major problems into smaller nuts to crack one by one. The two approaches to the climate crisis—talk shop and workshop—have produced very different results. One has tried to manage risk by blocking engagement; the other has tried to transform risk into opportunity by pursuing innovation.当某些西方政客竭力关闭大门以维护本国经济的所谓“安全”时，中国决策者却呼吁敞开大门，并在关键领域推出目标明确、期限清晰的专项路线图。于是，当某些国家的企业在政客的消极态度中举棋不定时，中国企业正加倍投入创新，将重大难题分解为可攻克的小目标逐一攻克。面对气候危机，两种应对策略——空谈派与实干派已产生截然不同的结果：前者试图通过阻断合作来规避风险，后者则致力于通过创新将风险转化为机遇。Recent EV deals and consultations between China and the European Union, and between China and Canada, suggest a tacit admission: earlier restrictions on Chinese EVs were driven less by engineering concerns than by politics—specifically, pressure from Washington.Pragmatism seems to have returned, as it tends to do when budgets are involved.近期中国与欧盟、中国与加拿大之间达成的电动汽车协议及磋商，暗示着一种默认：此前对中国电动汽车的限制更多源于政治因素而非技术考量。具体而言，是来自华盛顿的压力。当涉及预算问题时，务实态度往往会重新浮现，此次似乎也不例外。China's NEV sales hit 16.49 million units in 2025, ranking first globally for 11 consecutive years; its NEV exports surged 103.7 percent year-on-year to 2.62 million units, serving over 180 countries and regions worldwide. NEVs cut carbon emissions by over 40 percent in the full life cycle compared with fuel cars. Therefore, Chinese NEVs have become a core solution for global carbon emissions reduction. But Chinese EV makers have no respite as they need to continue to invest in innovation. That is how a manufacturing powerhouse becomes a value-driven one—by letting technological success lift the entire industrial ecosystem.2025年中国新能源车销量达1649万辆，连续11年蝉联全球第一；出口量同比增长103.7%至262万辆，覆盖全球180多个国家和地区。相较传统燃油车，新能源车全生命周期碳排放量降低40%以上。由此，中国新能源车已成为全球减排的核心解决方案。但中国车企仍需持续投入创新，绝无喘息之机。唯有让技术成功带动整个产业生态升级，制造业强国才能蜕变为价值驱动型强国。Those Westernnaysayers of Chinese EVs should realize that electric bus is a poor vehicle for ideology. Politicalmaneuvering may slow traffic temporarily, but markets have a way of clearing their throats and moving on.那些质疑中国电动汽车的西方唱衰者应当明白，电动巴士绝非宣扬意识形态的合适载体。政治博弈或许能暂时阻滞车流，但市场自有其方式；清清嗓子，继续前行。maneuvering/məˈnuː.vɚ.ɪŋ/n.博弈rhetoric/ˈret̬.ɚ.ɪk/n.空谈Pragmatism/ˈpræɡ.mə.tɪ.zəm/务实主义naysayers/ˈneɪˌseɪ.ɚ/唱衰者

Fisheries scientist, Dr. Steve Mackinson, cuts through ecosystem theory, stock assessments, and the reality of managing fish in an imperfect world.Seafood Matters Podcast is available on all podcast networks and on YouTube. Alternatively, you can also listen on the dedicated website www.seafoodmatterspodcast.com.Contact Jim Cowie:Email: jim@seafoodmatterspodcast.comSocials: @seafoodmatterspodcastWebsite: seafoodmatterspodcast.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/seafood-matters-podcast--6102841/support.

December 21,2025

In this episode, from an event hosted by the Centre for Global Mission on Wednesday 23 July 2025, David Williams, Director of Training and Development at CMS Australia, attempts to answer the question, “Is it more strategic to focus mission and ministry resources into receptive contexts and people groups, rather than into unreceptive contexts?”David explains some of the thinking behind the theory of the homogeneous unit principle of church growth and other pragmatic approaches to mission, but takes care to point out that typically, significant gospel advance happens over long periods of time and involves generations of gospel workers—the fruit of whose labour is often not seen until much, much later.Please note: Richard Chin's talk from this event was featured on the Moore in the Word Podcast last week. Although it's not essential, you might want to go back and listen to it before you listen to this episode.Watch both talks and the Q&A from the event.For more audio resources, visit the Moore College website. There, you can also make a donation to support the work of the College.Contact us and find us on socials.Support the work of the Centre for Global Mission.Please note: The episode transcript provided is AI-generated and has not been checked for accuracy. If quoting, please check against the audio.

The Patriarchy Podcast | Pastor Joseph Spurgeon In this episode, Pastor Joseph Spurgeon sits down with James Baird, pastor and author of King of Kings, to dismantle the modern lie that the state can or should be religiously neutral. From towering pagan idols on American soil to the plain teaching of Psalm 2, this conversation exposes the reality every nation tries to avoid: every law serves a god, and every ruler will answer to Christ. We discuss Christian nationalism, answer objections from R2K theology, libertarianism, and theonomy, and return to historic Protestant political theology rooted in Scripture, the Westminster Standards, and the American founding. This is not about replacing the Church with the State. It is about rulers doing their God-given duty. Christ is King. Over hearts, but also over nations. ⏱ Chapter Breakdown 00:00 – The lie of state neutrality and America’s pagan idols02:30 – Psalm 2 and the duty of rulers to honor Christ04:10 – Who is James Baird and why he wrote King of Kings06:30 – Why modern evangelical political theology collapsed11:50 – Christian nationalism: caricature vs historic reality14:45 – The core argument: government and the public good17:40 – Answering objections to the syllogism21:00 – Does this replace the Church with the State?23:10 – Can the state force Christianity?25:00 – The First Amendment properly understood29:10 – Why “protect all religions” is unbiblical31:30 – Was America a Christian nation?35:00 – Theonomy, natural law, and civil legislation41:50 – COVID, tyranny, and bad political theology44:00 – Is this a recipe for persecution?50:00 – Pragmatism vs obedience52:45 – Two Kingdoms theology challengedFinal – Christ’s kingship over nations About the Show The Patriarchy Podcast equips men to embrace God-given masculinity for the glory of Christ and the good of His Kingdom. We speak plainly. We do not compromise. We call men to build, fight, protect, and lead. Support the Mission We’re raising funds to expand Sovereign King Academy and keep tuition affordable for families committed to Christ’s Kingdom.Give here: https://sovereignkingacademy.com Connect with The Patriarchy Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePatriarchyPodcastSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/58tm5zjzApple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/f3ruzrsaWebsite & All Links: https://linktr.ee/thepatriarchypodcast Follow Joseph Spurgeon:X: https://x.com/PatriarchyPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePatriarchyPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepatriarchypodcastGab: https://gab.com/thepatriarchypodcast Sponsored By Steadfast Cigars – For men who reject passivity and take dominionOrder: https://steadfastcigars.com/ Fit Father Project – Discipline. Strength. Legacy.Start here: https://secure.fitfatherproject.com/a/transformation/4539 Books by Joseph SpurgeonIt’s Good to Be a Boy – https://a.co/d/7zpEh5DIt’s Good to Be a Girl – https://a.co/d/6VlBTzS Final Call to Action Subscribe.Turn on notifications.Share this episode with men who refuse neutrality. Build. Fight. Protect. Lead.This is the Patriarchy.

For Super-Spiked subscribers that prefer that written posts, we have included a lightly edited transcript of the video (blue download button below) along with a downloadable copy of the slide deck.WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of a lightly edited transcript and the slide deck using the blue Download buttons below.2026 kicked off with the dramatic news of the US's incursion into Venezuela and capture of its president Nicolas Maduro. Protests against the ruling regime in Iran have also captured the world's attention. We will aim to put those events into the context of our long-term oil macro view, which of course is our focus at Super-Spiked. As a reminder and as a disclaimer, we look at these events through our lens as an energy equity research analyst and a current partner at Veriten. There is no commentary in this video about specific companies.⚡️On A Personal Note: RIP Bob Weir

Are you an AI skeptic or an enthusiast? Ethan and Drew sit down with Igor Tarasenko, Senior Director of Product Software Architecture and Engineering at Equinix, to break down the reality of AI in the network. In this sponsored episode, Tarasenko discusses why APIs are the new CLI, the critical need for observability in AI,... Read more »

Are you an AI skeptic or an enthusiast? Ethan and Drew sit down with Igor Tarasenko, Senior Director of Product Software Architecture and Engineering at Equinix, to break down the reality of AI in the network. In this sponsored episode, Tarasenko discusses why APIs are the new CLI, the critical need for observability in AI,... Read more »

Are you an AI skeptic or an enthusiast? Ethan and Drew sit down with Igor Tarasenko, Senior Director of Product Software Architecture and Engineering at Equinix, to break down the reality of AI in the network. In this sponsored episode, Tarasenko discusses why APIs are the new CLI, the critical need for observability in AI,... Read more »

Candide by Francois Voltaire w/Tom Libby & Jesan Sorrells ---00:00 "Voltaire, Leadership, and Absurdity"11:11 Voltaire, Swingers, and Pancakes14:12 "Timeless Stories Often Retold"17:38 "Reassembling Lost Meaning"26:36 "The Impact of the Printing Press"32:50 "Candide: Chapter 2 Overview"37:58 "Voltaire, War, and Absurdity"41:50 "Voltaire's Cynicism and Candide"44:46 "Leaders Are Problem Solvers"50:55 "Disgust, Pragmatism, and Leadership"57:16 "Timeless Thinkers and Their Impact"01:04:07 "Candide's Ordeal and Reflection"01:08:14 "Limits of Enlightenment and Reason"01:14:41 Promote Team Builders, Not Performers01:19:28 "Moral Courage Over Physical Acts"01:25:34 "Challenges in Leadership Perspective"01:27:58 "Shift to Prompt-Based Thinking"01:33:23 "Ironic Detachment in Leadership"01:41:26 Empathy and Generational Disconnect01:45:50 "Gen X's Call to Action"---Opening and closing themes composed by Brian Sanyshyn of Brian Sanyshyn Music.---Pick up your copy of 12 Rules for Leaders: The Foundation of Intentional Leadership NOW on AMAZON!Check out the Leadership Lessons From the Great Books podcast reading list!--- ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ Subscribe to the Leadership Lessons From The Great Books Podcast: https://bit.ly/LLFTGBSubscribeCheck out HSCT Publishing at: https://www.hsctpublishing.com/.Check out LeadingKeys at: https://www.leadingkeys.com/Check out Leadership ToolBox at: https://leadershiptoolbox.us/Contact HSCT for more information at 1-833-216-8296 to schedule a full DEMO of LeadingKeys with one of our team members.---Leadership ToolBox website: https://leadershiptoolbox.us/.Leadership ToolBox LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ldrshptlbx/.Leadership ToolBox YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadershiptoolbox/videosLeadership ToolBox Twitter: https://twitter.com/ldrshptlbx.Leadership ToolBox IG: https://www.instagram.com/leadershiptoolboxus/.Leadership ToolBox FB: https://www.facebook.com/LdrshpTl

This year's CES was all about agentic AI and little else. Digiday executive editor Joseph was boots-on-the-ground for this year's show in Las Vegas. He joins this episode of the Digiday Podcast to make sense of this year's event, and what it means as 2026 gets underway.

A Sunday Conversation With RSB and Super D – Principles vs Pragmatism: A Spiritual Journey https://robertscottbell.com/a-sunday-conversation-with-rsb-and-super-d-principles-vs-pragmatism-a-spiritual-journey/https://boxcast.tv/view/a-sunday-conversation-with-rsb-and-super-d--principles-vs-pragmatism-a-spiritual-journey---the-rsb-show-1-11-26-bdfdkjolstsnkdrpasja Purpose and Character The use of copyrighted material on the website is for non-commercial, educational purposes, and is intended to provide benefit to the public through information, critique, teaching, scholarship, or research. Nature of Copyrighted Material Weensure that the copyrighted material used is for supplementary and illustrative purposes and that it contributes significantly to the user's understanding of the content in a non-detrimental way to the commercial value of the original content. Amount and Substantiality Our website uses only the necessary amount of copyrighted material to achieve the intended purpose and does not substitute for the original market of the copyrighted works. Effect on Market Value The use of copyrighted material on our website does not in any way diminish or affect the market value of the original work. We believe that our use constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you believe that any content on the website violates your copyright, please contact us providing the necessary information, and we will take appropriate action to address your concern.

In this episode, Jerry Bradshaw and Dr. Stewart Hilliard discuss: Why your dog training should be based on theory, pragmatic results, and experience. Theoretical vs intuitive dog training.  How is idealist training different from pragmatic training?  Why you should not be removing all stressors from your dog training.  Control and learned helplessness.   Key Takeaways: Dog training is a long series of lonely decisions. You are a team of one training your dog, and even if you have a coach, in the moment, you are the one making each decision based on the problem facing you in the moment. Technical training is great, but you do need to be able to generalize the training for different locations and situations for the best results. If, in the course of doing its job, your dog will face adversity, then having a background in overcoming some adversity in training is going to stand the dog in good stead. There is considerable discussion and data that speak to the point that the ideal state for an animal to develop in is not necessarily one that is free of stress. Aversive control can be used without producing bad welfare for the subjects of the training. On the flip side, excellent positive reinforcement technicians also produce really good results in dog training.  Animals in avoidance are not running from something; they are running to something safe.    "If you want to engage with dogs intellectually, they're a very rich topic for intellectual engagement, because they're super interesting. And you can look at them at any level you want; you can look at dog training at any level you want. And for some people, the pathway to getting really good is becoming theoretically very, very strong." —  Dr. Stewart Hilliard   Episode References:  Go to Kynology.org now and start an account to stay up to date on Kynology events, upcoming resources, and products!   Get Jerry's book Controlled Aggression on Amazon.com   Contact Stewart:  Website: https://www.caninetrainingsystems.com/  Book: Schutzhund, Theory and Training Methods - A Book by Susan Barwig and Stewart Hilliard, Ph.D. - https://www.amazon.com/Schutzhund-Theory-Training-Methods-Reference/dp/0876057318   Contact Jerry: Website: controlledaggressionpodcast.com Email: JBradshaw@TarheelCanine.com Tarheel Canine Training:  www.tarheelcanine.com YouTube:  tarheelcanine Twitter: @tarheelcanine Instagram: @tarheelk9 Facebook: TarheelCanineTraining Protection Sports Website: psak9-as.org Patreon:   patreon.com/controlledaggression Slideshare: Tarheel Canine Calendly: https://calendly.com/tarheelcanine  Tarheel Canine Seminars: https://streetreadyk9.com/  Tarheel Canine Student Portal: https://tcstudentportal.com/    Sponsors:  ALM K9 Equipment: almk9equipment.com PSA & American Schutzhund: psak9-as.org Tarheel Canine: tarheelcanine.com The Drive Company: thedriveco.com  The Drive Company Instagram: instagram.com/thedrive.co  Dog Armour: dogarmour.com  Dog Armour Instagram: instagram.com/dogarmourpro  Rogue Arsenal: roguearsenal.com  Rogue Arsenal Instagram: instagram.com/rogue_arsenal_official    Train hard, train smart, be safe.     Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

This message examines the subtle but serious danger of pragmatism—the belief that results justify disobedience. Walking through Scripture, it shows how good intentions, visible success, and apparent fruit can still stand in direct contradiction to God's revealed will. From Uzzah touching the ark, to Abraham "helping" God, to Peter fearing men, and even well-intended evangelism, the sermon exposes how pragmatism assumes God needs our help and shifts trust from God's Word to human wisdom. In contrast, it highlights faithful obedience in Daniel, Paul, and Christ Himself, calling believers to trust God with the results and pursue faithfulness rather than effectiveness. The aim is clear: not "what works," but what honors God.

This message examines the subtle but serious danger of pragmatism—the belief that results justify disobedience. Walking through Scripture, it shows how good intentions, visible success, and apparent fruit can still stand in direct contradiction to God's revealed will. From Uzzah touching the ark, to Abraham "helping" God, to Peter fearing men, and even well-intended evangelism, the sermon exposes how pragmatism assumes God needs our help and shifts trust from God's Word to human wisdom. In contrast, it highlights faithful obedience in Daniel, Paul, and Christ Himself, calling believers to trust God with the results and pursue faithfulness rather than effectiveness. The aim is clear: not "what works," but what honors God.

Wow! Pragmatism! Driven by physics, economics and, yes, even politics. It's clear that 2025's reset will carry into 2026, and energy markets are breathing a collective sigh of relief. So what does this renewed tilt toward fossil fuels mean for markets? Today, our Prognostications for 2026.

In 2026, here's what you can expect from the AI industry: new architectures, smaller models, world models, reliable agents, physical AI, and products designed for real-world use. This audio was produced using AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode we unpack American Philosopher & Psychologist William James' 1907 classic, "Pragmatism." This book explores...*The Pragmatic Theory of Truth*The Nature of Belief Change*The Psychology's connection to PhilosophyHost: Zach Stehura  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UnpackingIdeas.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest: Brent MondoskinIntro Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Polyenso⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free PDF of the book: Pragmatism by William James⁠Resources MentionedThe Metaphysical Club by Louis Menand(book)The Essential Pierce vol.1 by C.S. Pierce(book)Radical Empiricism by William James (book)Mindset by Carol Dweck(book)The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy (book)Timestamps0:00 Introduction

We have no clue what 2026 holds, but that hasn't stopped us! The annual "Seattle Nice" prognostication episode returns with Publicola Co-Founder Josh Feit to offer hopes and predictions for the city's 2026. The main event: Mayor-elect Katie Wilson's looming tenure. Will she defy her critics and steer a progressive agenda with pragmatic, results-oriented grit? We're all optimistic.  The discussion also gets into Seattle's biggest flashpoints including the need for greater police accountability, and the role of the CARE Department. We also talk over ideas to tackle density and affordability, including a “sprawl tax” (or “urban pass”). Finally, the conversation shifts to the quiet crises plaguing the city: dimming transparency at city hall, the struggle for a vibrant nighttime economy, and an accountability deficit in the city's public education system. Our editor is Quinn Waller. Send us a text! Note that we can only respond directly to emails realseattlenice@gmail.comThanks to Uncle Ike's pot shop for sponsoring this week's episode! If you want to advertise please contact us at realseattlenice@gmail.comSupport the showYour support on Patreon helps pay for editing, production, live events and the unique, hard-hitting local journalism and commentary you hear weekly on Seattle Nice.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.—Ray is a designer-turned-researcher. He grew up in New Zealand but moved to the UK last year.His career started in graphic design and advertising, but he's also studied art history and worked as a brand strategist and innovation consultant before moving into UX. He was a product designer before officially pivoting to UX research.He is passionate about the craft of UX research, so is naturally drawn towards rigour and detail. But there's definitely a balance to be mindful of, so lately he's been enjoying the challenge of taking a more pragmatic approach to cut through the noise at work and maximise impact.In our conversation, we discuss:* How Raymond moved from design to research and why his messy, creative path helps him make peace with constraints.* Why “just enough” research is often the most realistic (and still valuable) kind.* Dealing with stakeholders who want statistical significance and to act on N=1 quotes.* What makes a one-pager actually work (hint: it's not cramming 14 bullet points into 10pt font).* How to reframe constraints as creative challenges, instead of just reasons to cry in a spreadsheet.Some takeaways:* Rigor isn't one thing. There's a difference between medical research and a usability test for a SaaS dashboard. Raymond reminds us to stop chasing perfection and start asking: What's the risk? What's the goal? What's actually good enough here?* You don't have to be the loudest voice in the room to be the expert. Sometimes the best way to build trust is not to say “trust me, I'm the expert,” but to bring the right method to the table and explain why it fits. Raymond shares how he uses method knowledge to guide teams—without pulling rank.* Constraints aren't the enemy, they're the brief. That tight deadline or limited budget? Treat it like a design prompt. What can you strip away? What creative method still works? That shift in mindset changes everything from energy to output.* Scoping is where the real power is. Raymond shares a sharp approach to collaborative scoping: show a strawman plan and let stakeholders rip it apart. It builds alignment faster and helps surface hidden assumptions, risks, and trade-offs without ego wars.* Your research summary isn't for you. Your one-pager should pass the 40-second CEO elevator ride test. Raymond breaks down his 3-column template and shares why the takeaways column matters more than your favorite quote or clever insight. It's about what they need to do next.Where to find Raymond:* ADPList mentor profile page* LinkedIn* Medium Stop piecing it together. Start leading the work.The Everything UXR Bundle is for researchers who are tired of duct-taping free templates and second-guessing what good looks like.You get my complete set of toolkits, templates, and strategy guides. used by teams across Google, Spotify, , to run credible research, influence decisions, and actually grow in your role.It's built to save you time, raise your game, and make you the person people turn to—not around.→ Save 140+ hours a year with ready-to-use templates and frameworks→ Boost productivity by 40% with tools that cut admin and sharpen your focus→ Increase research adoption by 50% through clearer, faster, more strategic deliveryInterested in sponsoring the podcast?Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? I'm always looking to partner with brands and businesses that align with my audience. Book a call or email me at nikki@userresearchacademy.com to learn more about sponsorship opportunities!The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the host, the podcast, or any affiliated organizations or sponsors. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.userresearchstrategist.com/subscribe

1DullGeek casually announces he's signed a contract for a Czech-built TL Sparker and will spend a month in Prague building it – because apparently "24 cubic feet of cargo space" (more than his compact SUV!) justifies international aircraft construction. The only minor detail? He has absolutely nowhere to hangar this composite beauty that "costs more than his house." Cue the deep dive into "Hangar Hell" – where waiting lists stretch to 2038, car detailing businesses occupy hangars, and Mark realizes he's been "a wholesale menace in every capacity to an airport." Meanwhile, Brian's gone full on into written tests, knocking out instrument ground instructor and fundamentals of instruction in two weeks because "the sponginess of my brain is kind of working at the moment." Plus: heated seats, cup holders, and the eternal question of whether N633K (a.k.a. "N-GEEK") will ever see the inside of an actual hangar.Upcoming Event:The Thaden Invasion Fly-In - March 13-15, 2026, Bentonville, Arkansas (VBT)RSVP at midlifepilotpodcast.com - "If half the RSVPs show up, we're gonna have a real good time. If more than half show up, it'll be a disaster."Support the Show:Patreon Community Merch Store Website: midlifepilotpodcast.comMentioned on the show:* Mark's new plane, TL Sparker: https://tlsportaircraft.com/sparker/* Risen Aircraft: https://www.flyrisen.com/* Roy "Deacon" Qualls, Pilot's Edge: Think, Train, and Fly Like a Pro: https://amazon.com/dp/B0FY26ZJJM* CGI, Cape Girardeau Regional Airport: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Girardeau_Regional_Airport* Garmin GNC355: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/689774/

Send Us a Message (include your contact info if you'd like a reply)When the words “narcissist” or “toxic” hit the table, the conversation often derails. We take a different path—away from labels and toward behavior—so clients can make safer, smarter decisions during divorce without stepping into clinical territory. Tracy lays out a clear, ethical approach that validates harm, respects mental health needs, and keeps our work aligned with the dispute resolution standards that serve families best.We explore the two truths that often coexist: some clients endure harmful, destabilizing behavior, and some are facing a spouse with legitimate mental health needs deserving compassion and dignity. Instead of reducing people to diagnoses, we examine what actually shows up in the process: escalation patterns, emotional regulation, reliability, responsiveness, and communication capacity. Through practical prompts—What does the behavior look like? When does it escalate? How does it affect your choices?—we convert emotional chaos into strategic clarity, boundaries, and safety plans.We also tackle mediation viability as a functional, not clinical, question. Mediation requires predictability, transparency, and the willingness to repair communication ruptures; when those behaviors are absent, progress stalls regardless of labels. You'll hear how to reframe inflammatory language, design behavior-based participation plans, and maintain professional boundaries that build trust across the ADR ecosystem. The result is a pragmatic, compassionate model that protects clients, preserves dignity on both sides, and elevates our field through clear roles and standards.If the goal is durable agreements and healthier co-parenting, behavior must lead. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review to help us spread ethical, ADR-aligned divorce coaching. And if you're ready to go deeper, join our next ADR Divorce Coach Certification Cohort starting January 11, 2026 at DivorceCoachesAcademy.com. Learn more about DCA® or any of the classes or events mentioned in this episode at the links below:Website: www.divorcecoachesacademy.comInstagram: @divorcecoachesacademyLinkedIn: divorce-coaches-academyEmail: DCA@divorcecoachesacademy.com

4/4. Climate Pragmatism and Denial of Renewable Energy Constraints — Terry Anderson (Editor) — Andersonhighlights Bjorn Lomborg's "climate pragmatism" framework, which advocates rational spending prioritizing immediate human needs rather than attempting to arrest climate change through technological transformation. Anderson confirms that genuine market adaptation is actively occurring, citing declining real estate valuations in storm-surge vulnerable areas of Dade County. Anderson asserts that political objectives, including achieving carbon neutrality or total renewable energy dependency, demonstrate "total denial" of the vast and insurmountable physical limitations inherent in current renewable energy technology and infrastructure capacity. 1862

Welcome to another episode of Good Morning Liberty! In this special 'speed dating' edition, hosts Nate Thurston and Charles Chuck Thompson dive into politics, culture, and recent key events. They discuss the surprising passage of the Epstein Bill by the Senate, its implications, and public reaction. The hosts also explore deeper philosophical questions about the importance of addressing societal issues and influencing culture and policy. Additionally, they touch on libertarian philosophy, the controversy around prominent figures like Ron Paul and Dave Smith, and the ongoing struggle for liberty in modern politics. Tune in for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion! 00:00 Intro 00:36 The Importance of Political Awareness 03:50 Big News: The Epstein Bill 13:53 Libertarian Debates and Criticisms 21:03 Using Political Tactics for Liberty 21:56 Criticism and Marketing in Politics 23:39 The Importance of Both Theory and Action 25:03 Engaging the Public with Practical Ideas 30:03 Personal Journey to Libertarianism 37:12 Balancing Idealism and Pragmatism 40:00 Conclusion and Call to Action  

The New Apostolic Reformation is a dangerous deception masquerading as revival, elevating human leaders and experiences above the authority of Scripture and leading many astray from true biblical faith.   Want to Understand and Explain Everything Biblically?  Click Here: Decoding the Power of Three: Understand and Explain Everything or go to www.rightonu.com and click learn more.  Thank you for Listening to Right on Radio. Prayerfully consider supporting Right on Radio. Click Here for all links, Right on Community ROC, Podcast web links, Freebies, Products (healing mushrooms, EMP Protection) Social media, courses and more... https://linktr.ee/RightonRadio Live Right in the Real World! We talk God and Politics, Faith Based Broadcast News, views, Opinions and Attitudes We are Your News Now. Keep the Faith

We're continuing from 15 Nov 2024, discussing the next subsection of Chapter 4 (The Pragmatism and Idolatry of the Ideologies), called "Ideologies as Idolatry" based on the insights from a master observer of both types of totalitarian socialisms on the Left, national socialism -- sometimes called fascism -- and the kind of socialism that the Communists in East Germany and Russia had during the 1900s, during the life of Dr. Thielicke. (USSR meant Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). We go from pp. 46 thru 52, finishing that chapter from last year (see 15 Nov 2024, "Law and Ideology" for the last episode in this series). Our return guest today on The Republican Professor Podcast is the former professor of Theology at the University of Hamburg in West Germany, Dr. Helmut Thielicke, Ph.D., D.Theol. (Philosophy and Theology). Professor Thielicke once again joins us through his teaching in his Theological Ethics, Vol. 2: Politics. My copy was purchased at Old Capitol Books (new location) in Monterey, California, across from Nick the Greek restaurant on Alvarado Street (their old location was 559 Tyler, Monterey, CA, across from the Peet's Coffee and was formerly Book Haven for many years), and is a hard copy published in 1969 by Fortress Press and edited by William H. Lazareth. Thielicke died before he was able to come on to The Republican Professor Podcast. We thank Fortress Press for making the book available. Check out their catalogue for a full listing of their very interesting titles, and buy one. Get a copy of this for yourself and following along in our transformative, performative reading of it as we make fair use on his insights, with fresh scholarly commentary from me, and allow it to shape our understanding of American Politics. This is part 9 in a series on The Republican Professor Podcast, an introduction to theological reflection on American government. Here, we continue the topic of the nature and power of "ideology" in Communist Socialist and National Socialist (sometimes called by others fascistic socialism/fascism). Our very special guest today is, once again, the esteemed and long-time Professor of Theology at the University of Hamburg, Helmut Thielicke. And I've invited Professor Thielicke to join us today through my transformative, performative reading (with my scholarly commentary upon) and fair use of his teaching on this topic in his magisterial "Theological Ethics, Volume 2: Politics." My copy of the book was published in 1969 by Fortress Press. Please buy a copy of the book and follow along with our study of this material. Here's a link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/Theological-Ethics-Politics-Helmut-Thielicke/dp/0802817920 Please, please support your brick and mortar used book dealers as well. Professor Thielicke died before we were able to invite him in person as a guest on the podcast. Thanks to Fortress Press, the book is still in print and would be a valuable addition, indeed, to your personal library. Please support the work of Fortress Press and buy the book, and check out the other selections that they carry, as well. The Republican Professor Podcast is a pro-deeply-conversing-on-the-theological-aspects-of-the-nature-of-government podcast. Therefore, welcome Professor Helmut Thielicke ! The Republican Professor is produced and hosted by Dr. Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. To financially support this podcast, comment on today's episode, or to make a suggestion for a topic or guest for the podcast or Substack newsletter, send an email to therepublicanprofessor@substack.com . We'd love to hear from you. Warmly, Lucas J. Mather, Ph.D. The Republican Professor Podcast The Republican Professor Newsletter on Substack https://therepublicanprofessor.substack.com/ https://www.therepublicanprofessor.com/podcast/ https://www.therepublicanprofessor.com/articles/

This week, Jason and Matt sit down with Stefan Molyneux, a philosopher, author, and host of one of the longest-running philosophy shows in the world, Freedomain. For decades, he has been a prominent voice in the liberty movement and a foundational thinker on the principles of peaceful parenting. The conversation kicks off immediately, jumping straight into one of the most polarizing topics on the right: the rise of Nick Fuentes. Jason asks Stefan for his take on the current brouhaha surrounding Fuentes's popularity and whether he sees parallels between the establishment's attack on Fuentes and the political persecution he himself faced years ago. We explore whether this signals a major shift in the culture—a new Gen Z political class that's rejecting sanitized talking points and demanding raw authenticity, even if it's inflammatory. From there, we dive into the mechanics of modern propaganda, using the recent Charlie Kirk "out of context" smear as a perfect case study of how the establishment manufactures its own reality. This leads to a raw discussion on the new political climate and the uncomfortable debate for all libertarians: pragmatism vs. principle. When does sticking to "libertarian purity" actually undermine the fight for liberty itself? Finally, after diagnosing a culture addicted to coercion, we pivot to the ultimate white pill: the solution. Stefan lays out how the principles of peaceful parenting are the fundamental antidote to this entire cycle, and gives his advice to parents trying to raise sovereign, resilient children in a post-truth world. (Length: 1:19:55) Click Here to Support TFTP. Freedomaine: https://freedomain.com/ Stef's New Peaceful Parenting Book: https://peacefulparenting.com/ Stefan on Twitter: https://x.com/StefanMolyneux

This episode warns Christians about the dangers of equating the church with political conservatism and rushing into public alliances with people or movements that contradict biblical teaching. Using 2 Corinthians 6:14–16, it expands the "unequally yoked" warning beyond marriage to cultural and political partnerships. It examines how the pursuit of political victory can lead believers to tolerate or endorse blatant sin among allies, highlights recent examples of problematic public figures, and stresses the need for discernment and public calls to repentance rather than unquestioning support. The episode concludes with a call to prioritize the proclamation of the gospel, engage the culture faithfully, demand laws that honor God, and ultimately trust God's sovereignty rather than placing hope in political expedients.

We dissect the "historic" joint prayer between King Charles III (Defender of the Faith) and Pope Leo, questioning if this reunion between the Anglican and Catholic churches is genuine progress or pure PR. This high-level, symbolic unity is exposed as political maneuvering and a calculated business decision by institutions desperately trying to shore up market share and relevance as membership declines. We note the irony that while they discuss unity, centuries of doctrinal conflict and the issue of vast church wealth remain unaddressed.News Source:live: King Charles pray with Pope Leo in historic visit to VaticanBy Joshua McElligey for ReutersOctober 23rd, 2025

Share your Field Stories!Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! On today's episode, we talk with Mark Coleman, Author, Planet Pragmatism and Director of Advanced Energy Advisory and Innovation with TRC Companies about Establishing Trust, Rediscovering Humanity, and Planet Pragmatism.  Read his full bio below.Help us continue to create great content! If you'd like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form Showtimes:  2:45 - Delightful things10:08 - Interview with Mark Coleman20:32 - How to work through all the Noise29:22 - How do you build Trust with doubtful people47:06 - Fieldnotes with Mark!Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Mark Coleman at https://www.markcolemaninsights.com/Guest  Bio:Mark C. Coleman is an award-winning author and recognized voice as a business and leadership advisor, entrepreneur, and educator specializing in sustainable change management and enterprise development. With over 25 years of experience, he inspires both current and future leaders to embrace principled leadership founded on pragmatism, dignity, trust, and accountability. He has served as a strategic advisor to numerous leading organizations across academia, industry, emerging enterprises, and government, focusing on the intersection of societal change, environmental risk, and sustainable innovation. Mr. Coleman currently serves as Director of Advisory and Innovation within TRC's Advanced Energy (AE) business segment where he works with leaders across the organization and with partners and clients to strategically advance best-in-class integrated solutions to complex energy and business challenges. His work is focused on the nexus of energy and environmental innovation and the emergent sustainable economy, marked by solutions which are decarbonized, digital, decentralized, and which also embody social impact, environmental justice, and economic equity at their foundation.As the founder of Convergence Mitigation Management (CMM), a high-impact business intelligence, strategy, and management consultancy, Mr. Coleman provides custom advisory services to entrepreneurs, small and medium sized businesses, government, applied research, and non-governmental organizations.In July 2025 Mr. Coleman published his 4th book, Planet Pragmatism: The New Path to Prosperity. Mark currently serves as a Board Member of Ecology Prime, a global platform catalyzing ecologic education, outreach, and communications. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Cayuga Community College and as an adjunct instructor of Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprise at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University where he teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in Sustainable Enterprise. Mr. Coleman resides in the Finger Lakes region of New York with his wife and two sons. Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MuSupport the showThanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

All links and images can be found on CISO Series. Check out this post by Kevin Paige, CISO at ConductorOne, for the discussion that is the basis of our conversation on this week's episode co-hosted by David Spark, the producer of CISO Series, and Edward Contreras, senior evp and CISO, Frost Bank. Joining them is Julie Tsai, CISO-in-Residence, Ballistic Ventures. In this episode: Is least privilege dead? Modern tactics, timeless principle Implementation over ideology Pragmatism over purity Huge thanks to our sponsor, Cyera AI is moving fast - can your security keep up? Join the leaders shaping the future of data and AI security at DataSecAI Conference 2025, hosted by Cyera, Nov 12–13 in Dallas. Register now at https://datasecai2025.com/did.

We are so excited to bring you this episode, which draws on some brilliant writing by Jonah Platt about why we should work to keep on bringing out what is 'implicit' inside us into the world of relationship - making it 'explicit'. In this conversation we tackle the world head on, from the most intimate relationships to the largest scale challenges facing us societally and politically, and we wonder together about the maturity, generosity and boldness it takes for us humans to keep talking and listening to one another. And we talk together about pragmatism - doing what it takes to improve things, rather than falling into trying to avoid certain feelings, or keeping ourselves in familiar territory, or trying to keep things too safe. It's a bold, warm, playful and important conversation - and we are very glad to share it with you. This week's conversation is hosted, as always, by Lizzie Winn and Justin Wise of Thirdspace. Episode Overview 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 05:30 The Importance of Making the Implicit Explicit 10:28 Exploring Resistance to Explicit Communication 15:26 The Role of Patience and Slowing Down 20:09 Navigating Complexity in Relationships 25:22 The Pragmatism of Explicit Communication 30:14 The Risk and Creativity of Sharing Implicit Thoughts Making the Implicit Explicit To achieve clearly understood communication in our relationships, personal, professional, casual, romantic, online, every level of life, it is critical that we remind ourselves to make the implicit explicit. That's the idea. Whatever we assume to be obvious, be it our emotional state, the purpose of an event, or the location of a stapler, we must teach ourselves to assume that it actually is not, and therefore must be stated out loud if we are to be understood.  Why is this important to do? Because the literal opposite is true. What is most obvious to us is generally not obvious to other people, and in fact, they are often making a totally different and wrong assumption than the one you also wrongly assume they are making.  Why does this happen? Well, there are several cognitive biases at work here… Primarily, there's what's called the curse of knowledge. Once we know something, it becomes difficult to imagine what it's like not to know it, so we overestimate how obvious our thoughts or intentions or explanations will be to others.  There's the closely related illusion of transparency, where we overestimate how clearly our internal states, our emotions, thoughts, our sense of morality are visible to others. They're not.  And last, naïve realism, where we assume our perceptions of reality of what's obvious about the world are shared by all. These misalignments happen constantly in our interpersonal lives, and they lead to resentment, misunderstanding, conflict, and harm.  I think at times there are also certain common resistances to being explicit. One… is a sense of, "Well, if you really loved me, you would already know this about me," which is an understandable way to feel, but is really… a failure to communicate.  Another may be a sense of self-respect or maybe self-preservation that warps into a kind of peremptory and self-defeating resentment. "Why should I have to make something explicit just to give you an understanding about me you haven't bothered to ask for?" And the answer to that is, if a greater understanding would be a positive outcome, however it's arrived at, why not just take responsibility to ensure it arrives?  There's also, and I think this is the one that has most prevented me from making the implicit explicit as it pertains to my views on certain public issues, is the sense of not wanting to play the game, of not wanting to debase myself in order to pass somebody's morality test. And also the question of, what does this really change? …  And yet… if playing the game and taking the test opens a door to greater understanding, a door through which perhaps more understanding can then travel through that otherwise might have remained closed, that may in fact be change enough to make the enterprise worthwhile…  So if you've got questions for someone in your life, ask them. Expect that they have questions for you too. Preempt them. Make the implicit explicit. Talk to each other. Talk to each other.  Jonah Platt from ‘Making the Implicit Explicit'  Episode 44 of Jonah's podcast ‘Being Jewish with Jonah Platt' Photo by Priscilla Du Preez

Keywords: entrepreneurship, education, mentorship, customer service, business lessons, faith, science, COVID-19, compassion, organization, time management, organization, business planning, marketing strategies, partnerships, customer relationships, employee empowerment, pricing strategies, mentorship Summary: In this engaging conversation, Mitch Beinhaker and Bryan Wetzel explore a wide range of topics, from Bryan's unique career journey in the fields of photography, production, and entrepreneurship, to his insights on the education system and the importance of mentorship. They discuss the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the significance of compassion in customer service, and the value of organization through lists. Bryan shares his experiences and lessons learned, emphasizing the need for understanding and support in both business and personal interactions. In this conversation, Mitch Beinhaker and Bryan Wetzel discuss various aspects of running a successful business, emphasizing the importance of effective time management, organization, and planning. They explore the necessity of having a solid business plan, the balance between passion and practicality in business decisions, and the significance of marketing strategies. The discussion also covers the dynamics of partnerships, customer relationships, employee empowerment, and the importance of valuing one's business and setting appropriate pricing strategies. Finally, they highlight the role of mentorship in guiding business development and success. Takeaways Mitch emphasizes the importance of supporting the show. Bryan shares his journey from Georgia to New York and back. He discusses his experience with 3D technology and its challenges. Bryan highlights the alarming issues in the education system. He talks about his books and the insights gained from interviews. Bryan reflects on the importance of mentorship in business. He shares lessons learned from customer service experiences. Bryan discusses the impact of COVID-19 on his businesses. He emphasizes the need for compassion in customer interactions. Bryan advocates for the use of lists to stay organized. Using technology can save significant time in scheduling. Organization reduces anxiety and increases efficiency. A solid business plan is essential for success. Passion for a business should not cloud judgment. Marketing is crucial for attracting customers. Understanding partnership dynamics is key to success. Customer service can make or break a business. Empowering employees leads to better outcomes. Pricing strategies must reflect the value of the service. Mentorship can provide valuable guidance in business.  Titles From 3D Technology to Entrepreneurship: Bryan's Journey Navigating the Education System: Insights from Bryan Wetzel Sound Bites "People can be complicated." "You got to use the system." "You need a manager." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:57 Journey into Production and Entrepreneurship 06:02 Exploring Education and Writing Books 08:55 The Importance of Mentorship 12:08 Customer Relations and Business Ethics 14:59 Navigating Challenges in Business 17:55 Compassion in Customer Service 24:26 The Importance of Mentorship in Business 26:52 Overcoming Fear and Asking for Help 28:05 The Role of Organization in Business Success 31:49 The Power of Lists and Planning 38:48 The Necessity of a Business Plan 41:45 Balancing Passion and Pragmatism in Business 42:57 Breaking Up with Your Business 44:45 Marketing Strategies for Survival 45:54 The Importance of Partnerships 47:58 Navigating Business Relationships 50:36 Customer Service and Reputation Management 52:40 Empowering Employees and Avoiding Burnout 54:28 Valuing Your Business and Pricing Strategies 58:35 The Role of Mentorship in Business Success  

Thomas shares something Arlo loves doing and has declared he'd like to do for a career and the dads dig into helping our kids navigate the choice between pursuing a passion or seeking stability. Stick around for the story at the end if you want to hear Eli's newest sadness earworm! Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearolddads For comments, email thedads@dearolddads.com

The leftist podcast about Steven Soderbergh movies has finally arrived at CHE, Soderbergh's two-part biopic of (Argentine) Cuban Revolutionary hero Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Joining us to provide the kind of deep historical context you know we go crazy for is historian of Cuba and scholar of Latin American and Caribbean history Andrés Pertierra! We have never read more in preparation for an episode, folks, so we hope you dig this one as much as we did. Hasta la victoria siempre, amigos. Further Reading (direct from Andrés!): Anderson, John Lee. Che: A Revolutionary Life. Grove, 1997. "The Cuban Exodus" by Andrés Pertierra The great (Pulitzer Prize!) winning intro text:   Ferrer, Ada. Cuba: An American History. Scribner, 2021.   Some relevant books on Cuban Revolution and other countries:   Gleijeses, Piero. Conflicting Missions: Havana, Washington, and Africa, 1959-1976. University of North Carolina Press, 2002.   Schoultz, Lars. That Infernal Little Cuban Republic: The United States and the Cuban Revolution. University of North Carolina Press, 2009.   Yordanov, Radoslav. Our Comrades in Havana: Cuba, the Soviet Union, & Eastern Europe, 1959-1991. Cold War International History Project. Stanford University Press, 2024.   Key texts for context on what's happening internally:   Guerra, Lillian. Visions of Power in Cuba: Revolution, Redemption, and Resistance, 1959-1971. University of North Carolina Press, 2012.   Mesa-Lago, Carmelo. Cuba in the 1970s: Pragmatism and Institutionalization. University of New Mexico Press, 1978. Further Viewing (shout out to Andrés for these, too!): THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (Salles, 2004) CONDUCTA IMPROPRIA (Almendros & Jiménez Leal, 1984) CHE and the Digital Cinema Revolution! Soderbergh getting heckled at Q&A FRESA Y CHOCOLATE (Gutiérrez Alea & Carlos Tabío, 1984) END OF A REVOLUTION (Moser, 1967)   Follow Andrés: https://x.com/ASPertierra https://bsky.app/profile/andrespertierra.bsky.social https://originesacubanhistorypodcast.libsyn.com/ Follow Pod Casty For Me: https://www.podcastyforme.com/ https://twitter.com/podcastyforme https://www.instagram.com/podcastyforme/ https://www.youtube.com/@podcastyforme Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PodCastyForMe Artwork by Jeremy Allison: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyallisonart      

Those tricky next steps. Dear Cheap Astronomy – Could war get us into space? There's been a long-running dialogue here at Cheap Astronomy about what economic drivers might transform us into a proper spacefaring species with Moon bases, Mars bases and all that. And well, its been hard to think what economic drivers really might work. Space is hard and it's also darned expensive. Tourism could be a driver, after all there has been a bit of millionaire tourism happening, mostly just flights above the atmosphere.   Dear Cheap Astronomy – What is new space? You may have heard people talk about – old space and new space. Old space is like NASA pouring billions into the slow plodding development of huge one-off projects like the Space Launch System and the James Webb Space Telescope where they operate with extreme risk aversion, absolutely determined that absolutely nothing must go wrong. New space is like Space X, where they quickly launch prototypes and when those prototypes blow up they have the data to explain why so the next ones don't have that flaw and if they blow up then they get rid of those flaws as well, and so on.   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

Why do we keep losing? Because we surrender the principle, dilute the language, and comfort our consciences with body bags and disposal kits. Abolition says: apply the same laws that protect born people to the unborn—no partiality. Bradley Pierce joins us to walk through the theology, the numbers, and the needed courage to love both mother and child with justice and truth.

Realignment Newsletter: https://therealignment.substack.com/Realignment Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail the Show: realignmentpod@gmail.comDoug Most, author of Launching Liberty: The Epic Race to Build the Ships That Took America to War, joins The Realignment. Marshall and Doug discuss the untold story of the construction of Liberty Ships, the massive cargo vessels that carried tanks, jeeps, food, and ammunition to allied forces in World War II. The conversation explores the parallels between World War II problem-solving and contemporary debates about infrastructure, industrial policy, and the private sector's role in government, the importance of bringing a "problem-solving" approach to government, and how the pragmatic choice of emphasizing "ugly duckling" ships over Hitler's obsession with engineering marvels made all the difference.