PEL Presents NEM#135: Peter Milton Walsh (The Apartments): No Assembly-Line Recording
Peter started The Apartments in Australia in the late '70s and has been its only consistent member. After releasing his first full album in 1985 and being featured on a John Hughes soundtrack, he released four lush, moody albums in the '90s but then retired when family tragedy struck (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/07/the-apartments-albums-birth-so-traumatic-its-a-miracle-it-exists-...
57m Nov 06, 2020
57m
PEL Presents PMP#67: Borat Pod Show! Very Nice! With Aaron David Gleason
Mark, Erica, Brian, and musician/actor Aaron (https://www.aarondavidgleason.com/) consider the comedy of Sacha Baron Cohen, especially Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (https://www.amazon.com/Borat-Subsequent-Moviefilm-Sacha-Baron/dp/B08K3SDZJ9) , where his co-stars are unwitting dupes and embarrassment is served in large helpings. We talk through the ethical and political issues, why Cohen's target...
42m Nov 04, 2020
42m
PREVIEW-Ep. 255: Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" (Part Two)
If you'd like to hear more of the discussion on Sun Tzu that we started in part one (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2020/10/26/ep255-1-sun-tzu/) , you'll need to go sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support. Here are some exchanges from part two (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2020/10/26/ep255-2-sun-tzu-citizen/) , where we continue with Brian Wilson working through the text, consider...
9m Nov 02, 2020
9m
PEL Presents PMP#66: Scary Movies w/ Nathan Shelton
What scares us? Why do people enjoy being scared by films? Are there good horror movies that aren't scary and scary films that are still bad? Mark, Erica, Brian are joined by actor/special effects-guy Nathan Shelton (https://www.nathanshelton.com/) (who runs the Frightmare Theatre Podcast (https://www.frightmaretheatrepodcast.com/) ) to present our picks for what scared us as kids, and we cons...
54m Oct 28, 2020
54m
Ep. 254: Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" (Part One)
On the Chinese military treatise from around the 5th century BCE. How does a philosopher wage war? The best kind of war can be won without fighting. The general qua Taoist sage never moves until circumstances are optimal. We talk virtue ethics and practical strategy; how well can Sunzi's advice be applied to non-martial pursuits? With guest Brian Wilson (http://combatandclassics.org/) . Part ...
51m Oct 26, 2020
51m
PEL Presents PMP#65: Cosmic Satire w/ "Bill & Ted" Writer Chris Matheson
Chris Matheson (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0558533/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1) has written many comic movies and has converted religious texts into funnier books, most recently with The Buddha's Story (https://amzn.to/3maSC3e) . Mark, Erica, and Brian talk with him about what unifies these projects: Why the big ideas of religion and sci-fi are begging to be made fun of. How does humor relate to fear? W...
45m Oct 21, 2020
45m
PREVIEW-Ep. 254: Michael Sandel Against Meritocracy (Part Two)
Mark, Wes, Dylan and Seth continue the discussion on The Tyranny of Merit to talk further about how social values can and do change, and whether these changes can be engineered in the way that Sandel seems to want. We interviewed Michael Sandel in part one (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2020/10/12/ep-254-1-sandel-meritocracy/) . To hear this second part (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2...
11m Oct 19, 2020
11m
Ep. 254: Michael Sandel Interview: Against Meritocracy (Part One)
On The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good? (2020). Do people get the wealth and status they deserve? And if they did, would that be good? Michael critiques the meritocracy: It's not actually fair, leaves most people feeling humiliated, and makes those on the top arrogant and disconnected. The commitment to meritocracy is shared by both political parties and helps explain our cu...
1hr 7m Oct 12, 2020
1hr 7m
PEL Presents NEM#133: Jon Hassell (and Rick Cox): Fourth World Improvisation
Jon started playing trumpet with composers like Terry Riley and La Monte Young in the late 60s, has since guested with Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Ani DiFranco, Ry Cooder, et al, and has released 18 solo albums since 1977. We discuss "Unknown Wish" from Seeing Through Sound: Pentimento Volume 2 (https://amzn.to/2GK6C51) (2020), "Manga Scene" from Listening to Pictures: Pentimento Volume 1 (h...
1hr 9m Oct 10, 2020
1hr 9m
PEL Presents (sub)Text: Worrying about the Future in Mike Nichols' “The Graduate”
Benjamin Braddock is a little worried about his future. He’s a recent college graduate who moves back in with his upper-middle-class parents and feels smothered by their vapid, materialistic lifestyle. But he begins an affair with a woman from his parents’ circle… And then he falls in love with her daughter. Like Benjamin, we wonder what the future can and should hold for us. Can it be free of ...
1hr 21m Oct 09, 2020
1hr 21m
PEL Presents NEM#134: Laraaji’s Free Association Meditations
Jazz multi-instrumentalist Edward Larry Gordon Jr. became Laraaji around the same time he started releasing meditative zither music in the late 70s and was then discovered by Brian Eno, who produced our intro, "The Dance No. 1" from  Ambient 3: Day of Radiance (https://amzn.to/2J1g056) (1980). Laraaji has since had around 40 releases of largely improvised music. We discuss "Hold on to the Visi...
54m Oct 07, 2020
54m
PEL Presents PMP#63: Superhero Ethics (and The Boys) w/ Travis Smith
Travis joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss our seemingly endless appetite for super-hero stories. His new book matches up heroes like Batman vs. Spider-Man for ethical comparison: What philosophy should govern the way we try to do good in the world? Also, The Boys, which assumes in the tradition of Watchmen that folks who wield that kind of power probably have something seriously wrong wit...
45m Oct 06, 2020
45m
PREVIEW-Ep. 253: Leibniz on the Problem of Evil (Part Two)
If you'd like to hear more of the discussion on Gottfried Leibniz’s Theodicy that we started in part one (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2020/09/28/ep253-1-leibniz-theodicy/) , you'll need to go sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support. This is just a few tantalizing snippets from part two (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2020/09/28/ep-253-2-leibniz-theodicy-citizen/) , wherein we tal...
7m Oct 05, 2020
7m
Ep. 253: Leibniz on the Problem of Evil (Part One)
On Gottfried Leibniz’s Theodicy (1710). Why does God allow so many bad things to happen? Leibniz thought that by the definition of God, whatever He created must be the best of all possible worlds, and his theodicy presents numerous arguments to try to make that not so counter-intuitive given how less-than-perfect the world seems to us. Part two of this episode is only going to be available to...
50m Sep 28, 2020
50m
PEL Presents (sub)Text: Slouching Towards Bethlehem in W.B. Yeats’ “The Second Coming”: Part 2
Wes and Erin continue their discussion of W.B. Yeats’ "The Second Coming." In Part 1, they analyzed the first stanza of the poem, in particular Yeats' use of "gyre"; the meaning of the phrases "things fall apart" and "the center cannot hold"; and the conflict between aristocratic and revolutionary values. In Part 2, they discuss -- with a little help from Nietzsche -- the anti-redemption of the...
43m Sep 27, 2020
43m
PEL Presents NEM#132: Chris Frantz Looks Back on Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club
On the publication of his memoir, Remain in Love (https://amzn.to/36kWme7) , Chris and your host Mark Linsenmayer discuss "Psycho Killer" and "Warning Signs" by Talking Heads from Talking Heads '77 (https://amzn.to/3kHFKAW) and More Songs About Buildings and Food (https://amzn.to/308x6DS) (1978), plus "Bamboo Town" and "Who Feelin' It?" by Tom Tom Club from Close to the Bone (https://amzn.to/33...
1hr 2m Sep 25, 2020
1hr 2m
PEL Presents (sub)Text: Things Fall Apart in W.B. Yeats’ “The Second Coming”: Part 1
In 1919, the world seemed to have descended into anarchy. World War I had killed millions and profoundly altered the international order. Four empires, along with their aristocracies, had disintegrated. Russia was in a state of civil war, and Ireland was on the verge of its own. It’s these events that helped inspire William Butler Yeats’ poem “The Second Coming,” which famously tells us that “t...
36m Sep 25, 2020
36m
PEL Presents Pretty Much Pop #61: Philosophy of Photography w/ Amir Zaki
Amir the photographic artist and prof (see amirzaki.net (http://www.amirzaki.net/) ) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to consider decision making in picture taking, how our purposes for photography have changed with the advent of new technologies, iconic images, witnessing vs. intervening, capturing the particular vs. the universal, and more. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop...
50m Sep 24, 2020
50m
PEL Special: Nightcap Late September 2020
We're releasing JUST THIS ONE Nightcap to the wider public so induce you all to go support us (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/support) and so gain the ability to hear these free-wheeling, feeling-sharing, email-reading fiestas between every regular episode. This time we gripe about Habermas and reflect on what secondary sources we use. We consider whether to have an episode on anarchism and...
23m Sep 21, 2020
23m
PREVIEW-Ep. 252: Habermas on Communication as Sociality (Part Two)
If you'd like to hear more of the discussion on Jürgen Habermas' "Actions, Speech Acts, Linguistically Mediated Interactions, and the Lifeworld" (1998) that we started in part one (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2020/09/14/ep-252-1-habermas/) , you'll need to go sign up at partiallyexaminedlife.com/support. We're just sharing a few minutes of part two here to get you all hot and bothered. Y...
5m Sep 21, 2020
5m
PEL Presents PMP#60: Manga 101 w/ Deborah Shamoon
Mark, Erica and Brian (all manga noobs) are joined by Japanese Studies prof. Deborah Shamoon (https://profile.nus.edu.sg/fass/jpssdm/) to talk about barriers for Americans to appreciate manga, different manga types (Deborah works on shojo manga, i.e. for girls), Osamu Tezuka (the "god of comics" who created Astro Boy et al), classic vs. new manga, gender portrayals, and more. For more, visit p...
49m Sep 16, 2020
49m
Ep. 252: Habermas on Communication as Sociality (Part One)
On Jürgen Habermas' "Actions, Speech Acts, Linguistically Mediated Interactions, and the Lifeworld" (1998), with guest John Foster (https://athousandtrivialities.com/) . What's the relation between individuals and society? Habermas says that language has ethics built right into it: I'm trying to get you to agree with me, to engage in a cooperative enterprise of mutual understanding. Part two ...
55m Sep 14, 2020
55m
PEL Presents NEM#131: Ward White Audited
Ward has issued about ten releases of lyric-driven, stylish pop since 2003. We discuss the title track from Leonard at the Audit (https://amzn.to/3min4cH) (2020), "Titans" from Diminish (https://amzn.to/33tIniX) (2018), and the title track from Pulling Out (https://amzn.to/32sZYIq) (2008). Intro: "Sabbath" from Ward White Is the Matador (https://amzn.to/2ZzFI68) (2014). End: "Bubble and Squeak,...
1hr 3m Sep 14, 2020
1hr 3m
PEL Presents (sub)Text: Filial Ingratitude in in Shakespeare’s "King Lear"
Do we owe parents our gratitude for our upbringing? What if they haven’t done such a great job? And anyway, perhaps we inevitably resent all the forces that have shaped the characters that confine and limit us. If so, the quest for filial gratitude is ultimately hopeless. It could even be a kind of madness: a foolish attempt to transcend the same formative forces that we resent in our parents, ...
1hr 26m Sep 13, 2020
1hr 26m
PEL Presents: The “Intelligent Way to Approach Marriage” in Hitchcock’s "Rear Window"
L.B. Jefferies has the perfect girlfriend—beautiful, intelligent, wealthy—but too perfect, he insists, for marriage. And so he spends his time spying on the love lives of his neighbors, and ropes his girlfriend into this project as well. Which, strangely enough, turns out to be a really effective form of couples’ therapy. What’s the connection between voyeurism and what Jefferies calls “the int...
1hr 12m Sep 11, 2020
1hr 12m
PEL Presents PMP#59: David Lynch's Popular Surrealism
Mark, Erica, Brian, and guest Mike Wilson discuss the director's films from Eraserhead to Inland Empire plus Twin Peaks and his recent short films. We get into the appeal and hallmarks of his mainstays--Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, and Mulholland Drive--and also consider outliers like Dune, The Elephant Man, and The Straight Story. How many of these films actually make sense, and i...
46m Sep 08, 2020
46m
Ep. 251: Simone Weil's Ideal Society
On "Theoretical Picture of a Free Society" (1934). What's the ideal living situation for us all, given the peculiarities of human nature? Weil describes fulfillment as coming from being able to picture goals and plans and knowingly put them into effect, so social groups need to maximize that power by being small and cooperative. End song: "Libreville" by Bill Bruford, as interviewed for Nakedl...
1hr 15m Sep 07, 2020
1hr 15m
PEL Presents NEM#130: Mark Farner (ex Grand Funk Railroad) Back from the Dead
Mark led Grand Funk Railroad through 13 albums in the 70s and early 80s and has had around eight solo releases. We discuss "Nadean" from For the People (https://amzn.to/3jC0h9B) (2006), "Not Yet" from Some Kind of Wonderful (https://amzn.to/3jC0h9B) (1991), and the title track of Born to Die (https://amzn.to/2EUOT9V) by Grand Funk Railroad. End song: "Take You Out (https://amzn.to/2Gotfvp) ." ...
58m Sep 02, 2020
58m
Ep. 250: Simone Weil on Human Needs (Part Three)
Concluding on "The Needs of the Soul" from The Need for Roots (1943). This time we cover punishment, security, risk, private property, collective property, freedom of opinion, and truth. Start with part one (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2020/08/18/ep250-1-weil-needs/) or get the full, ad-free Citizen Edition (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2020/08/18/ep250-weil-needs-citizen/) . Suppor...
57m Aug 31, 2020
57m
PEL Presents (sub)Text: Expediency and Intimacy in Billy Wilder’s "The Apartment"
You know, it’s that old story of boy meets girl … girl is dating boy’s married boss … girl tries to commit suicide … boy saves girl’s life …. Okay, that sounds pretty dark. But somehow it’s the basis for a classic romantic comedy, Billy Wilder’s 1960 film, The Apartment. The film raises the question of how we distinguish authentic relationships from relationships of utility and convenience. Wha...
57m Aug 30, 2020
57m
PEL Presents (sub)Text: Truth as Beauty in Keats’ Ode on a "Grecian Urn"
The poet John Keats (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Keats) is famous for the concept of “negative capability,” his description of the ability to tolerate the world’s uncertainty without resorting to easy answers. Literary minds in particular should be more attuned to beauty than facts and reason. In fact, truth in the highest sense is the same thing as beauty, he tells us at the end of his ...
1hr 8m Aug 28, 2020
1hr 8m
PEL Presents PMP#58: "TAYLOR SWIFT RULES!" (Conversation with a Swiftie)
Prompted by the release of new album Folklore (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folklore_(Taylor_Swift_album)) and the 2020 documentary Miss Americana (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/30/movies/taylor-swift-miss-americana-review.html) , Mark, Erica, and Brian speak with Amber Padgett about her love of Taylor, ranking the albums, why the hate, weird levels of fan engagement, double standards for fe...
48m Aug 26, 2020
48m
Ep. 250: Simone Weil on Human Needs (Part Two)
Continuing on "The Needs of the Soul" from The Need for Roots (1943). We got started in part one (https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2020/08/18/ep250-1-weil-needs/) with our need for order, and in this part we add liberty, obedience, responsibility, equality, hierarchy, and honor. We'll conclude with part 3, covering freedom of speech, punishment and more, but you needn't wait: Get the full, ad...
54m Aug 24, 2020
54m
PEL Presents (sub)Text: Love and Wit in Shakespeare’s "Much Ado About Nothing"
At the center of every courting ritual, there’s a great unknown. How do we know when we’ve met someone we can love? How do we know the other person is actually who they seem to be? In the beginning, all we have to go on is surface appearances, which amount to a kind of hearsay. The question is how to get beyond them. Wes and Erin discuss Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, which seems to sugg...
1hr 30m Aug 21, 2020
1hr 30m
PEL Presents PMP#57: Back to the Damn Arena - The Hunger Games Prequel
Remember when The Hunger Games was everywhere? Suzanne Collins returns to Just War Theory lessons with the prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Mark, Erica, and Brian review the new book and look back on the YA novel/film franchise. Does the work critique yet glorify violence at the same time? Will the film version of the new novel be our next Phantom Menace? For more, visit prettymuch...
44m Aug 18, 2020
44m
Ep. 250: Simone Weil on Human Needs (Part One)
On "The Needs of the Soul" from The Need for Roots (1943) On and "Meditation on Obedience and Liberty" (1937). What are our needs that should then drive what kind of society would be best for us? Weil says we need liberty yet obedience, equality yet hierarchy, security yet risk... and none of these words mean quite what you'd think. And to start off, why do the many obey the few? Sponsors: Ge...
53m Aug 17, 2020
53m
PEL Presents (sub)Text: Mastery and Repetition in "Groundhog Day"
When egotistical weatherman Phil Connors gets trapped in a time loop in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, he gets drunk, steals money, manipulates women, binges on breakfast food, plays God… and finally grows up. The story charts Phil’s development over the course of thousands of repeated February 2nds. Along the way, it raises questions about our own capacity for growth. How do we go about improving...
1hr 1m Aug 15, 2020
1hr 1m
PEL Presents NEM#128: Roger Joseph Manning Jr.'s Crazy Fun with Arrangements
Roger rose to fame as keyboardist/songwriter for Jellyfish in the early '90s, then formed Imperial Drag, The Moog Cookbook, TV Eyes, backed Beck, and finally released two albums under his own name starting in 2006. He's recently released a solo EP and one with The Likerish Quartet that reunites him with some other members of Jellyfish. We discuss "Lighthouse Spaceship" by The Lickerish Quartet...
1hr 29m Aug 14, 2020
1hr 29m
PEL Presents (sub)Text #1: Marital Economics in Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice"
An advantageous marriage is Elizabeth Bennet’s only potential escape from a foolish mother, a disinterested father, three very silly sisters, and a house that’s entailed away to her idiotic cousin Mr. Collins. But she turns down fabulously wealthy Mr. Darcy because he’s prideful—and maybe a little prejudiced. But then, so is she. How do we know if two people are well-suited to each other? What ...
1hr 21m Aug 13, 2020
1hr 21m
PEL Presents PMP#56: Black + Nerd = BLERD w/ Anthony LeBlanc
The Interim Executive Producer of The Second City (https://www.secondcity.com/people/other/anthony-leblanc/) joins Mark, Erica, and Brian to discuss the scope of black nerd-dom: what nerdy properties provide to those who feel "othered," using sci-fi to talk about race, Black Panther, afrofuturism, black anime fans, Star Trek, Key & Peele, Get Out vs. Us, and more. For more, visit prettymuchpop...
51m Aug 11, 2020
51m
Ep. 249: Dewey on Education and Thought (Part Two)
Continuing on John Dewey's Democracy and Education (1916) ch. 1, 2, 4, and 24 with guest Jonathan Haber (http://degreeoffreedom.org/welcome-partially-examined-life-listeners/) . How is education different than mere conditioning, and how does it relate to habits and growth? We discuss how much of what Dewey recommends lines up with liberal education and multiculturalism. Also, can education cha...
1hr 12m Aug 10, 2020
1hr 12m
PEL Presents PMP#55: Food as Pop w/ Thi Nguyen
Mark, Erica, and Brian are joined by Utah philosophy prof and former food writer C. Thi Nguyen (https://philpeople.org/profiles/c-thi-nguyen) to talk food as art, foodies, elitism, food TV, cooking vs. eating, and how analyzing food is like analyzing games. For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop.com/) . Hear bonus content for this episode at https://www.patreon.com/prettymuchpop.
46m Aug 05, 2020
46m
PEL Presents NEM#127: KatieJane Garside Is an Impulse of Chance
KatieJane gained fame fronting British grunge band Daisy Chainsaw, left after their first full album but resumed the project under the name Queenadreena for four albums in the '00s, then partnered with Chris Whittingham in 2007 to live on a boat and play as the stripped-down Ruby Throat for four albums. That band has now become loud again and been re-christened Liar, Flower. We discuss "My Bra...
1hr Aug 02, 2020
1hr
Ep. 249: Dewey on Education and Thought (Part One)
http://partiallyexaminedlife.com
52m Aug 02, 2020
52m
PEL Presents PMP#54: The Genius(?) of Rick and Morty
Mark, Erica, and Brian address critically acclaimed Adult Swim show (https://www.adultswim.com/videos/rick-and-morty) . What kind of humor is it? Can we take the sci-fi and family drama elements seriously? How smart are the show and its fans? Is Rick a super hero, or Dr. Who? What will this serialized sit-com look like in longevity? For more, visit prettymuchpop.com (http://prettymuchpop.com/)...
47m Jul 29, 2020
47m
Ep. 248: Racism and Policing (Al-Saji, Merleau-Ponty, et al) (Part Two)
Continuing on Alia Al-Saji’s “A Phenomenology of Hesitation” (2014) and other things with guest Phil Hopkins (https://www.southwestern.edu/live/profiles/25831-phil-hopkins) .  Can we restructure our (and the police's) reactions and live with each other? We further explore the psychology of habit and Al-Saji's notion of hesitation. How does it compare to other types of heistation recommended by...
1hr 11m Jul 27, 2020
1hr 11m
PEL Presents PMP#53: The Hamilton Phenomenon w/ Sam Simahk
Erica, Mark, and Brian are joined by Broadway actor Sam (http://www.sam-simahk.com/) to discuss this unique convergence of musical theater, rap, and historical drama. Does Hamilton deserve its accolades? We cover the re-emergence of stage music as pop music, live vs. filmed vs. film-adapted musicals, creators starring in their shows, race-inclusive casting, and the politics surrounding the sho...
52m Jul 22, 2020
52m
Ep. 248: Racism and Policing (Al-Saji, Merleau-Ponty, et al) (Part One)
On Alia Al-Saji’s “A Phenomenology of Hesitation” (2014) bits of Maurice Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Perception (1945) and Linda Martín Alcoff’s Visible Identities (2006), plus Alex Vitale's The End of Policing (2017). Is there sub-conscious racism, and how might we root it out and fix our policing problems? Ex-cop Phil Hopkins (https://www.southwestern.edu/live/profiles/25831-phil-hopkin...
52m Jul 20, 2020
52m
NEM#126: Jim Peterik Eyes Much More Than the Tiger
Jim has released 30+ albums since 1964 with Ides of March, Survivor, Pride of Lions, et al. Intro: His biggest hits, the title tracks of Vehicle (https://amzn.to/2CqWY5d) (1970) and The Eye of the Tiger (https://amzn.to/2WuZka7) (1983). We discuss his new solo single "Empty Arena (https://amzn.to/2WxNSui) " and two Ides of March tunes, "Friends Like You" from Play On (2019) feat. Mindi Abair a...
1hr 13m Jul 18, 2020
1hr 13m
PEL Presents: PMP#52: The Twilight Zone from Serling to Peele
Something's strange... Is it a dream? If it's a morality tale with a twist ending, you're probably in the Twilight Zone. Brian, Erica, Mark, and guest Ken Gerber are in it this week, discussing the thrice revived TV series. Does the 1959-1963 show hold up? What makes for a good TZ episode, and does Jordan Peele's latest iteration capture the spirit? We talk about episodes new and old, the 1983...
55m Jul 14, 2020
55m