Episode 55: Weaving Threads From Carved Chunks

Play Now!

People should talk to each other. That way, information flows from person to person, and eventually, perhaps someone says something that finally penetrates the thick skull of the listener, which leads the listener, perhaps someone like myself, to realize something very, very important.

In this Episode 55: Weaving Threads From Carved Chunks, listener L33tminion provided a bit of a progress report on a technology I covered in Episode 53: The Fails of Past Futures. This update penetrated my obstinate nature enough for me to realize something I had kept comfortably buried in a thick swaddle of denial for years, even after people have been telling me about it for about forever.

In this episode, I read once again from John Maynard Keynes' "Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren," as far as I know the original source of the term "economic unemployment;" from a couple of Wikipedia entries, one on Thomas Savery, the other on William Lee's stocking frame; from William Rosen's The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention (Random House, 2010); and from William Gibson's The Peripheral (Berkely, 2014). I play Jazzhar's "Reflections," and open the show with Tim Bousquet and KMFDM.

NB: With all the content penned by people named William, I inadvertently added another, misspeaking Thomas Savery's first name as another William. I regret the error.

Episode 54: Formatting Fear, The Knox Formula

Play Now!

This just in: Boo! Should you be afraid? Stay tuned.

Yes, news tries to suck the viewer in. It's the stuff of stand-up and parody everywhere. But is it such a good idea to try to frighten people when they just need to know the basic news of the day? What possible reason could they have for such silliness? I explore that question in this Episode 54: Formatting Fear, The Knox Formula, where I call as evidence probably the most remembered broadcast that led to a panic, the 1938 Mercury Theater's rendition of The War of the Worlds.

In this episode, you will indeed hear quite a bit of that recording, along with newspaper accounts of what happened the very next day. I also read from a Rolling Stone article by Matt Taibbi concerning news that tries to frighten.

Musically, you will hear bits of Ramon Roquello and his Orchestra, and Full Load of King doing "Gray Walk Oblivion Part 1." KMFDM opens the show with then Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, Bernie Sanders, and Mistle Thrush once again closes with the end to "It's All Like Today."