Semi-Intellectual Musings

On the things that Matt & Phil enjoy: the long lunch during a round of golf, classic SNES games, poutine and late night walks that include other podcasts talking about the show. Matt’s baby can recognize faces, so she’ll quickly figure out what the fed-up face from buying diapers from Walmart is. Bye-Bye Markov and hello to hockey talk. Afterall, it is already the end of July.  

Generations & Kinship Ties (15:35)

The concept of generations has provided a convenient way to group people together. Which generation do you fall in and, what happens if you don’t feel like you fit with the rest of the group? We explore the social and cultural contours of the concept and take aim at making it feel strange. Who says generations also says family, so we take the opportunity to explore the ins and outs of kinship.

Suggested Reading

• Dan Woodman on the xennial generation: http://www.mamamia.com.au/xennial-generation/ & http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/06/28/xennials_a_23006562/
• Generational theory from Strauss & Howe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory#Works
• On the Sixtiers generation from Russia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixtiers
• Herbert Spencer on kinship: http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/spencer-the-principles-of-sociology-3-vols-1898

Recommendations (56:28)

• Matt recommends Mao: The Untold Story by Jung Chang & Jon Halliday (2006, Anchor Books)
• Phil recommends white clover seed from Gloco.

Concluding thought: "The other night I ate at a real nice family restaurent. Every table had an argument going" -George Carlin 

Check out @JuiceInTheAM @NerdWithWords1 and follow #PodernFamily and #Podmosphere for the best in podcasts.

Want to join the “IMDB for podcasts”? Find new shows, rate the shows you love and do what the cool kids do. Use promo code SIMPOD for your exclusive beta account at podchaser.com today. For news & beta updates: @Podchaser

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Follow Semi-Intellectual Musings on Twitter: @The_SIM_Pod and on Facebook @thesimpod Email Matt & Phil: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: https://thesim.podbean.com/feed/ iTunes: https://goo.gl/gkAb6V Stitcher: https://goo.gl/PfiVWJ GooglePlay: https://goo.gl/uFszFq Corrections & Additions webpage: http://thesim.podbean.com/p/corrections-additional-stuff/ Please leave us a rating and a review, it really helps the show!   Music: Song "Soul Challenger" appearing on "Cullahnary School" by Cullah Available at: http://www.cullah.com Under CC BY SA license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Guess who’s back? Back to podcast....it’s Matt! Matt is back from newborn lalaland and ready to talk with us about the journey so far. He reveals the name of his newborn and sheds a few tears. He brought along a couple tunes and some kind of journal that gets Phil talking about poop.  

Social Science Fiction & Twin Peaks (25:27)

The sub-genre of social science fiction can be considered alive and well since at least the 1700’s. We sketch out the speculative genre, pointing to a few classic examples before asking if Twin Peaks could be considered social science fiction. Would it change how we understand (or not understand) what’s going on in the 90’s classic TV show? Time, space, liminal places, gender, murder & ghosts. This episode will be sure to raise the hairs on your arms and a few eyebrows too. For an academic introduction to the study of genre, check out Neil Gerlach & Sheryl N. Hamilton's Introduction: A History of Social Science Fiction in Science Fiction Studies, 2003, Vol.30(2).

Recommendations (1:11:00)

• Matt recommends The Bill Simmons Podcast & Reveal Podcast
• Phil recommends Urban Beard beard oils & soaps.

Check out @JuiceInTheAM @nudging30cast @ThisIsItPod and follow #PodernFamily and #Podmosphere for the best in podcasts.

Want to join the “IMDB for podcasts”? Find new shows, rate the shows you love and do what the cool kids do. Use promo code SIMPOD for your exclusive beta account at podchaser.com today. For news & beta updates: @Podchaser.

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Follow us on Twitter: @The_SIM_Pod and on Facebook: @thesimpod Email Matt & Phil: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: https://thesim.podbean.com/feed/ iTunes: https://goo.gl/gkAb6V Stitcher: https://goo.gl/PfiVWJ GooglePlay: https://goo.gl/uFszFq Corrections & Additions webpage: http://thesim.podbean.com/p/corrections-additional-stuff/ Please leave us a rating and a review, it really helps the show!   Intro & OPutro music: Song "Soul Challenger" appearing on "Cullahnary School" by Cullah Available at: http://www.cullah.com Under CC BY SA license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Interlude music: “Vincent” appearing on “American Pie” (1971) by Don McLean. “Dream a Little Dream” appearing on “Dream a Little Dream” (1968) by Cass Elliot.

This is the episode overflowing with gratitude and recognition to our amazing listeners and contributors.

Matt and his wife welcomed a very special someone into the world. A baby girl, born in Ottawa, Ontario at 17:55 on Wednesday July 12, 2017, weighing in at 8 lb. 9 oz. The podcast has a new listener now.

We wanted to offer up all of our recommendations, together at last! Give it a listen during those long summer days, your road trips and, most importantly, remember to moisturise.

Check out @JuiceInTheAM and follow #podernfamily and #podmosphere for the best in podcasts.

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Follow us on Twitter: @The_SIM_Pod and on Facebook: @thesimpod Email Matt & Phil: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: https://thesim.podbean.com/feed/ iTunes: https://goo.gl/gkAb6V Stitcher: https://goo.gl/PfiVWJ GooglePlay: https://goo.gl/uFszFq Corrections & Additions webpage: http://thesim.podbean.com/p/corrections-additional-stuff/ Please leave us a rating and a review, it really helps the show!   Music: Song "Soul Challenger" appearing on "Cullahnary School" by Cullah Available at: http://www.cullah.com Under CC BY SA license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

 

 

Mel & Phil had an adventure in Lanark County, Ontario and felt they had to talk about it. Although it rained their whole stay, the B&B they stayed at comes highly recommended. It started to resemble a long advertisment. It wasn’t. Mel & Phil saw some orchids with a visit to the Purdon Conservation Area. They brought down the median age of the site’s visitors. Don’t worry though, they had craft beer with them like the good hipster-millennials they are.

Volunteering & Boots on the Ground (16:27)

Mel is on to talk about volunteering and shed light on some of dynamics of volunteerism. Phil opens the discussion with a short recap of an interview with a chief resilience officer that aired on Green Connections Radio. They explore the contours of ‘boots on the ground’ volunteering and the role that policy plays. Mel connects Canada150for150 Volunteer Challenge to the feel-good marketing tactics to get people involved. They argue that volunteering ends up being about much more mundane, although important, activities that risk being overtaken by ‘point-and-pay’ style of involvement. It’s not entirely critique. The bad and the ugly meet the good as Mel tells us how volunteering has changed her perspective on youth and enabled her to live experiences she didn’t expect. So don’t ghost until you hear her full talk.

We’d love to hear your stories of volunteering - the good, the bad or the ugly. Email us your tale, and we’ll read it on the show if you’re cool with that.

Suggested Reading

• The Rebel Sell: Why The Culture Can’t be Jammed by Joseph Heath & Andrew Potter (Capstone, 2004).
• Pink Ribbons, Inc: Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy by Samantha King (University of Minnesota Press, 2006).
• The Revolution Will Not Be Funded Anthology Edited by INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence (South End Press, 2009).

Recommendations (1:01:20)

• Mel recommends This Savage Song & Our Dark Duet in the Monsters of Verity series, by Victoria Schwab (Greenwillow Books, 2016).
• Phil recommends two beers from Perth Brewery: Easy Amber (5% ABV, 20 IBU) & Hopside IPA (5% ABV, 52 IBU). The IPA may make it to Phil’s top 5 beers of the season.

Concluding thought: Keep keepin’ on.  

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Follow Semi-Intellectual Musings on Twitter: @The_SIM_Pod and on Facebook @thesimpod Email Matt & Phil: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: https://thesim.podbean.com/feed/ iTunes: https://goo.gl/gkAb6V Stitcher: https://goo.gl/PfiVWJ GooglePlay: https://goo.gl/uFszFq Corrections & Additions webpage: http://thesim.podbean.com/p/corrections-additional-stuff/ Please leave us a rating and a review, it really helps the show!   Music: Song "Soul Challenger" appearing on "Cullahnary School" by Cullah Available at: http://www.cullah.com Under CC BY SA license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Aaron is back with Phil to tell us all about The Fatherland. Recorded at Carleton University, where Aaron completed his Master’s and Doctoral work, Phil wonders if he’ll escape these solemn halls or is also destined to roam like the poets. Whatever the outcome, delivery of online orders will probably fail.

Fatherland - Mini-Series Part 3 (13:30)

Aaron connects an aborted essay, the anxiety of parenting and a vision of a fallen soldier to something like an allegiance to ‘The Fatherland’. We ask what the relationships between state power and patriarchal power could be. From the etymology of patriot, which follows the Greek patrios, we explore historical cultural expressions of the patriarch. Aaron points us to The Road (by Cormac McCarthy), The Walking Dead, Mad Max: Fury Road and Mad Men to argue that the characteristics of the mythical patriarch have been questioned and, maybe, undone. If so, Phil wonders about the implications in relation to state formation. Can a politics of state relations be imagined without the image of the patriarch? What does that entail?

Recommendations (1:29:38)

• Aaron recommends The Hobbit (by J.R.R. Tolkien) as a good seasonal read.
• Phil recommends Dennis Molinaro’s An Exceptional Law: Section 98 and The Emergency State, 1919-1936.

Concluding thought: If one finds oneself stuck in a labyrinth, it’s probably for a good reason.

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Follow Semi-Intellectual Musings on Twitter: @The_SIM_Pod and on Facebook @thesimpod Email Matt & Phil: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: https://thesim.podbean.com/feed/ iTunes: https://goo.gl/gkAb6V Stitcher: https://goo.gl/PfiVWJ GooglePlay: https://goo.gl/uFszFq Corrections & Additions webpage: http://thesim.podbean.com/p/corrections-additional-stuff/ Please leave us a rating and a review, it really helps the show!

 

Music: Song "Soul Challenger" appearing on "Cullahnary School" by Cullah Available at: http://www.cullah.com Under CC BY SA license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

In our neck of the woods, the month of June brings the start of warm weather, the end of the school term and the start of BBQ and patio season. It also brings blackflies, heatwaves, a perpetual feeling of regret and sustained anxiety over what to bring or wear to BBQ parties.

But most importantly, this June also brings a bonus epiosode Semi-Intellectual Musings. So snuggle up during a storm or plug in for a long car ride, this bonus episode is a compilation of all our intros to date. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow us on Twitter: @The_SIM_Pod and on Facebook: @thesimpod Email Matt & Phil: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: https://thesim.podbean.com/feed/ iTunes: https://goo.gl/gkAb6V Stitcher: https://goo.gl/PfiVWJ GooglePlay: https://goo.gl/uFszFq Corrections & Additions webpage: http://thesim.podbean.com/p/corrections-additional-stuff/ Please leave us a rating and a review, it really helps the show!   Music: Song "Soul Challenger" appearing on "Cullahnary School" by Cullah Available at: http://www.cullah.com Under CC BY SA license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

 

Phil provides commentary on a bird fight he witnessed between crows, blue jays and little sparrows. Matt admits that he is a sinker who is afraid of zombies. Who knew?

Matt’s Anthropology 101 (14:27)

This episode is a succinct overview of anthropology, the study of human culture. Every anthropologist has their own definition of culture but these definitions change like culture itself. Matt reads the Clifford Geertz ‘Webs of Signification’ definition and then offers his own. The traditional division is between American and Continental (European) Anthropology; AA’s traditionally follow linguist C.S. Peirce (Pragmatic Semiotics) whereas CA’s follow Ferdinand de Saussure (relational binary model: signified-signifier). Phil and Matt have their first little debate.

The early history of anthropology (1860-1920’s) is mired in racism and eugenics. Arm-chair ‘scholars’ would collect cultural artifacts sent to them by ‘field-agents’ and compose racial classification schemes that ranked groups of people around presumed moral-potential based on superficial physical differences. Notable early exceptions were Paul Radin and Edward Sapir. Phil and Matt close out the early history with a brief conversation about the Bureau of American Ethnology and how it both systematized the discipline while also being responsible for rampant cultural appropriation.

Franz Boas and Bronislaw Malinowski are identified as the first modern anthropologists. Both engaged in fieldwork collecting data through participant observation, interviews and other methods like kinship charts, collecting mythologies and material culture. Boas and Malinowski revolutionized the discipline by taking account of cultural ‘difference’ in a non-judgmental ‘scientifically rigorous’ manner, which is called cultural relativism. Boas founded the Four-Field model of American Anthropology and Malinowski codified the ethnographic method of participant observation, cultural dislocation and semi-structured interviews along with the theoretical tradition of structural functionalism and british social anthropology.

Malinowski, like many others, was influenced by Freudian thinking which can be seen in his use of comparative categories in Structural Functionalism. Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead were Boas’ main protégées. Malinowski’s students were E.E. Evans-Pritchard who promoted structural functionalism and Talcott Parsons who both expanded SF and ‘founded’ the influential field of social action theory. Phil thinks we should stop going to ‘other places’ and messing around in people’s cultures is not needed anymore, Matt tries to answer this charge by talking about ‘manufacturing ethnographic distance’ in his concussion research.

Third debate: Claude Levi-Strauss was a french anthropologist who founded the field of structuralism in the 1950’s. He was concerned with mythologies and linguistics (Saussure style) but he took a lot of criticism in the 1980’s over the ‘over-application’ of his theoretical model. Matt lists some of the classic text-book critiques of structuralism while Phil argues that structuralism uses an historical methodology. Matt argues that structuralism is more about relations (act and react for example) and reads a quote from Levi-Strauss’ obituary which was his ‘final word’ to all the critics.

Next Matt speaks about Clifford Geertz. Geertz came from literary studies and as such he was interested in semiotics and linguistics. He helped initiate a ‘return to culture’ (theoretically), a renewed focus on our writing (ethnography) and using ‘thick descriptions’ to show cultural nuance. At the time Geertz was having influence (late 70’s, early 80’s) anthropologists started getting heavily criticized heavily by english and literature departments around how we ‘represent Others’. Writing Culture was the book that was meant to answer these critiques.

Matt finishes off the conversation by name dropping three of his favorites as a way of explaining post-modern approaches in anthropology. Sherry Ortner (1974 and 1984) wrote two great theory papers and has just published a follow up “Theory Since the 1980’s”. Nancy Sheper-Hughes ‘returned to the field’ to account for herself and her ethnography, what we now call ‘ethnographic responsibility’. Renato Rosaldo illustrated the value of emotional-reflexivity as a research method. Phil asks about contemporary and applied anthropology. We finish off with our fourth and best debate about investing agency in non-human actors à la Bruno Latour.

Recommendations (1:32:25)

• Matt recommends a podcast for the chronically ill, Sickboy. Sometimes you need to find humor in pain and this podcast certainly does that!
• Phil recommends Michael Paterniti’s The Telling Room (The Dial Press, 2013) which is a story about cheese, procrastination and Spanish culture.

Concluding thought: Rather than building disciplinary walls, it’s better to jump over them to exchange ideas

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Follow Semi-Intellectual Musings on Twitter: @The_SIM_Pod Email Matt & Phil: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: https://thesim.podbean.com/feed/ iTunes: https://goo.gl/gkAb6V Stitcher: https://goo.gl/PfiVWJ GooglePlay: https://goo.gl/uFszFq Corrections & Additions webpage: http://thesim.podbean.com/p/corrections-additional-stuff/ Please leave us a rating and a review, it really helps the show!   Music: Song "Soul Challenger" appearing on "Cullahnary School" by Cullah Available at: http://www.cullah.com Under CC BY SA license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Aaron is back for the second installment of his mini-series. From patio furniture gone amiss to cross country delivery shenanigans, before getting into the show Phil & Aaron share a few stories of capitalism’s dark corner: online shopping. Maybe problems with shipping are adding to millennials’ tendency of buying less? Suppose these problems don’t quite compared to those on Alone (History Channel). But wait and see what happens when the avocados don’t ship to all those toast fiends.

The Wolf - Mini-Series Part 2 (13:40)

Aaron shares some his postdoctoral research, including the case of Ka-ki-si-kutshin (Swift Runner). While it may remain unclear if Swift Runner did indeed howl “like a wolf”, it is clear that he was the first person to be legally executed in Alberta under Canadian law. Aaron provides an insightful journey into the links between criminality, banishment, state structures and the processes of othering while keeping his focus on the recurring imagery of the wolf. Why do certain criminal behaviours get codified through the wolf? When is the wolf invoked to describe a person? How does the wolf appear in media and popular culture accounts? The hunt produces lots to chew on in this episode. Phil gets to talk about Fargo some more and Aaron uses Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining to set the stage for his next segment in the mini-series: The Fatherland.

Audio clips Played on this episode:

• Fargo (FX Network) - Season 1 Episode 4 “Eating The Blame”
• Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”

Recommendations (1:12:35)

• Aaron recommends the board game Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game (by designers Jonathan Gilmour & Isaac Vega). .
• Phil recommends the Podernfamily podcast community. Find them on Twitter and Facebook at @Podernfamily/#Podernfamily.

Concluding thought: “Now the hungry lion roars, And the wolf behowls the moon”. William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

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Follow Semi-Intellectual Musings on Twitter: @The_SIM_Pod Email Matt & Phil: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: https://thesim.podbean.com/feed/ iTunes: https://goo.gl/gkAb6V Stitcher: https://goo.gl/PfiVWJ GooglePlay: https://goo.gl/uFszFq Corrections & Additions webpage: http://thesim.podbean.com/p/corrections-additional-stuff/ Please leave us a rating and a review, it really helps the show!   Music: Song "Soul Challenger" appearing on "Cullahnary School" by Cullah Available at: http://www.cullah.com Under CC BY SA license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

 

Matt is back for this episode. The black flies are gone. The clover is growing slowly. Matt offers us an update on the little Sanderson. Phil is working from home full-time now and admits he may be procrastinating. He’ll tell us later about that. The intro gets real when Phil decides to talk ontology and epistemology. Apologies in advance for a few annoying glitches in the audio. We fixed it up for the main section. So take a peek-a-poo before you protest too much.

Protest & Political Music - Part 1 (15:34)

Matt & Phil take a look at music from the 1920’s to the 1970’s that had strong political themes. This isn’t a comprehensive exploration of the genre, but rather a selection of tunes and artists that had a significant social and cultural impact. Sometimes, as in the case of Lead Belly, the artists focused on have influenced generations of musicians. There’s no Dylan, but there’s some Dr. Martin Luther King.  

A list of songs & artists discussed/played during in this episode:

• Lead Belly - Ain’t Gonna Study War No More (Down by the Riverside) (1940)
• Mamie Smith - Crazy Blues (1920)
• Mamie Smith - Harlem Blues (1935)
• Ma Rainey - Trust no Man (1926)
• Ma Rainey - See See Blue (1924)
• Elizabeth Cotten - Washington Blues and I’m Going Away (1965)
• Elizabeth Cotten - Freight Train (1956)
• Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit (1939)
• Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come (1964)
• Pete Seeger - We Shall Overcome (1963)
• Buffalo Springfield - For What It’s Worth (1966)
• Lesley Gore - You Don’t Own Me (1963)
• Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions - People Get Ready (1965)
• Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son (1969)

Recommendations (1:11:41)

• Matt & Phil both recommend brews from Sleeman. It's Silver Creek for Matt, and Railside Session Ale for Phil. Both are low alcohol, loaded with just the right amount flavour and hops. Perfect for a warm summer afternoon after some heavy lifting (or a day of heavy podcasting). Cheers!

Concluding thought: “Rebel, rebel and yell ’cause our people still dwell in hell!” – Rage Against the Machine, Township Rebellion

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Follow Semi-Intellectual Musings on Twitter: @The_SIM_Pod Email Matt & Phil: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: https://thesim.podbean.com/feed/ iTunes: https://goo.gl/gkAb6V Stitcher: https://goo.gl/PfiVWJ GooglePlay: https://goo.gl/uFszFq Corrections & Additions webpage: http://thesim.podbean.com/p/corrections-additional-stuff/ Please leave us a rating and a review, it really helps the show!   Music: Song "Soul Challenger" appearing on "Cullahnary School" by Cullah Available at: http://www.cullah.com Under CC BY SA license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Our first in a series of special guest hosted episodes with Aaron Henry. Phil and Aaron introduce the series by trying to make sense of survivalism. Following from a previous episode on Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the discussion kicks off by way of dystopian worlds then asks: what does it mean to be prepared? How and why do we prepare for the worst? What are we all preparing for anyway? Does surviving contain elements of resilience and/or coping?  From zombies, to Silicon Valley preppers, Aaron points us to The Walking Dead, 28 Days later, The 100, and other pop-culture references that we need to pay attention to as indicators of our current social conditions. Aaron gets us thinking and connects social theory to how we live within a world characterized by risks. What happens when we can no longer rely on what was once certain? At least this is for certain: Phil will take any chance he can to talk about Fargo. Maybe that makes him a hack...Aaron helps us out on that idea too.

A few articles on the themes discussed:

• “The Walking Dead”: A gory lesson in human resilience - by Neil Drumming (Salon, 2014)
• Stoicism’s Solution for the Millennial’s Rush Against Time - by Audrey Cheng (Huffington Post, 2014)
• A guide to stoicism for neurotic millennials - Rosie Liezrowice
• Doomsday Prep For The Super-rich - by Evan Osnos (The New Yorker, 2017)
• Weak Signals (Policy Horizon Canada)

Recommendations (1:09:29)

• Aaron recommends Muskoka Detour: lots of favour with less alcohol. Great summer brew.
• For a special birthday podcasting session, Phil tried and highly recommends El Dorado 12 year rum.

 

Concluding thought: “There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls” - George Carlin

 

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Follow Semi-Intellectual Musings on Twitter: @The_SIM_Pod Email Matt & Phil: [email protected] Subscribe to the podcast: https://thesim.podbean.com/feed/ iTunes: https://goo.gl/gkAb6V Stitcher: https://goo.gl/PfiVWJ GooglePlay: https://goo.gl/uFszFq Corrections & Additions webpage: http://thesim.podbean.com/p/corrections-additional-stuff/ Please leave us a rating and a review, it really helps the show!   Music: Song "Soul Challenger" appearing on "Cullahnary School" by Cullah Available at: http://www.cullah.com Under CC BY SA license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/