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Episode 36: Ameritocracy

Soundtrack of the Week

Release Date: 02/16/2025

Episode 43: Pride and Killjoy show art Episode 43: Pride and Killjoy

Soundtrack of the Week

Ty is out this week, but the show must go on, so Jay and Meredith take the helm and bring in special guest Chad (‬). It's June, so the gang discusses Pride Month, including some of the many challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community. This time, someone with direct knowledge and experience speaks about the main topic.   (0:00:00)  - Intro (Ty is dead, SOTW welcomes Chad, Meredith and Chad are prepping for protests) (0:17:20) - Sounds of the Week: Me Too is back! ICE protest in Los Angeles (0:38:58) - Pride and other monthly observances   Songs: "Ever Fallen in Love" by...

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It's Memorial Day Weekend! Like other summer holidays, people are hitting the roads and the skies to enjoy the three-day weekend away from home. Other people, like Meredith, are afraid to travel and staying home.  This week, the gang discusses their traveling fears, including money, stressful itineraries, and dying. Air traffic controllers getting DOGEed isn't helping.   (0:00:00) - Intro (news update, Meredith totally doesn't have COVID, in memoriam car window decals, Tesla is the new BMW) (0:26:29) - Sounds of the Week:   (0:41:09) - Traveling   Songs: "The...

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Soundtrack of the Week

Third places are neutral public spaces outside the home (first place) and work (second place) where people can gather and interact, e.g. churches, coffee shops, bars, parks, malls, movie theaters, clubs, etc. Since at least the 1990s, third places have been disappearing, leaving people nowhere to go. This week, the gang explores why third spaces are going away, what the consequences are and what can be done to get back to a world where people just simply hang out.   (0:00:00) - Intro (Jay's mouth got probed, to go or not to go to the doctor, news update) (0:26:00) - Sounds of the Week: ...

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Soundtrack of the Week

Keeping good on his promise to purge the country of dangerous, illegal immigrants, President Donald Trump has executed a massive deportation campaign. However, Trump's immigration crusade may have gone too far, resulting in a constitutional crisis that has put potentially thousands of innocent people in the crosshairs, many of whom are U.S. citizens. This week, the gang breaks down the federal government's immigration crackdown and why every American should be concerned.   (0:00:00) - Intro (Artificial intelligence in Little League baseball, the workplace and Soundtrack of the Week) ...

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Soundtrack of the Week

Democracy is on the line, so the left is doing the only thing they know to do: Protest! From the recent "Hands Off" movement to people demonstrating outside Tesla dealerships (and some setting Cybertrucks on fire), people are hitting the streets to express their disapproval of the current president. But are they affecting change? This week, the gang discusses the merits of protesting in the United States and what needs to be done to see action on Capitol Hill   Intro (white people love casserole, Metallica road trip, Jay's dentophobia, news update) Sounds of the Week:     ...

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Jay and Ty recently discovered they have a half brother that no one knew about for more than 30 years. How did they find out? Ty submitted a 23&Me. Ty sees nothing wrong with obtaining this information, Jay is vehemently against a corporation collecting DNA data and flipping families upside down, and Meredith tries to rein the two in. This week, the gang discusses the topic of data privacy, including how much data they are willing to give up and at what price.   0:00:00  - Intro (Harlem Globetrotters, Ukrainian ballet, Ty finally took time off work, super spicy food is dumb,...

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Soundtrack of the Week

The gang is taking a break this week. Instead of leaving you hanging, Ty reached deep into the archives and resurrected an episode of the first edition of SOTW. Listen to Episode 147, where Ty, Jay and Meredith talk about the state of the nation ... in 2013! Needless to say, a few things have changed since then. Strap in for this one. The gang recorded for more than three hours every week back in the day!   0:00:00  - Intro 0:03:34 - Episode 147: You Say You Want a Revolution (Part I) 1:31:03 - Episode 147: You Say You Want a Revolution (Part II)   Songs: "Sunday Bloody Sunday"...

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Soundtrack of the Week

Heaven's Gate. The Branch Davidians. Children of God. The Republican party? Liberals and conservatives have been accusing each other of being in a cult since forever, but neither has exhibited all of the classic characteristics and traits ... until now. This week, the gang discusses the idea that Republicans are beginning to cross the line from party cohesiveness and loyalty to straight-up cult status.   0:00:00 - Intro (Meredith and Jay can't deal with winter, 23&Me disrupted Ty and Jay's family) 0:25:15 - Sounds of the Week:   0:51:17 - Cults   Songs: "Hypnotize"...

info_outline Episode 36: Ameritocracy show art Episode 36: Ameritocracy

Soundtrack of the Week

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies are under attack by the federal government in an attempt to restore meritocracy in both the public and private sectors. There's only one problem: Meritocracy is a myth. This week, the gang discusses how the lack of a merit-based system renders policies like DEI necessary to ensure everyone is on a level playing field by circumventing our implicit biases.   (0:00:00) - Intro (Super Bowl halftime show, Democratic party implosion continues) (0:24:30) - Sounds of the Week: UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell's pro-Hitler hot take (0:40:33) -...

info_outline Episode 35: Dem's the Breaks show art Episode 35: Dem's the Breaks

Soundtrack of the Week

In a special edition of the show, Ty, Jay and Meredith are joined by Geoff Gerling, a Missouri Democratic party officer and former SOTW co-host. Geoff returns to the show to discuss where Democrats went wrong heading into Election Day and how the party can bounce back. The gang gets deep into the weeds, including political messaging, who will lead the Democratic party and why the show "The West Wing" led to second term for Donald Trump.   0:00:00 - Short intro and straight into what happened with the Dems 0:27:58 - Role of communications/messaging in politics and the Democratic party...

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Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies are under attack by the federal government in an attempt to restore meritocracy in both the public and private sectors. There's only one problem: Meritocracy is a myth. This week, the gang discusses how the lack of a merit-based system renders policies like DEI necessary to ensure everyone is on a level playing field by circumventing our implicit biases.

 

(0:00:00) - Intro (Super Bowl halftime show, Democratic party implosion continues)

(0:24:30) - Sounds of the Week:

(0:40:33) - Meritocracy

 

Songs:

"Country Heroes" by Hank Williams III

"Shot You Down" by Audio Bullys and Nancy Sinatra

"One Headlight" by The Wallflowers

 

Notes: