Woke Points

A whole lot has been happening in the Middle East since October 7th, and there's been no shortage of coverage of the conflict on news, social media, and almost anywhere else we look. But what was it like to visit before all this started — and especially, what was it like to visit Gaza? Listen in as Ted describes his experiences mentoring startups there in 2015 and 2017. This is an atypical ep...

When Henry Kissinger died, various obituaries struggled to sound respectful while recounting his long history of war crimes and dastardly deeds. Woke Points, on the other hand, will not be burdened with that struggle. Ted and Marni are joined by Danae Hendrickson of Legacies of War to discuss the Secret War that Kissinger led in Laos and Cambodia during the (far-from-secret) war in Vietnam. Togeth...

Getting outdoors has never been nerdier! Atmospheric scientist and avid ultra runner Joe Boomgard-Zagrodnik joins Ted and Marni to bring a truly informed, scientific perspective on how we can conscientiously enjoy the great outdoors. We talk climate change, optimism, microplastics and much much more. If you like Woke Points then you should love Joe BZ because he originally introduced Ted and Marni...

Some folks on the left have adopted the maxim that the "best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." Listen in as we discuss our own reaction to that belief, and the practice of using guns to defend threatened groups from the violence of oppressors. Marni and Ted share stories of groups in the minority who are taking up arms for their protection, and discuss our own e...

Having served five tours of duty as a Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan, Elliot Ackerman knows what he's talking about when it comes to military service.  He makes the argument that a draft could increase public engagement with the military and thus potentially reduce wars because everyone would have more skin in the game.  In this episode, Ted and Marni talk to Elliot about how his experience i...

Ted is super Outdoorsy and Marni is more Outdoors-ish, but we both love our time in the woods, on the water, and just out in the fresh air. In this episode, we explore (see what I did there?) how to love the outdoors without destroying them.  Resources from this episode: COVID spikes in Outdoor Recreation Outdoor Activities and Greenhouse Gas Emissions The impact of urbanization on Austria’s carbo...

Most Americans pass every day blissfully unaware of the impacts our military has around the world. We are insulated by a volunteer military that carries out global campaigns while we go about our lives. On this episode, Ted and Marni discuss whether a national, inclusive draft could result in increased civic engagements and fewer wars. Resources from this episode: Why Bringing Back the Draft Could...

Chorus Foundation founder Farhad Ebrahimi is in the process of giving away all $50 million of his inherited wealth, and he'll be done by the end of this year. Listen to this episode to learn not only why is Farhad giving away his fortune, but is encouraging others to follow his lead. Beyond his own foundation, he's part of a larger movement to work with others across society to imagine a...

Author of multiple books on national identity and patriotism,  Duke's Noah Pickus brings his historically-informed perspective to this week's episode. This conversation goes beyond our emotional responses to patriotism and expands into some deep topics, like the relationship between patriotism and immigration policy, and what it even means to be a citizen of a place. Resources and recomm...

When you approach a house flying an American flag, do you feel welcome? When you hear the national anthem, do your eyes well with tears of national pride? Do you bleed red, white, and blue?  Can you answer yes to any of the questions above and still consider yourself politically progressive?  In this episode, Ted and Marni discuss their own relationships with patriotism as well as how it seems to...

If you've had enough Marnsplaining, then this episode is for you! Ted and Marni welcome Kelly Hodgins to add her brilliantly informed perspective around equity in our food system. Born and raised on farms in Canada and New Zealand, Kelly brought her interest in farming into her academic career where she focused her research on food and agriculture systems, and did a lot of public engagement o...

Season three is here, and if we say so ourselves it's a Snack! Join Ted and Marni for a conversation about how progressives sometimes focus more on elitist dietary practices over increased food access for all. Here are some of the items we mention during the episode: One of our favorite TikToks about City life - thank you Jane Jacobs! The book that inspired that TikTok and that Marni is curre...

Season 3 starts on September 19th so now is the time to subscribe! We have a lot of fun in store for you this season like... Food Politics Patriotism Philanthropy (should we abolish it?) and much much more! Thank you to Inny PDX for the music! Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org , so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our...

In our last bonus episode before season 3, Ted and Marni talk about Americans' relationship to international travel, our shared love for solo travel, and why wanderlust drives us both. Thank you to Inny PDX for the music! Woke Points uses affiliate links for purchases made with the excellent Bookshop.org , so if you purchase books through these links you help sustain both our podcast *and* in...

Another bonus episode! Join Ted and Marni for an earnest conversation with professional Dominatrix and fetish wrestler Katarina "The Domme Kat" Pierce, and sexual health educator Momo, about the wide world of sex work. We'll get their perspective on *everything* Sex Robots too. Did we mention that Momo had a sex robots blog back in the 2000s? Learn more about Kat via her website or...

Podcaster, Political Commentator and founder of the More Freedom Foundation Rob Morris joins Ted and Marni for this bonus episode to reveal the unseen violence of US Sanctions, and we do our very best to have fun while doing it. Check out Rob across multiple social channels: YouTube Twitter Instagram, TikTok, and Threads: @morefreedomfoundation Listen to Rob's podcast Read Rob's Book Tha...

Just like any reputable educational institution, Woke Points works in semesters. So now's the time we sign off for Ted and Marni to take a summer break! Now is also a great time to catch up on any episodes from Season 1 or Season 2 that you've missed. Season 3 is coming at the end of August. Please stay subscribed and continue to follow us to stay apprised of updates and new episodes! Fo...

University of Alabama Communications Professor and author AJ Bauer joins Ted and Marni for this week's deep dive into the history of truth and fairness in media.  By the end, we wonder, "is truth even the right goal?" Follow AJ on Twitter , and buy his books: the acclaimed News on the Right: Studying Conservative News Cultures , and his forthcoming Making the Liberal Media. Resource...

In this episode, Ted blows Marni's mind by explaining to her that once upon a time it was legally mandated that news outlets (at least those using terrestrial channels) present both sides of a story.  Our current Fox News vs MSNBC world seems very far from the days of the Fairness Doctrine. While we recognize that cable news would not actually fall under the decree of the rule we discuss in t...

Have you had enough Sex Robots talk yet? Of course not! In this episode, Ted and Marni welcome Tania Leiman , Dean of Law at Flinders University, and legal scholar Madi McCarthy (no relation to Ted), both of whom have studied and written extensively about how the law handles intimate AI. Find Tania's publications here . Thank you to Inny PDX for the music! Woke Points uses affiliate links for...

This week Ted and Marni welcome author , professor, and evolutionary biologist Rob Brooks to the podcast to provide a scientifically informed perspective on human/AI relationships particularly when it comes to intimacy. Rob's knowledge of human evolutionary behavioral patterns provides a rich context to understand how we currently interact with technology and the potential future for those in...

In this episode, Marni and Ted stutter and blush while doing their best to discuss the promise and peril of humanoid sex robots. Are they a solution for socially incompatible sexual drives? Will they lead to even worse abuses in human sexual interactions? We don't know, but we are still going to discuss these and more questions. If you enjoy the schadenfreude of eavesdropping on folks in the...

This week Ted and Marni welcome Dr. Jennifer Rubenstein , Associate Professor of Politics at The University of Virginia and author of Between Samaritans and States to the podcast. Jenn brings a much needed informed perspective on the multitude of approaches to charitable giving and how we each can all evaluate our own giving practices. If you listened last week and wondered "but what would so...

In this episode, Marni and Ted discuss the Effective Altruism movement and whether or not there is a "right" or "most effective" approach to charitable giving.  Content note - this episode is NOT about Sam Bankman-Fried. If you've ever wondered whether you could make more of every dollar you donate, then this episode is for you. Welcome to a new era of Woke Points! We will...

In this episode, Marni and Ted discuss the challenges faced by night owls in a world designed for early birds. Many people are at their most productive or creative late in the day and even into the night, but are squeezed into the modern world's 9 - 5 structure. Can we create more opportunities for night owls to soar? Following Ted and Marni's moderately informed discussion, Haley Shaple...