Oh This World

For our weekend grab bag we're joined by special guest Sunny Merry , co-host of the The Mocktale Hour , a new podcast "for the sober-curious and the alcohol-free." Before talking to Sunny, Antoinette follows up on her social distancing bonus episode with news of changes to the rules for visiting certain Austin parks , and she and Lucas discuss Lucas' message to his fellow white...

Hours after the Texas Supreme Court ordered the hairdresser who broke stay-at-home measures released from jail, Lucas has a brief message to share with his fellow white people. This episode was recorded on Thursday, May 7, 2020.

A wide-ranging conversation about how to talk to people we disagree with and if that is a worthy goal in the first place . First, Antoinette gives a quick update on yesterday's vote-by-mai l episode, calling attention to this helpful explainer from the Mike Siegel (TX-10) campaign, and Lucas revisits Texas AG Ken Paxton's 2014 Pen-gate incident and offers a poignant mea culpa about somet...

When state and local orders on public safety no longer align, confusion is an expected outcome. And folks who have been itching for a "return to normal" might see this confusion as a convenient excuse to make individual decisions that risk everyone else's health. Even if you and I stay the course by adhering to safe public health practices, people we know and care about might not. A...

Antoinette and Lucas explore why making vote-by-mail accessible to all is so important in the age of COVID-19, and what we need to do to make it happen. Before diving into mail-in voting, we introduce a new feature: Oh This Small World , occasional five-minute bonus episodes we'll release on days we don't record. You can check out the first one here . We also have a special call to actio...

On days when we don't record, expect the occasional mini-rant or quick call to action from Antoinette or Lucas. Today, on this second day of Texas' partial "re-open," Lucas has a thing or two to say about masks and our elected officials (hint: cover your trap, Congressman!) The original story that provoked this mild rage, " Restaurants open, and Chip Roy takes his family f...

Every Friday, we follow up on our previous episodes from the week, and talk about what we're doing to stay grounded in this unsettling time, including sharing what we're listening to, reading and watching . Today we start with follow-ups on recent segments about writing letters to the editor; the partial Texas "re-open," which begins today; and playing the political long game ....

Antoinette and Lucas look at Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to allow some businesses—including restaurants and malls— to re-open at 25% capacity on Friday , why that’s bad for workers and for business owners, and how we can respond. First, Antoinette catches us up on her own activism this week, highlighting a Zoom meeting she participated in between her Congressman’s constituents and one of his...

Today Antoinette takes us on a deep-dive into the history of the USPS, a vital American institution in financial peril. She focuses on the wild 2006 law that, in addition to COVID-19, has been the reason for many of the post office's recent troubles. Before jumping back into USPS-land, Antoinette and Lucas first discuss the big Texas news of the week - Gov. Greg Abbott is allowing various bus...

In this episode we explore what each of us can do to secure Democratic victories at all levels in November when we can't engage in many of the activities - like canvassing - that we would be doing if not for COVID-19. First, Antoinette and Lucas reminisce about a few beloved Austin institutions that have been forced to close as a result of coronavirus - and more specifically because of the GO...

Every Friday, we'll follow up on our previous episodes from the week, and talk about what we're doing to stay grounded in this unsettling time, including sharing what we're listening to, reading and watching . Today we started with an update from yesterday's episode on testing, and talked about how there is so little moral leadership in our country that the tremendous toll the...

Today's episode is about how we know when it's OK to "re-open" society, and what we can do to make sure it's done safely (hint: we need more tests ). First, Antoinette and Lucas explore the GOP's war on experts , and how misinformation has made it difficult for many Americans to know where to turn for basic facts . With what we know about COVID-19 changing every day,...

In recent days, the GOP has tried to paint small protests against stay-at-home measures as a mass movement . In this episode, Antoinette and Lucas look at who's behind these rallies, what they're hoping to accomplish, and what we can do about it. After Antoinette gives a quick update on last episode's Maskapalooza , we jump into an exploration of astroturfing : when events organized...

In Austin, as in many communities around the country, we're now required to wear a face mask or clothing covering whenever we leave the house. In this episode, we do a deep-dive into all things mask-related , starting with Antoinette's initial attempts to make masks from home and a Lucasian mini-rant about mask-wearing as a patriotic act . Then we jump into the nitty-gritty, highlighting...

In a functioning democracy , our state and federal leaders might use their platforms to educate Americans about how best to handle and consume food during Coronavirus. They might even dispel misinformation on the topic. But that is neither the Texas nor the America we live. In this Texas, in this America, it too often seems like we're all on our own. So today, Antoinette and Lucas consider th...

In this episode, Antoinette and Lucas riff on how we keep time in these uncertain times , before launching into an exploration of mutual aid networks . These are grassroots groups, operating online, that match people looking for support (elderly folks in need of grocery delivery, for example) with volunteers ready to lend a hand . A recent NYT story on mutual aid networks can be found here . Come...

In our inaugural episode we discuss the uncertainty, anxiety and frothing rage that Coronavirus - and our government's response to it - has provoked, and of our desire to take concrete action to hold our leaders accountable. Across America, there's no shortage of ways to get involved, and that's doubly true here in Texas , where Democrats have a real chance to win the Texas House an...