Great episode as always! -and the pics here of Arturo are the icing to a recent history story.
Any chance of getting a link to the full version of the podcast theme. I love it, but my google foo of all things Armen Bazarian has failed me on this front.
Thanks for all your efforts. Each episode has brightened my day.
People keep asking! Armen's agreed to make a full version but he's tinkering with it until he's happy. So we'll post it once he is. It'll be in the newsletter.
Actually, I like “vogt-ers”. For real. It probably wouldn’t be a good look, and might seem a little culty, but your talents *are* the reason we’re here. I’m so glad you’re still in the game. I loved the two eps on speed, btw. I’m a Gen X female in my mid fifties so I identified very closely with Bianca Harris. I’m grateful you provided her story. I didn’t have a brain tumor but I went unmedicated until my mid 30s. I wish I had had access to Ritalin and SSRI’s when I was a teen so I appreciate them more.
I have a question: What does it mean to be "sober"?
I've been cutting back on various recreational drugs and, in doing so, I fell down a rabbithole of addiction treatment resources. I saw many in- and out-patient programs, as well as twelve-step programs, that allow caffeine and nicotine. Why those two drugs? Why not others? The best answer that I could find is that these programs prohibit "mood-altering" drugs, which I find odd, as caffeine is certainly mood-altering for me (it brightens my mood). And, though I'm not a nicotine user, withdrawals from nicotine are very mood-altering indeed (as anyone who's ever seen someone "really need a cigarette" can attest). It also occurs to me that sugar is potentially mood-altering, and addictive. Meanwhile, there's some notion of "California sober" floating around, the definition of which you can likely infer from the name.
Is there a logical bottom to any notion of sobriety? If so, what is it? And if not, how did we arrive at the notion of sobriety we have today (gesturing toward your methamphetamine & attention deficit episodes)? Are there other culturally situated notions of sobriety that are different from ours?
Idk as much about how alcoholism is diagnosed but I think it’s roughly comparable. In other words, does your consumption or experience of alcohol (or sugar, or retail therapy or gambling, etc) pose any problems in your life?
Of the variety of 12 step programs, there’s a Christian version “Celebrate Recovery” in which those with “hurts, habits, and hang ups” are included among those who are addicted to substances and/or behaviors and morally supported in a group setting. https://www.celebraterecovery.com/for-me-or-someone-i-know
The “bottom” varies for every person. I have no problem having a drink. I don’t desire it. I can also have on hand a bottle of 90 20 mg pills of Ritalin and not feel any urge to take more than prescribed. However, I am a sucker for carbs, especially vanilla ice cream, pudding, and yogurt.
The SnoopyToks remind me of Simpsonwave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTfa-9aCTYg There were also some Vines that would take vaporwave and put it with liminal anime scenes to evoke a similar feeling.
I have a strange love of that bull and am so happy you did this episode - art being in the eye of the beholder, I don't see the bull as being about capitalism, but rather something of wild nature in the middle of the most unnatural of places. Here is something I wrote on FB back when "The Fearless Girl" statue was put in front of him.
"The charging bull is a force of nature, strong and beautiful. He doesn't care about the complexities of humans. He doesn't care about Wall Street. He is a big powerful animal, made of Mother Earth raw power. He has no issue with a little human child. He just wants to roam free. I would love to see that girl step aside and let him run, or befriend him and ride wildly on his back, or stand beside him, together facing down all that would oppress them both, but I see no reason for them to be in opposition with one another. However, there are countless statues out there that I would happily put that fearless girl in front of. Statues of dead white men who have oppressed both women and the wild bull of nature. Move the Fearless girl to stand before an image that actually needs to be confronted."
Funny thing is that just like Wall Street is an area known throughout the world, New York’s first European counterpart, Amsterdam, also has an area called ‘de Wallen’ that is known throughout the Netherlands, even without mentioning the city. And that area has an international reputation as well, except you all know it as the Red Light District.
Great episode as always! -and the pics here of Arturo are the icing to a recent history story.
Any chance of getting a link to the full version of the podcast theme. I love it, but my google foo of all things Armen Bazarian has failed me on this front.
Thanks for all your efforts. Each episode has brightened my day.
People keep asking! Armen's agreed to make a full version but he's tinkering with it until he's happy. So we'll post it once he is. It'll be in the newsletter.
Actually, I like “vogt-ers”. For real. It probably wouldn’t be a good look, and might seem a little culty, but your talents *are* the reason we’re here. I’m so glad you’re still in the game. I loved the two eps on speed, btw. I’m a Gen X female in my mid fifties so I identified very closely with Bianca Harris. I’m grateful you provided her story. I didn’t have a brain tumor but I went unmedicated until my mid 30s. I wish I had had access to Ritalin and SSRI’s when I was a teen so I appreciate them more.
👯🫶🏻
“search engineers”? 😝
I have a question: What does it mean to be "sober"?
I've been cutting back on various recreational drugs and, in doing so, I fell down a rabbithole of addiction treatment resources. I saw many in- and out-patient programs, as well as twelve-step programs, that allow caffeine and nicotine. Why those two drugs? Why not others? The best answer that I could find is that these programs prohibit "mood-altering" drugs, which I find odd, as caffeine is certainly mood-altering for me (it brightens my mood). And, though I'm not a nicotine user, withdrawals from nicotine are very mood-altering indeed (as anyone who's ever seen someone "really need a cigarette" can attest). It also occurs to me that sugar is potentially mood-altering, and addictive. Meanwhile, there's some notion of "California sober" floating around, the definition of which you can likely infer from the name.
Is there a logical bottom to any notion of sobriety? If so, what is it? And if not, how did we arrive at the notion of sobriety we have today (gesturing toward your methamphetamine & attention deficit episodes)? Are there other culturally situated notions of sobriety that are different from ours?
Great questions. Have you read Dopamine Nation?
@Jay valid questions that are a bit discomfiting *because* they are valid?
First thoughts:
to receive a diagnosis of ADHD, for example, one has to experience significant challenges in several areas of life, eg work, home, social. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd
Idk as much about how alcoholism is diagnosed but I think it’s roughly comparable. In other words, does your consumption or experience of alcohol (or sugar, or retail therapy or gambling, etc) pose any problems in your life?
Of the variety of 12 step programs, there’s a Christian version “Celebrate Recovery” in which those with “hurts, habits, and hang ups” are included among those who are addicted to substances and/or behaviors and morally supported in a group setting. https://www.celebraterecovery.com/for-me-or-someone-i-know
The “bottom” varies for every person. I have no problem having a drink. I don’t desire it. I can also have on hand a bottle of 90 20 mg pills of Ritalin and not feel any urge to take more than prescribed. However, I am a sucker for carbs, especially vanilla ice cream, pudding, and yogurt.
All great thoughts. Brings me back to the notion of who, and how, we diagnose (again looking toward the amphetamines episodes).
The SnoopyToks remind me of Simpsonwave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTfa-9aCTYg There were also some Vines that would take vaporwave and put it with liminal anime scenes to evoke a similar feeling.
I have a strange love of that bull and am so happy you did this episode - art being in the eye of the beholder, I don't see the bull as being about capitalism, but rather something of wild nature in the middle of the most unnatural of places. Here is something I wrote on FB back when "The Fearless Girl" statue was put in front of him.
"The charging bull is a force of nature, strong and beautiful. He doesn't care about the complexities of humans. He doesn't care about Wall Street. He is a big powerful animal, made of Mother Earth raw power. He has no issue with a little human child. He just wants to roam free. I would love to see that girl step aside and let him run, or befriend him and ride wildly on his back, or stand beside him, together facing down all that would oppress them both, but I see no reason for them to be in opposition with one another. However, there are countless statues out there that I would happily put that fearless girl in front of. Statues of dead white men who have oppressed both women and the wild bull of nature. Move the Fearless girl to stand before an image that actually needs to be confronted."
“It’s so weird... this year--for whatever reason--it just feels like everything ends up being a housing story.”
PJ Vogt YIMBY arc?! Google “the housing theory of everything” to dive deeper into this rabbit hole...
Funny thing is that just like Wall Street is an area known throughout the world, New York’s first European counterpart, Amsterdam, also has an area called ‘de Wallen’ that is known throughout the Netherlands, even without mentioning the city. And that area has an international reputation as well, except you all know it as the Red Light District.
I thought I knew this story but turns out there's a lot of cool stuff about it I didn't know.
great episode!
"On many of those days, I stare at the scene trying to decode what exactly is going on here."
Depends... is the line in front or the back?
There's two lines, but the longer one is at the back.
Ofc! The balls are a novelty